There has been plenty of speculation this offseason regarding the Las Vegas Raiders’ future plans under center.
The Raiders have indicated that they will be exploring all of their options as they get set to usher in a new era at Allegiant Stadium in the 2020 NFL Season. As a result, it appears quarterback Derek Carr’s status as the starter moving forward is hardly set in stone.
Recent reports have pegged Las Vegas as one of the frontrunners targeting New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in free agency. Regardless of which player takes over under center next season, there is still the question of how they will approach securing a backup.
Head coach Jon Gruden addressed the importance of potentially bringing in a young quarterback, via the team’s official website:
“Yeah it might be. Mike Glennon is a free agent. [Nathan] Peterman was hurt and unavailable last season, so we’re evaluating all the quarterbacks, free agents certainly and the kids in the draft. We met with five or six of those yesterday as well.”
Gruden put an emphasis on shoring up as many contingency plans behind Carr as he could upon his arrival. Although the Raiders have been fortunate enough to not be in need of them, it goes to show just how much he values having quality depth under center.
Rather than search the free agency market or acquire another quarterback via trade, it seems they may opt to go for a more youthful approach by finding one in the 2020 NFL Draft. The fact that Gruden and his staff are doing their due diligence on a number of prospects only helps to solidify this notion.
It now remains to be seen just how much the Raiders are willing to invest in securing a quality backup. Although there are a number of notable voids on their roster to fill, they could still find themselves in a position to take a promising quarterback prospect with either the No. 12 and No. 19 overall picks.
Not only would Gruden finally be drafting a quarterback of his choosing, but he will also have the luxury of being able to take his time with their development since they plan on having either Carr or Brady take over for the near future anyway. Of course, their approach in the draft could all depend on which player ultimately ends up in Las Vegas this offseason.
