Mailbag: Who are under-the-radar quarterback options?

The offseason is in full swing as the NFL Combine starts next week, so get prepared for some Las Vegas Raiders free agency and NFL Draft rumors to start flying off the shelves. To get things started, let’s dive into this week’s mailbag and talk about the Raiders’ quarterback situation.

Q: I remember when Pete Carroll went after Matt Flynn and Charlie Whitehurst. Are there any under-the-radar guys that were always whispered about having potential? See anyone in the league like that now? The easy answer is Joe Milton I suppose.

A: I think Milton is an option if the Patriots are willing to trade him in the offseason. But one player who fits the mold of the two guys you mentioned above is Kyle Trask.

John Spytek was a part of the Buccaneers’ front office when they used a second-round pick on Trask to serve as Tom Brady’s backup and potential heir apparent. However, Tampa Bay ended up signing Baker Mayfield after Brady retired and Trask has remained a backup over the last two years.

Similar to what Carroll did with the Seahawks in 2012 by signing Flynn and drafting Russell Wilson, I could see a situation where the Raiders sign Trask and use a second- or third-round pick on a guy like Jaxson Dart, Will Howard or Tyler Shough.

Another name to throw out there is Zach Wilson, who has talent that could be worth taking a low-risk flier on. Also, it would be interesting to see Trey Lance in Chip Kelly’s offense given Lance’s rushing ability, but I don’t have confidence in him as a passer.

Q: Are either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders worth trading a couple of high draft picks for, or would it be better to stay at six, keep the picks, and grab a QB in the second or third round?

Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

A: Understandably, I’ve gotten this question a few times this offseason. I’m intrigued by Ward’s arm talent and think he has a legitimate shot at being a quality starting quarterback in the league, so I’d be willing to trade up for him. That being said, something like what the Panthers gave up to get Bryce Young would be too rich for my blood.

However, I’m not that high on Sanders and would prefer to see the Raiders sit back and let him fall to them or take someone else at six if he gets drafted in the top five picks.

A: I would imagine Sam Darnold gets a long-term contract this offseason after taking the one-year “prove-it” deal last spring, so I think the Raiders would address other positions in the draft this year.

Unlike the veteran quarterbacks mentioned above, Darnold has a good year as a starter under his belt which gives him more leverage on the open market. Plus, he’s arguably the best quarterback available in free agency, so I don’t think Las Vegas will be his only potential destination.

I’d imagine Darnold’s contract will have enough guaranteed money to function as a two- to three-year deal, meaning the organization that signs him will be committing to him for at least a couple of seasons.

Q: Which defensive players do you think are most likely to be re-signed?

A: I think the most likely is Robert Spillane, assuming he’s willing to take a short-term deal since he’s been one of the leaders of the defense and productive over the last two years. Also, I’d imagine he’ll get an eight-figure-per-year deal ($10-$12 million range) but not something that’s over the top ridiculous.

The injuries give me hesitation, but Nate Hobbs is another decent candidate to return under similar stipulations as Spillane. Additionally, I’d assume Isaiah Pola-Mao will be brought back since he’s a restricted free agent and should be easy to re-sign.

The guy I’d most like to see get re-signed is Tre’von Moehrig. However, I get the feeling he’s going to get paid in free agency and could see a new regime not wanting to hand out a big contract to a guy it didn’t draft.

Malcolm Koonce is another tricky situation, more on that below.

Q: Should the Raiders prioritize drafting the best available edge rusher in the second round or re-sign Malcolm Koonce? Which prospects do you feel could be available at 37 with a higher ceiling than Koonce, if any?

Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images

A: I don’t think it’s out of the question to do both. In my opinion, the ideal situation with Koonce is that he signs a short-term “prove-it” contract to, essentially, make up for missing last season and the Raiders also draft another edge rusher in case Koonce ends up walking when the new contract is up.

