Returning Raider Nation’s questions for the week
After the Kansas City Chiefs got dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, we’re officially into the offseason. So this week’s mailbag is full of Las Vegas Raiders trade rumors, NFL Draft and free agency questions, including if the Silver and Black should target Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Q: Any thoughts on potentially trading for Stafford? A bridge and mentor the Raiders could actually win with and mentor to a young QB the next couple of years.
A: I’m not keen on the Raiders giving up valuable draft picks for a 37-year-old quarterback who only has two years left on his contract, so it would depend on what the trade package looks like. I can get on board with something like a third- or fourth-round pick, but I’d be surprised if the Rams let Stafford go for that.
In my opinion, adding Stafford doesn’t make Las Vegas a Super Bowl contender. I’d rather see the organization build for the future than bring in someone who it is only hoping to get a couple of years out of. But if the price is right, then I’m not going to scoff at the idea of taking a flier on Stafford.
Q: What do you think about trading for Malik Willis?
A: The sample size is still really small for Willis since he only had 71 dropbacks last season and 162 in three career seasons, per Pro Football Focus. Another factor to consider is he’s entering a contract year. So, the price tag would have to be low and nothing should be guaranteed in terms of him starting next season. Even if the Raiders traded for Willis, I’d still like to see them add another quarterback would could compete for the starting job.
Q: I’m sure this is not a popular thought, but what if New Orleans moves on from Derek Carr? Should the Raiders try to get him and be the bridge for a QB of the future, whoever that may be? I think Derek Carr, if healthy, is a better QB than anyone we have had under center since he left.
A: I think the Carr ship has sailed. I won’t argue that he’s better than the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, but that’s a low bar. Also, he got pretty beaten up last year, missing seven games with the Saints, and is at the end of his career as a 34-year-old. Carr had a good run with the Silver and Black, but it’s best for both parties to remain broken up.
A: I have no idea how interested the Raiders or any other team is in trading for Joe Milton, but he would be a good fit for Chip Kelly’s offense. Milton can run and has plenty of arm talent to chuck it deep, it’s just a matter of if he can reign in the accuracy and improve his ability to read defenses. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Tom Brady pick up the phone and call his old employer to gauge their interest in dealing last year’s sixth-round pick.
A: I’m the wrong guy to try and sell Justin Fields to. I liked him coming out of Ohio State but wasn’t a fan of him when the Bears were looking to trade him last offseason. Fields’ ability to read the field (no pun intended) is awful as he’s very indecisive and leaves throws out there. That continued this season and was the reason why he got benched in Pittsburgh when Russell Wilson got healthy.
I’ll take my chances on someone in the draft over Fields.
Q: Would you like the Raiders to draft Will Howard if they don’t get Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward?
A: I mentioned last week that Howard is trending toward being my QB3 in this year’s draft class, so I could definitely get on board with that.
A: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Will Howard are the three I’m most confident in right now. I’m on the fence about Jaxson Dart as other people seem to be a lot higher on him than me. Dart has the arm talent but he’s very late on throws and the dropoff in his play against SEC teams makes me hesitant. I was more in on Jalen Milroe about a month ago, but his performance at the Senior Bowl has cast a lot of doubt in my mind.
A: I’ll keep the veterans to just free agents since including potential trades opens up Pandora’s box.
Free agents (a very underwhelming class): Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones. I’m going with the thought of getting someone who is younger to have a chance at getting a long-term quarterback.
Draft (excluding Ward and Sanders): Howard, Dart and Tyler Shough. I dove into Shough this week and walked away much more impressed than I was expecting. That being said, Shough could be considered a “veteran” since Darnold is only two years and three months older than him, Wilson is a month older and Jones is two years and four months older. LOL!
Q: In your opinion, what’s a better value in rounds one and two? Ashton Jeanty and a top-rated defensive tackle at 37, Mason Graham and Omarion Hampton, or leave running back and defensive line until the third-round picks due to the depth at both positions in his draft class?
A: Graham and Hampton in rounds one and two.
Graham is arguably the best player in this year’s draft class, so getting him at No. 6 overall would be excellent value. It’d be really similar to nabbing Brock Bowers at 13 last year. Also, I don’t think the gap between Jeanty and Hampton is that wide, meaning the Raiders would potentially be getting the best running back in a loaded class on Day 2.
While both position groups are deep, those two are the cream of the crop to provide excellent value for the Silver and Black’s picks.
Q: Is the speculation about Tre’von Moehrig and Malcolm Koonce getting big-money contracts in the offseason justified?
A: Koonce is more questionable since he’s only been a one-year wonder and is coming off a torn ACL. However, good pass-rushers are a premium and tend to get paid, and sometimes overpaid, on the open market. I think he’ll likely get a one- to two-year contract that’s at least eight figures but has little guaranteed money.
With Moehrig, the speculation is absolutely justified. He’s proven he can play both safety spots and will only be 26 years old this season. The 2021 second-round pick has a big payday coming this spring.
That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to [email protected] or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
