Will the Raiders remorse not getting more aggressive at quarterback? – Yahoo

With OTAs over and training camps aloof weeks away, rather a lot of questions are circling the NFL. Charles McDonald is tackling them this summer season.

In the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders obtain been one in every of the many groups rumored to be attracted to drafting a quarterback. As six quarterbacks went off the board within the first 12 picks, it grew to change into certain that they obtain been not going to steal a quarterback and as an change drafted a player at a definite popularity — Georgia’s star tight quit Brock Bowers.

That pick turned into as soon as a minute little bit of a shock, but their overall complacency at quarterback turned into as soon as even less anticipated. Because the Raiders start up their first fat season with Antonio Pierce running the display, they’ll be chasing the the leisure of the AFC, with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, and it’s gorgeous to effect a query to: Is this a mistake?

Let’s excellent be genuine here: The Raiders’ quarterback ability goes to head away them at a severe drawback in their obtain division, not to affirm the convention at huge. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are continuously ambitious opponents and the Chargers ought to uncover a enhance in performance with Jim Harbaugh this season, even when they’re playing the prolonged sport in phrases of their rebuild. Las Vegas has a leg up over Denver, which looks to be destined to start up rookie quarterback Bo Nix for the upcoming season. The aggregate of Minshew, whom they signed on a two-year deal as a free agent, and O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round pick, isn’t the caliber of quarterback play the Raiders would ideally wish to obtain. Which capability the the leisure of the crew will must be solid in disclose for the Raiders to within the wreck create the playoffs.

There is a minute little bit of reason for optimism that the Raiders’ offensive supporting forged and defense will be ready to buoy their quarterback danger. Shedding Josh Jacobs in free agency will sting, but Zamir White confirmed some flashes when it turned into as soon as his flip to lift the ball. Megastar huge receiver Davante Adams is aloof a Raider and so they’re hoping rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson will provide some steadiness along the offensive line. They’ll obtain to establish strategies to deploy tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, but that can perhaps perhaps quit up being a excellent narrate as they’re each and every talented younger avid gamers. Regardless that the Raiders either obtain been unable or opted not to steal a quarterback this year, it’s laborious to be upset at adding Bowers to your football crew — he tasks to be that gorgeous.

The defense will deserve to obtain severely high expectations this year fascinated about how they performed as soon as Pierce took over because the intervening time coach. Per RBSDM.com, the Raiders ranked Twenty sixth in EPA per play on defense sooner than Pierce’s plug because the head coach. Over the support half of of the season with him in adjust, they obtain been the second-ranked defense in phrases of EPA per play. It ought to even be acknowledged that in that timespan, the quarterbacks they faced included Tommy Devito, Zach Wilson, Josh Dobbs, Reduce Mullens, Easton Stick, Gardner Minshew and Jarrett Stidham. Alternatively, they did slack down Miami’s offense and Kansas Metropolis’s offense as soon as. There turned into as soon as some genuine enchancment below Pierce.

Now, they obtain Christian Wilkins joining Maxx Crosby on the defensive line, giving the Raiders one in every of the most straightforward duos within the full league. If these guys can wreak enough havoc, the Raiders may perhaps perhaps perhaps perhaps be ready to boast a solid defense all all over again, namely if they may be able to fetch a breakout performance from somebody within the secondary.

Now not being more aggressive at quarterback is a misfortune for the Raiders, but they excellent may perhaps perhaps perhaps need enough around them to be a first rate crew in 2024. The winner of the Minshew-O’Connell quarterback fight has but to be determined and so they’ll obtain rather a lot to display directly within the golden age of AFC quarterbacks.