ORLANDO — Rookie Aidan O’Connell went 5-5 because the beginning quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders final season, together with throwing eight landing passes with out an interception over his remaining 4 video games. As such, O’Connell can be given each alternative this offseason to win the beginning job in 2024.
The Raiders additionally signed veteran Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million take care of $15 million assured in free company to compete for the job, and former Baltimore Ravens backup Anthony Brown can be on the roster.
However that does not imply the Raiders’ QB1 at the moment has a locker of their facility.
Not with Raiders coach Antonio Pierce unabashed in his need to discover a franchise passer within the draft. Particularly together with his private connection to LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, whom he initially recruited to Arizona State when he was an assistant coach (2018-21).
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Factor is, the Raiders personal the No. 13 total decide, and with Daniels among the many consensus prime three QB prospects — together with USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye — buying and selling as much as get Daniels could be an costly if not not possible activity. That is as a result of the groups choosing 1-2-3 all want QBs within the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.
Pierce went to work on the AFC coaches breakfast in the course of the NFL house owners conferences right here Monday, giving scouting reviews on the following line of quarterbacks coming into the draft.
“We interviewed most of these guys on the mix, had nice conversations with them,” Pierce mentioned. “J.J. McCarthy, you are speaking a couple of nationwide champ, a winner. So I do not understand how he is not within the prime three, if you wish to be sincere. And then you definitely have a look at Bo Nix, I imply, what’s it, 61 profession begins? Come on, man. That is loopy. Performed in opposition to Justin Herbert. So when you seize a child like that, properly, he is completed that already. That is form of cool. However there is a very gifted group, even Michael Penix Jr., taking his guys to the nationwide championship with the College of Washington.
“So, to be sincere, yeah, you desire a sure quarterback. You bought your eye on one or two or three, however I do not assume you possibly can go incorrect with this yr’s draft with any of those guys now. Do they pan out? I do not know. It is the match. It is once they get introduced alongside. It is the system. Quite a lot of issues go into play.”
The cynic would possibly see Pierce imbibing in some critical quarterback gamesmanship, pumping up all of the signal-callers so one falls to the Raiders.
Whilst there’s a thought within the group that there’s a line of demarcation separating Williams, Daniels and Maye from the following wave of QBs, a drop too steep to simply merely take any of these QBs at 13. Which brings us again to the Pierce-Daniels connection.
“I believed he could be a Heisman winner, I did,” Pierce mentioned with a smile. “That was my recruiting pitch to him. I simply thought it will be the place I used to be at beforehand.
“One factor about him, that I feel separates him from the remainder, is his capacity to run. He might run, run. He might run like that within the SEC and put up these form of numbers? I feel that interprets very properly [to the NFL].”
And that is precisely the form of quarterback Pierce hated going through in his 9 years taking part in linebacker within the NFL from 2001 to 2009.
“Rattling runner, Michael Vick,” Pierce mentioned. “Vick. [Donovan] McNabb. All these guys, as a result of it is 11 on 11. I just like the Tom Bradys, the Peyton Mannings of the world. Sit there, throw that marker down, he is nonetheless there. However when that marker began shifting and now I am in protection, do I come out? Do I stick with my man in zone protection? Do I flip my again, go plaster as we name it, discover the closest receiver?
“These guys are at all times troublesome, man. The fellows that transfer round, Patrick Mahomes, only a thorn, proper? As a result of he extends the play now and it goes from 2.2 seconds to 2.6, 2.7, typically three and 4. That is by no means good for a protection.”
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Are you choosing up what Pierce is placing down? As a result of even when the Raiders do draft a QB, there isn’t any assure the rookie will begin straight away. Regardless of his draft slot.
“All of it depends upon the quarterback you get and who that man is,” Pierce mentioned. “I imply, do you wish to throw him to the hearth? No, I do not assume that is been one of the best ways. I performed with a man like Eli Manning, first decide total, did not play till Week 8 or 9 his rookie season. Did not turn out to be a starter till 12 months 2. So, a thousand methods to pores and skin a cat. We’ll do what’s finest for the participant and ourselves going ahead.”
Till then, Pierce gave up to date views on the signal-callers at the moment on the roster:
On O’Connell: “Would like to see him turn out to be extra vocal, proper? Is he ever going to turn out to be a runner? No, not going to occur. That is OK. However there’s different ways in which you are able to do that and transfer round within the pocket. I feel he is completed an important job this offseason, being within the constructing, staying within the Las Vegas space and actually engaged on that. So, one factor I would like to see him do is be extra vocal. You don’t need the quarterback being a church mouse. I do not want him being a rah-rah man both. However when issues are incorrect, I would like him to repair it and be vocal about it.”
On Minshew: “He is been by way of a variety of adversity. We would like that have, as properly, in right here. So, to me, it was a great match. And it’s a tradition match.”
On Brown: “Extraordinarily athletic … provides you a special dynamic. Very cell, very athletic, will get out of the pocket. Good poise about him.”
As Minshew put it, he felt a “nice power” within the Raiders constructing, one which Pierce is fostering.
“I am the guardian on the gate,” he mentioned. Not letting any evil come by way of that constructing.
“You are searching for any individual that wishes to come back in that room and be aggressive. Give us that edge. And once more, if it is a rookie, if it is Aidan, if it is Minshew, if it is Brown, we’ll put the very best participant on the market that provides us an opportunity to win.”
