Tag: Gardner Minshew

Raiders 2024 camp position battle: Quarterback

Biggest battle at Raiders camp will come at the most important position.

Happy July, everyone. We are officially just three weeks away from the start of Raiders training camp. Among the first to report will be the quarterback who will arrive in Costa Mesa along with rookies on July 21 for the three-day pre-camp warmup.

The purpose of the early arrival for the quarterbacks is to try and shake the rust off before they are joined by their teammates. But will that be enough?

Based on what I saw the last time this group took the field, there is a lot more than rust to shake off. Namely with regard to the two who are currently competing for the starting job.

Aidan O’Connell vs Gardner Minshew

O’Connell got the nod for ten games last season as a rookie. He was not terrible, albeit notably stiff and immobile with little ability to create plays on his own. But he showed he does have a good arm.

Minshew is not known for his arm. He doesn’t throw a gorgeous ball. He just hangs around and manages to get the most out of his talents.

What everyone saw in the offseason practices were two quarterbacks struggling to find a groove. O’Connell was throwing wild, off target passes. While Minshew’s throws seemed to flail and wobble with no zip on them. It wasn’t a display that would yield a great deal of confidence in either player.

Regardless, this is what the Raiders have to work with and barring any further additions to the room, these two figure to duke it out for the job.

It will be the gritty journeyman backup versus the young buck with his third offensive coordinator still trying to find his rhythm.

My take:

This isn’t an ideal scenario to say the least. O’Connell has not shown he can be the guy and Minshew is considered a high-level backup on most teams. It feels like the Raiders will be faced with the lesser of the evils.

In the end, if these two are who they are choosing between, I’m going with Minshew. The Raiders are hoping their defense can lead the way, and the offense can just not lose games for them. Minshew is coming off a situation just like that last year in Indianpolis.

Gardner Minshew’s Raiders photo shoot resulted in some hilarity

Gardner Minshew is so funny.

We’re a far ways off from the days of Minshew Mania, but Gardner Minshew is still priceless.

He’s now with the Las Vegas Raiders, competing with Aidan O’Connell for the top QB spot, and on Thursday, we were all gifted with some perfect shots of Minshew making some funny faces, maybe doing an Uncle Rico pose and so much more. It’s a reminder not to take yourself too seriously, even if you’re an NFL quarterback, and that Minshew continues to entertain us to no end.

So, here you go! A photo shoot for the ages from the veteran QB:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

 

 

Davante Adams preaches ‘realistic expectations’ as Raiders QB’s struggle in minicamp

Davante Adams preaches ‘realistic expectations’ as Raiders QB’s struggle in minicamp

You may have heard tell of the expectations of the Raiders defense. There is no question, they are riding high and after the way they played down the stretch last season, they have earned that swagger. By the same token, you may not have heard much about the offense. And there’s a reason for that. Mainly that there isn’t much to write home about. At least not in a positive way.

To be fair, the defense has a lot going for them right now which the offense simply does not have. They have a defensive head coach and pretty much the entire defensive staff back along with most of the defensive starters. Plus Christian Wilkins.

The offense has none of that. They have almost an entirely new offensive staff and a new quarterback competition going on between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.

This night-and-day difference has been on full display on the practice field through two minicamp practices.

Wednesday’s practice was particularly cringe-worthy for the offense. While Tuesday wasn’t great, it featured one or two nice throws from O’Connell and Minshew. So, you could be generous and say it was an up-and-down day. Wednesday there was nothing to be generous about.

The only good throws on the day were a couple deep passes by third teamer Anthony Brown. Meanwhile O’Connell’s passes were often wildly off target and Minshew’s passes lacked any zip and many times could be referred to as wounded ducks.

The results were expected. Several passes broken up, batted down, or simply out of reach of the receiver. Along with three interceptions on the day. O’Connell threw two of them – one to Jack Jones and the other to rookie MJ Devonshire. Then it was Jakorian Bennett who ended practice by picking off Minshew.

Basically the analysis of today was tantamount to W00F.

It’s important, however, to take this for what it’s worth. On one hand, you do expect better than was shown on the field over the past two days, especially when there’s no real threat from the defense on the pass rush in non-padded practices. On the other hand, this is a new offense and we are a long way from the start of the season.

Leave it to Raiders All Pro receiver Davante Adams to put it in perspective by taking a page out of Allen Iverson’s book.

“What is that called out there that we just did?” Adams asked, to which the answer was ‘practice’. “That’s it, right? This is the opportunity to get all that stuff ironed out. There’s going to be a lot of mistakes. There’s going to be mistakes made during the season, but this time of the year gives us the opportunity to get ahead of it and learn the system.”

Adams has not been seeing any reps on minicamp. He’s familiar with new OC Luke Getsy’s scheme from his time in Green Bay. So, right now, for the most part, he’s letting the rest of the receiving corps familiarize themselves with it. The benefit here for him is he doesn’t have to run himself ragged while the quarterbacks go through their growing pains.

