Tag: Raiders QB

Antonio Pierce: Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell needs to become ‘more vocal’ when running the offense

Antonio Pierce: Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell needs to be ‘more vocal’

As the NFL Draft draws near, there is still talk of the Raiders selecting a quarterback in the first round or elsewhere.

The chatter persists despite last year’s starting quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, remaining on the roster. The Raiders also signed free agent Gardner Minshew to a two-year contract worth $15 million guaranteed.

Considering Minshew’s experience, it appears O’Connell could take on a reserve role this season. That becomes more likely if Las Vegas drafts a QB. But O’Connell, who started as a rookie last season, still has an opportunity to compete for the job.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told reporters gathered at the 2024 NFL Annual Meeting what O’Connell needs to do to earn his starting gig back.

“What you saw at the end of the season: taking care of the football; managing the game; putting points on the board,” Pierce said. “I would love to see him become more vocal.

“Is he ever going to become a runner? No. Not going to happen. That’s okay. But there are other ways you can do that and move around in the pocket. I think he’s done a great job this offseason, being in the building, staying in the Las Vegas area, and really working on that.”

Pierce closed his comments on O’Connell by reiterating he wants his young QB to speak up to his teammates when necessary.

“One thing I’d love to see him do is be more vocal. You don’t want the quarterback being a church mouse. I don’t need him to be a rah-rah guy either, but when things are wrong I need him to fix it and be vocal about it.”

The new Raiders culture involves players and coaches being themselves. It seems that O’Connell is naturally quiet, even though he had lots of starting experience in college.

At quarterback, that won’t do, especially when it comes to keeping other players on task, as Pierce alluded to.

Pierce displayed incredible confidence in O’Connell last season, inserting him into the starting lineup when Pierce became interim coach. O’Connell responded with a 5-4 record under Pierce. The young QB had some highs and lows — such as being shut out against the Vikings before throwing four touchdowns in a beatdown of the Chargers the following week — but he showed promise.

Now, he must continue to grow as a player as Pierce takes on a full-time coaching role. As O’Connell continues to work at the Raiders practice facility this offseason with the likes of defensive end Maxx Crosby — who, just like Pierce, rarely hesitates to speak his mind — he’s probably in the perfect environment to become more vocal by the start of training camp.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: Raiders GM Tom Telesco knows exactly what a franchise QB looks like

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: Raiders GM Tom Telesco knows exactly what a franchise QB looks like

It’s no secret that quarterback is the most important position in the NFL. It’s also no revelation that Raiders general manager Tom Telesco will bring a new signal caller to Vegas, despite a solid performance from rookie QB Aidan O’Connell in 2023.

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah told Amber Theoharis and Eric Allen of the Raiders Podcast Network that while Telesco didn’t draft many quarterbacks during his lengthy tenure as Chargers GM, every team he’s worked for was built from the QB down, so he knows exactly what a franchise QB looks like.

“First of all, he’s been able to identify the most important position, which is the quarterback position,” Jeremiah said. “When he got to the Chargers, Philip Rivers was in place. But then every year doing your homework on quarterbacks and trying to find that next guy; you look where the Raiders are positioned right now, Aidan O’Connell did some nice things last year. [Telesco’s] going to have to decide: is this where you want to move forward here or do you want to try to identify somebody potentially in the draft or free agency?”

Telesco eventually drafted Chargers QB Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That draft was flush with quarterbacks. Herbert was the third signal caller chosen, behind current NFL stars Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa.

Still, Jeremiah says that when you include Telesco’s tenure with the Colts and NFL legend Peyton Manning, Telesco knows exactly what to look for in a franchise QB.

“From his time around Peyton Manning with the Colts to his time around Philip Rivers and then Justin Herbert, he knows what it looks like to find that right quarterback. So that’s where it all starts with team building.”

Jeremiah, who also servs as Chargers color commentator, added that while every GM misses on some draft picks, Telesco has found impact players “at all different positions.” But Jeremiah believes Telesco will attempt to build the Raiders from the QB on down, just as his previous teams were built.