I was very encouraged by what the former third-round pick showed in 2023 in both phases of the game, he just has a small sample size right now. Hopefully, he’s willing to come back and prove himself, but I fear that another club will gamble on what he showed two years ago and offer Koonce a bigger contract. That’s where the situation gets a lot more complicated.

Do the Raiders try to match it and take the risk? Or bring back someone like K’Lavon Chaisson instead and draft another pass-rusher? I don’t have a good answer for that.

As for options at pick 37, the guy I seem to be a lot higher on than others in the draft space is Princely Umanmielen from Ole Miss. I view Umanmielen as a late-first-round talent, so I’d be all for taking him in the second.

A: I touched on this in a little more detail earlier this week — see the related article below. Koonce could be the most likely guy to get tagged seeing as the organization will likely offer a short-term deal to him anyway. Maybe Moehrig gets the tag, but the safety figure is pretty pricey at roughly $20 million.

Q: Seeing how the Eagles’ defensive line dominated the Chiefs, do you think it would be a good idea to trade for Myles Garrett or build the DL through the draft? Also, what would it take to get Garrett?

A: In my opinion, Garrett is the best defensive player in the league (sorry Maxx Crosby). I’d love it if Garrett came to Las Vegas but the price tag is going to be extremely high, in the Khalil Mack two first-round picks range and maybe even more.

Also, Garrett has been adamant about playing for a Super Bowl contender, so I don’t think he’d want to go to a team that is coming off a 4-13 season. Granted, he doesn’t have a ton of leverage without a no-trade clause in his contract.

I like where your head is at in building out the defensive line, though. I just think it’s more likely that the Raiders do it via the draft than making a splash trade.

Q: Savion Williams, what do you think of this guy?

I haven’t been able to dive too deep into the wide receiver class yet, so I haven’t studied Williams. But my colleague at Bleacher Report, Dame Parson, is someone whose opinion I trust. Below is a snippet of his scouting report on the former TCU Horned Frog. Parson’s comp for Williams is Chase Claypool, whose NFL career didn’t last long, but that had more to do with attitude issues than Claypool’s talent.

“Williams is a great run-after-catch threat in the open field,” Parson wrote. “That great explosiveness and long speed make him a threat to take it the distance at any given moment. Williams’ agility is impressive for a player of his stature—he can weave in and out of traffic for YAC. He makes defenders miss in space and deploys a quick spin move in tight quarters. TCU converted him into a “wide back” offensive weapon like San Francisco 49ers Deebo Samuel. Williams is a playmaker in space with manufactured/gadget touches.

“…Overall, Savion Williams projects as WR3/4 with developmental tools and positional versatility. The combination of strength, speed, and agility with the ball in his hands can be dangerous. There’s plenty of upside at the wide receiver position, but the landing spot will be paramount for him to reach his ceiling.”

A: The list is short and probably limited to tight end, center and right tackle with Brock Bowers, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze. Left tackle isn’t an immediate need, but Kolton Miller is about to enter a contract year and has been banged up throughout his career. So, adding a blind-side protector for the long haul this spring isn’t out of the question.

Right now, the Raiders’ roster has a ton of needs and uncertainty with 27 impending free agents, including restricted and exclusive rights guys.

A: According to Over The Cap, the Raiders carried over about $33.6 million which is the fourth-most in the NFL. Every team must spend at least 89 percent of the salary cap between 2024 and 2026. So, the organization doesn’t necessarily have to spend 89 percent of the cap this year but it would have to make up the difference next offseason if it falls short. The cap is projected to be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million this year, meaning Las Vegas needs to spend just under $247 million to about $250.5 million on the entire roster.

A: I don’t think he’ll participate since his draft stock is already so high, but it would be fun to see what type of numbers Penn State’s Abdul Carter puts up since he’s such a freak athlete. Outside of Carter, I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on Michigan defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant since those guys are bigger dudes who can move.

A: If Ward or Sanders are there, I think the Raiders get their quarterback. Otherwise, best player available since the team has so many needs with the way things stand right now.

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.