The Las Vegas Raiders are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of a new starting quarterback.
The Raiders are expected to have discussions with multiple veteran quarterbacks when the legal tampering window of free agency opens on Monday. They have been linked to Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields and others.
Las Vegas could also address the quarterback position in the draft, where they currently hold the No. 6 overall pick. They would likely need to trade up in order to have a chance at drafting either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, though there has been talk about one of the two slipping down the board.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Raiders have not ruled out the possibility of trading for another team’s starting quarterback, either.
Most NFL teams with a viable starting quarterback would not be willing to swing a trade. Geno Smith and Derek Carr are a couple of names that come to mind, but the former had another strong season with the Seattle Seahawks last year. The latter is well past his prime and already played for the Raiders earlier in his career.
The Raiders are probably just doing their due diligence. Their best chance at trading for a starting quarterback has seemingly come and gone. A veteran free agent is likely their best option at this point.
Tom Brady is said to be heavily involved in the Raiders’ pursuit of a new quarterback. The team is looking to quickly turn things around after going 4-13 last year, and acquiring an established veteran might be necessary for accomplishing that goal.
