With credible reports of the Raiders’ interest in free-agent quarterback Tom Brady, combined the team’s adamant goal of continuing to improve at every position, including quarterback, speculation about Brady coming to Las Vegas is pouring over the NFL landscape to the point of overflow.
The Raiders’ quarterback for the last six seasons, Derek Carr, is just 28 years old and has performed well throughout his career. But he was hand-selected by the previous general manager, Reggie McKenzie, not the current GM, Mike Mayock.
According to one anonymous NFL executive quoted by The Athletic’s Mike Sando, the Raiders provide Brady with a potential landing spot if the nearly 43-year-old QB doesn’t re-sign with the Patriots, with whom he’s won six Super Bowls.
They don’t need the bang the way the Chargers do, but I think they would like it and I do think where there is smoke, there is fire, and some of that stuff that comes out about Carr and Gruden is probably true.
The Raiders become a fallback position for Brady in my view. If it turns out Brady really wants to get away from Bill Belichick and he is out of there no matter what, then I think the Raiders become the next best possibility.
As a “fallback” option, it’s very likely that the Raiders are being used as leverage for a new deal for Brady in New England. It’s not hard to believe the Raiders are interested, but Brady will command a hefty salary, especially for a team that is rebuilding.
If Brady did sign with the Raiders and was their first quarterback in their new Las Vegas home, it would be one of the largest NFL storylines in recent memory. Brady is perhaps the league’s most recognizable star and would make a splash in Las Vegas big enough to empty the water reservoir in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
It’s anyone’s guess how much serious interest the Raiders have in Brady, however. With coach Jon Gruden’s reputation for being a quarterback guru, or maybe just an admirer, the Raiders will always be connected to available quarterbacks until they sign one to a long-term contract, which they haven’t done with Carr.
And though Mayock hasn’t said Carr is his franchise quarterback, he’s been complimentary of Carr and pointed out the many other needs on the team, such as nearly every position on defense and also at wide receiver.
Also, if the Raiders did acquire Brady, they’d still likely have to draft a young signal-caller to groom for the position, exhausting more resources.
But the Raiders are looking at every option, and Brady appears to be one they could pursue. Gruden’s success with other veteran quarterbacks, such as Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson, only adds fuel to the speculation. Don’t expect any such quarterback chatter to stop until the Raiders’ roster is set for training camp, or they make a move in free agency or the draft.
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