For Adams, running routes and getting open only to have a ball sail over his head or fall short and get batted down, can be frustrating because of the standard he had for himself and wanting to actually feel a play work in practice before seeing it on game day. But frustration is on a rep-by-rep basis. On the whole, it’s way too early to be frustrated about the offensive struggles.

“You got to have realistic expectations at this point, but always keep your standard where it’s supposed to be,” Adams added.

“The frustration comes in midseason when we haven’t made the progress that we need. At this point you’re not a very mature or experienced football player if you’re getting frustrated in mandatory minicamp.”

While you’d like to see positive signs from the top two quarterbacks and the offense, right now all you can do is note it as not ideal, and hope this is not where they will be come August.

Raiders QB Gardner Minshew earns ‘majority’ of first-team reps during minicamp

Raiders QB Gardner Minshew earns ‘majority’ of first-team reps during minicamp

The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off manadtory minicamp this week as we inch closer to the 2024 season. While there was no contact and most of the drills were down at half speed, there were some interesting notes coming out of pracice.

In a recent article by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, he wrote about the biggest takeaways from the minicamp practices for the Raiders. One of the most important notes was that Gardner Minshew was the QB running with the first-team offense. Here is what Gutierrez had to say about the quarterback competition in Las Vegas:

While free agent veteran Gardner Minshew got the majority of the first-team reps in his quarterback competition with second-year returner Aidan O’Connell on Tuesday, neither QB distinguished himself particularly well in practice. There were numerous off-target throws and several miscommunications with wideouts, when the two weren’t being harassed by the defensive line.

It’s discouraging to read that both Minshew and O’Connell struggled in camp, but it’s only June and both quarterbacks are learning a new offense with Luke Getsy in charge. But as we inch closer to training camp, it appears that Minshew is the favorite to win the QB1 job.

[lawrence-related id=108547,108544,108541,108539,108535]

Christian Wilkins makes strong first impression at Raiders OTA’s

Christian Wilkins makes strong first impression at Raiders OTA’s

The Raiders are wrapping up their Organized Training Activities (OTA’s) this week. And thus ends the first phase of their offseason training as a team. Who stood out the most? Well, just ask quarterback Gardner Minshew.

“I’d say Christian Wilkins,” said Minshew. “That dude is running so fast every single play. Wherever the ball is, don’t look, like, you’ll see him soon. It’s really impressive being around a guy that’s nonstop working the way he does.”

While Wilkins is an interior defensive lineman, he is gaining notice from other position coaches such as linebackers coach Mike Caldwell.

“He had a play the other day where he might need to be in my room,” said Caldwell. “He’s so athletic and he plays with so much passion he’s like a linebacker in so many ways. He’s active and has a great motor . . .We’re just excited to have him here.”

Wilkins’s motor fits in on this team with guys like Maxx Crosby who is known for his relentless play style, both in games and on the practice field. But it isn’t just Wilkins’s play style and work ethic, it’s his personality that is quickly making him a favorite among his teammates.

“He’s definitely a character,” said DE Malcolm Koonce. “He definitely brings another personality to the room and stuff like that. He’s enjoyable to be around. He’s a great guy.”

The former first round pick came over from the Dolphins this offseason as arguably the top free agent signing by any team.

Coming off a career year as a pass rushing interior lineman with nine sacks and 23 QB hits, he was a huge get for the Raiders at a major need position. And thus far he is looking like he is worth every bit of the four-year, $110 million deal he signed.

WATCH: Gardner Minshew appears on Maxx Crosby’s show and he is as advertised and more

WATCH: Gardner Minshew appears on Maxx Crosby’s show and he is THAT DUDE

Gardner Minshew just might be the most likeable guy in sports. Don’t believe me? Just watch his appearance on Maxx Crosby’s show The Rush. I defy you to not want to hang out with him. I found myself unable to stop watching this interview as he is absolute.y fascinating, genuine, and so much THAT DUDE that it’s almost beyond belief.

If you ever looked at Gardner Minshew and said “that dude looks and sounds like he lives in a van on the beach” then you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Like LITERALLY he owns a van and lived on the beach when he played in Jacksonville. And since then he has traveled around in it, goes camping, hiking, and just generally chills in. Even though he has an actual house, he’ll just go out and sleep in his van sometimes.

And of course he loves Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Dazed and Confused, because of course. And he seems to be an endless font of great stories, probably because fun people just want to chill with him. This interview lasted an hour, and I could have watched several more hours easily just to hear all the stories.

I loved when he was asked about people on social media saying he was a “poor man’s Baker Mayfield.” And he said doesn’t do social media, so unless someone literally came up to him in the street and said “You’re a poor man’s Baker Mayfield!” he wouldn’t hear about it. I mean, no wonder he seems so happy. Social media is pure, uncut toxicity.

Best thing though is how many times you just find yourself thinking, man that is just so wholesome. Like when he was fanboying at the thought that Lebron James would even know who he is. Keep in mind, he has started 37 games in the NFL over four seasons and went to the Pro Bowl last year. Why wouldn’t Lebron know who he is? You just gotta love that such a thing would surprise him.

