The Las Vegas Raiders have an obvious need at quarterback and are looking to fill it with someone who can lead the franchise for years to come. Now a new name has just entered the free agency market in former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Broncos gave up a lot to bring Wilson in two years ago, but Wilson was nowhere near the player he was earlier in his career. Even though he improved under Sean Payton last season, it was clear he wasn’t the long-term answer, and thus, Denver chose to part ways despite the huge financial implications for them.
The question now is where Wilson will land, and the Las Vegas Raiders are one of the top potential spots in the eyes of the gambling world. According to Erich Richter of the New York Post, the Raiders trail only the Pittsburgh Steelers for the highest odds to land the quarterback:
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is favored to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers (-200), according to oddsmakers at DraftKings.
There is still room for other teams to make a leap, though, as the Las Vegas Raiders are +275 and have a clear need for quarterback.
As Richter noted the Raiders do have a need at the position, but Wilson wouldn’t seem to fit what the team has spoken about. Head coach Antonio Pierce has said the team isn’t looking for a short-term fix, and with 12 NFL seasons under his belt, Wilson is undoubtedly in the latter portion of his career.
Wilson has been trending down over the past three seasons and hasn’t looked like the top-tier quarterback he had been prior. For a Raiders team looking to get over the hump and back into postseason contention, Wilson’s recent performance wouldn’t bring a lot of confidence that he is capable of doing that.
Perhaps Wilson needs a fresh start with the Raiders to reach his prior level of performance, but based on what he has shown, the Raiders might be better off focusing on the draft and looking for their franchise quarterback down that avenue.
Raiders among teams showing interest in Chicago’s Justin Fields
Another option for the Raiders to find their new quarterback is via trade and the franchise is reportedly eyeing Chicago Bears signal-caller Justin Fields.
Recent reports stated that the Raiders are among the four teams on Fields’ radar should the Bears look to trade him, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears have the top pick in the draft and are currently weighing whether to keep it and take one of the top QB prospects or trade down and continue growing with Fields.
