The Las Vegas Raiders will be holding a quarterback competition between second-year man Aidan O’Connell, who ended last season as the team’s starter, and veteran Gardner Minshew II, who the team signed in free agency this offseason.
It is imperative that the Raiders figure out that spot and get good production from whoever is under center and a big reason for that is because the rest of the offense looks pretty loaded from a talent standpoint. There is also a new offensive coordinator, Luke Getsy, coming over from the Chicago Bears.
And between the pieces on offense and Getsy’s philosophy and style of coaching, Minshew believes this Raiders offense can be very special, as he spoke about during Raiders Media Day:
“I think one of the good things that Luke always says is he’s coaching to the players, coaching to our strengths and he’s gonna put guys in positions to succeed. I think that’s really important because we have guys that do different things very well, and not everybody is the same. But putting those guys in positions to use their talents, I think we have a chance to be very special.”
Obviously, star receiver Davante Adams is the biggest piece of that, as he is a perennial All-Pro, and Jakobi Meyers is excellent as a second receiver. The Raiders also have a pair of very promising tight ends in Michael Mayer and rookie Brock Bowers, not to mention running back Zamir White, who came on strong at the end of last season as well.
The Raiders also helped fortify their offensive line by drafting Jackson Powers-Johnson, who will immediately slot in next to Kolton Miller at left guard. Needless to say, Minshew’s thoughts on the potential of this offense are warranted.
Of course, looking good on paper, and delivering on that potential on the field are two different things. And if Minshew can win this quarterback competition, he will surely look to involve all of these weapons and turn the Raiders offense into an absolute force.
Both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell embracing Raiders QB competition
Even though Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell are in direct competition with one another, the two Raiders quarterbacks are extremely respectful of each other and want the other to succeed.
O’Connell noted that both he and Minshew have similar underdog stories, being drafted in later rounds and having to prove that they belong in the league. Minshew added that both are team guys who want to get better and win at the end of the day.