Maxx Crosby is the leader of this team. And he can’t say enough good things about Gardner. No question he is going to make the already strong vibe in the Raiders locker room even stronger.

[lawrence-related id=108192,108177,108180]

Raiders projected starting lineup after 2024 NFL Draft

With the Draft class plugged in, here is the Raiders projected starting lineup

There is a lot to be sorted out between now and the start of the season. The Raiders don’t even know how some of the competitions will play out between incumbents and newcomers. But based on what we know now, and who is currently on the roster, we can certainly make some projections.

(Newcomers in bold)

Offense

QB Gardner Minshew
RB Zamir White
WR Davante Adams
WR Jakobi Meyers
TE Brock Bowers
TE2 Michael Mayer
LT Kolton Miller
LG Dylan Parham
C Andre James
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson
RT Thayer Munford

Notes: Their top two picks — Brock Bowers and Jackson Powers-Johnson — should take on starting roles right away. While third round pick DJ Glaze will compete with Thayer Munford for the starting right tackle job and sixth round RB Dylan Laube will figure to do most of his work on special teams early on.

Minshew and second-year QB Aidan O’Connell will battle for the starting QB job, but Minshew is more seasoned and proven, so I would put him as the Day one starter.

Defense

DT Christian Wilkins
DT John Jenkins
ED Maxx Crosby
ED Malcolm Koonce
LB Robert Spillane
LB Divine Deablo
CB Jack Jones
CB Brandon Facyson
SCB Nate Hobbs
SS Marcus Epps
FS Tre’von Moehrig

Notes: No defensive players from this year’s class currently projected to be immediate starters. First off, they didn’t select their first defender until Day 3 when they took raw cornerback Decamerion Richdardson. He has all the physical tools, which will help him on special teams for now, but otherwise he’s a development prospect.

Special teams is the way for all the Raiders’ Day three picks. The others are LB Tommy Eichenberg, S Trey Taylor, and CB MJ Devonshire.

Did the Raiders overpay for QB Gardner Minshew in free agency?

Did the Raiders overpay for QB Gardner Minshew in free agency?

The biggest move the Raiders made of the offseason was locking up Christian Wilkins to a long-term deal. Pairing him with Maxx Crosby for the foreseeable future should be a ton of fun to watch in Las Vegas.

But one move that has gone under the radar has been the signing of Gardner Minshew. As of now, there is a very good chance that Minshew will be the Raiders’ opening-day quarterback. While Minshew could prove to be an upgrade over Aidan O’Connell, it doesn’t move the needle enough to make the Raiders serious contenders in the AFC.

In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the addition of Minshew for the Raiders. In the piece, he explains why the Raiders might have overpaid for the journeyman quarterback. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the move:

The Raiders get a respectable bridge starter in the fold but need to actually add the other end of the bridge, with the No. 13 pick currently burning a hole in their pocket. They’ll be battling the No. 11 overall pick Minnesota Vikings and No. 12 overall pick Denver Broncos to move up for a quarterback, it appears.

Nonetheless, Minshew salvaged the Colts’ season and earned this contract despite his capped ceiling. At the end of the day, we’re left wondering if the Raiders could have signed another comparable bridge option for less money.

PFF projected that Minshew would earn a deal of around $8M a year, which is quite a bit less than what the Raiders ultimately paid. But they had to get an upgrade at quarterback, at least heading into the draft.

The Raiders might have overpaid Minshew this offseason, but they didn’t have a choice after releasing Jimmy Garoppolo. Unfortunately, that’s just how free agency works.

[lawrence-related id=107521,107519,107517,107514]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders get ‘B’ grade for addition of QB Gardner Minshew

The rumblings around the NFL for the past several weeks were that the Raiders were going to explore the quarterback market in free agency. On the first day of free agency, the Raiders did, in fact, agree to a deal with a new quarterback. Gardner …

The rumblings around the NFL for the past several weeks were that the Raiders were going to explore the quarterback market in free agency. On the first day of free agency, the Raiders did, in fact, agree to a deal with a new quarterback.

Gardner Minshew signed a two-year deal with $15 million guaranteed. That is slightly above what a good backup quarterback gets paid. The expectation is that Minshew can be a bridge quarterback to whoever the Raiders select in this year’s draft. Or, he can be a one-year starter if the Raiders miss out entirely on this class.

Pro Football Focus liked the signing and the fit with the Raiders, giving both sides a “B” grade. Here is what they had to say about the move:

The Raiders get a respectable bridge starter in the fold but need to actually add the other end of the bridge, with the No. 13 pick currently burning a hole in their pocket. They’ll be battling the No. 11 overall pick Minnesota Vikings and No. 12 overall pick Denver Broncos to move up for a quarterback, it appears. Nonetheless, Minshew salvaged the Colts’ season and earned this contract despite his capped ceiling.

Minshew has shown that he can be a capable quarterback and should be an upgrade over Aidan O’Connell. He isn’t the long-term answer at QB, but he does make the Raiders better right now as they continue their search for their next franchise passer.

[lawrence-related id=107382,107377,107368]

[lawrence-newsletter]