The Raiders missed out on Matthew Stafford, and according to Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it was because they weren’t willing to part with a first-round pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that ‘Plan B’ for the Raiders is most likely to be Justin Fields, Russell Wilson or Sam Darnold, but another trade option was brought up from the NFL Combine this week by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.
Volin said a former Patriots assistant asked him this week why the Raiders wouldn’t be willing to give up a third-round pick for Joe Milton, who the former coach believes is the second most talented quarterback available.
Milton, 24, is an above average athlete and has arguably the strongest arm in the NFL. He also has three more years remaining on his rookie deal.
Milton comes with concerns, but considering the Raiders situation at quarterback, a late-round pick might make sense for a quarterback with his upside.
Whether Milton is on their radar or not, the expectation is that the Raiders will cast a wide net at quarterback in the weeks ahead.
One quarterback they might have an opportunity at (that not many were predicting would fall to pick 6 a few months ago) is former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
Some believe Sanders is headed towards a slide in the draft and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur pointed to his “entourage, money he already has, [and] dad potentially being a loud factor” as reasons why teams may shy away from taking the player Deion Sanders said would be the first player taken in the draft.
The other top quarterback prospect the Raiders could try to make a move for is University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward is considered by most to be the top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft and league insider Tony Pauline reported this week that the Tom Brady and company are strong candidates to move up in the draft for Ward.
“The overall belief from people in the league is that the Las Vegas Raiders will be one of the teams actively attempting to trade up with the hopes of selecting quarterback Cam Ward,” Pauline reported on Monday. “The team needs a quarterback and wanted to move up for Jayden Daniels one year ago, though it was a completely different regime running the show in Las Vegas.”
Pauline isn’t the most familiar name in the industry, but he was right about Mike Vrabel’s preferred destination this year and hasn’t been off the mark with most of his reporting around the Raiders in recent years.
x: @raidersbeat
To me that’s a direction the Raiders should consider. Why not try and get Milton for the third rd pick and get a vet for a two year deal? Or do as I really want them to do is get the vet for 2 years and sign a rookie QB in the draft to develop. I am really hoping they don’t give away any draft capital
I’m gamed to go with AOD at QB and pick up Jeanty at #6 or Johnson. They never gave AOD a legit chance.
AOD leaves a lot to be desired. He’s strictly backup material.
The raiders don’t know what to do and they could talk Tom Brady out of retirement and still screw it up so it doesn’t matter who they get.
I’m fine with signing Zack Wilson, drafting a QB in the third with one of the 3rd round picks. Hopefully Will Howard will be there. Cut ties with Minshew and allow AOC, Wilson, Bradley and the rookie to fight it out for pecking order. That way we keep our picks, build up the team in the trenches. We get Genty with the sixth, making our running game lethal therefore making it a lot easier for whoever is under center.
I’m not against the the Zack Wilson move. Surely we could get Milton for a 5th, I wouldn’t trade a day 2 pick, it seems like NE wants to move him. AOC is a keeper, if only for the reason that we know he is competent and accurate. He has no feel for the pocket and can’t escape pressure, but he understands a game plan and can enter a game at any point. Still have to draft a guy, or bring in an accomplished starter. We cannot go back to back years w/o a proven starter.
Really ? A early 3rd for a physically gifted thrower who makes mistakes on the field consistently. The front office/ ownership have continued to be played as the fools this off-season. Brady has been made to look like the biggest fool taking the title from Mark Davis. Not getting Ben Johnson has once again set this team back although there isn’t that far to go since McZiggy and Telesco tossed the roster in the dumpster.