After trading a third-round pick and giving Geno Smith a two-year extension, there are no questions around who the Raiders consider their QB1 going into the 2025 season.
But even with Smith comfortably at the top of the quarterback depth chart, the Raiders are still expected to add a quarterback in this month’s draft, and if that happens, Aidan O’Connell could be become expendable in the eyes of the new leadership in Las Vegas.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur stopped short of saying O’Connell is about to be on the trade block, but he clearly thinks it’s a possibility.
“Bringing in a young quarterback to learn behind Smith makes sense (and we think the Raiders might trade Aidan O’Connell on draft weekend),” Tafur reported in a column at The Athletic this week. “New minority owner Tom Brady likes the idea of rookie quarterbacks sitting and soaking it all in, and there are some interesting options even in what is a down year in the draft for QBs.”
For what it’s worth, this is the second time Tafur has brought up the idea of the Raiders trading O’Connell. He also mentioned it on the Just Win podcast, so there is obviously something he has pieced together about the situation.
O’Connell, 26, is still young enough to have more career upside than what he has shown and his 85.1 rating in two seasons with the Raiders is respectable considering the disfunction around the team since he was drafted.
It’s hard to know what the trade market for O’Connell might look like, but a day 3 pick in the draft might be attainable for the Raiders if they end up taking a quarterback in an earlier round.
x: @raidersbeat
Dudes a solid back up. And in a stable offense for more than one season he could be a starter. Two years on a rookie contract. That is a terrible idea.
Yeah trading him would be a terrible idea!
He got beat out by swamp boy. He needs to be moved a distraction I call it. Howard can be number 2 or milroe. Trade him for a 7th round pick and use that pick for a bottom of the barrel pick. You might strike gold, ask Mr.purdy
You think any rookie could succeed with no run game, a porous OL and three OC’s in two seasons? Obviously you do.
Stuck on Milroe you must’ve loved Pryor too.
Yes Greg when you have a qb that has 4.3 speed he doesn’t need to stand there like Payton manning. O’Connell can’t move period. Great if you had the best offensive line to protect him but we don’t. So all said and done milroe or Howard can’t move period learn from Geno. Send him to New England to be back with mcstupid who drafted him.
Some people just don’t accept reality. Our OL sucks, so we need a QB that can buy time in the pocket or be a threat running. O’Connell needs to be traded to the Eagles. Maybe behind that OL he can be more effective. The game has changed, especially the QB position.
Anthony Richardson. Bryce Young. Drake Maye. All three were statistically far worse than O’Connell. All three are extremely mobile. Maye was the only one that didn’t miss more than three weeks from injury from that mobility you think is so important.
How about pointing out the mobile QB’s that played lights out, like Jackson, Mahomes, and Josh Allen? Not too many immobile QB’s out there anymore.
Hey Greg, I guess you don’t like the mobility of mahommes, Jackson, etc. The game has changed pal. No more Payton manning of the league. The Statue of Liberty qb is done and gone.
Comparing anyone you think is draft candy to either of them is absolutely ridiculous.
The position is controlled between the ears. The rest is icing. How many Lombardi’s has Jackson used his mobility to carry his team over the top?
Reasoning with you is like talking to a rock.
Huh?
Point confirmed.
Greg full solidarity! There are 32 teams and notoriously there are not 32 qb and I even have to read that we have to trade a QB who has shown he has something despite 2 consecutive years where everything else has sucked, because he can’t run and even because we have a poor line! so instead of strengthening the libea what do we do.. we trade the qb, maybe giving him to the eagles who have an excellent line… I think everything speaks for itself