“I think he does have an idea of how to properly build a team. And the teams he’s been with have all been built through the quarterback. So I would think that’s going to be the first order of business,” Jeremiah concluded.

Finding a franchise quarterback won’t be as easy this time around for Telesco. The Raiders currently hold the No. 13 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He’ll have to trade up to select a franchise QB such as No. 1 prospect Caleb Willimas of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina, or Jayden Daniels of LSU.

Free agency or the trade market are other options for Telesco. In those scenarios, Teleso may bring in a stop-gap type player or competition for O’Connell.

Looking at Manning, Rivers, and Herbert, there is a touch of variety in their style of play. Manning and Rivers were classic pocket passers while Herbert has some mobility in his repertoire. That could open the door for a player such as Bears QB Justin Fields, should he become available. The Bears own the No. 1 pick in the draft and could select Fields’ replacement.

So while it’s no secret Telesco has to bring a new quarterback, or multiple new quarterbacks, to the Raiders, it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll get it done. His experience will help, but it’s unlikely he’ll find anyone the caliber of Manning, Rivers, or even Herbert. On the other hand, he just might. Raiders owner Mark Davis and Raiders fans will just have to wait and see if Telesco is the QB expert Jeremiah says he is.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s ‘cool, calm’ attitude in practice vs. 49ers a great sign for Raiders in 2023

Jimmy Garoppolo’s ‘cool, calm’ attitude in practice vs. 49ers a great sign for Raiders in 2023

New Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo faced his former team in Las Vegas’ first joint practice against the 49ers on Thursday, and if his heart rate increased when he played against his old teammates, it was hard to tell.

Garoppolo started slow but played well as practice turned to the two-minute drill, connecting on 4-of-6 passes before throwing a touchdown to tight end Austin Hooper, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and David Lombardi.

But more importantly, Garoppolo’s temperature didn’t rise. Raiders center Andre James said Garoppolo was “calm, cool and collected,” even in an emotional situation against the 49ers, a team he took to the Super Bowl.

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said before practice that he wasn’t going to “overdramatize” Garoppolo’s practices against his former teammates. And Garoppolo was largely unaffected — center Andre James said after practice that the quarterback was the same “cool, calm and collected” character he always is.

James added that Garoppolo was the “same old Jimmy” against his former squad, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.

Garoppolo’s injury history is well known, and it’s clear he must stay healthy for the Raiders to succeed in 2023. If he does stay healthy, Garoppolo’s even-keel attitude will help Las Vegas tremendously.

Few expect much from the Raiders this season. If they exceed expectations, it’s fair to assume the road to playoff contention will be bumpy, due to suspect pass blocking, an unproven defense, or Garoppolo’s own shortcomings.

A stoic quarterback should help the Raiders stay the course during a long 17-game season. There’s always an opportunity to succeed until a team is mathematically eliminated. It’s best to not get too emotional, whether the times are good or bad. Las Vegas apparently has a signal caller who sets a prime example.

A competing example is the Raiders’ previous quarterback, Derek Carr. He was largely effective but arguably too dramatic, even saying he’d rather retire than play for another team before joining the Saints. He also fought back tears after Las Vegas’ loss to the Colts dropped the team’s record to 2-7 last season.

There’s nothing wrong with being affected by the intensity of NFL football. Overall, it’s good. But during an unpredictable, long season, it’s better to keep high emotion under the vest and stay focussed on team goals.

That’s exactly what Garoppolo did during the Raiders’ first joint practice against the 49ers. It’s a small sample, but it also matched Garoppolo’s reputation as a cool customer. His attitude will serve the Raiders well as they try to overcome long odds and inevitable challenges on the way to contention.

Who will start at QB for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1?

Projecting the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.

There appeared to be a legitimate chance the Las Vegas Raiders would use either the No. 12 or No. 19 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on their next franchise quarterback heading into the 2020 NFL offseason. After the team signed Marcus Mariota in free agency, it squashed that possibility as head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock decided to use their first-round capital to address other positions of need.

The quarterback situation now appears fairly set heading toward the 2020 season; however, we will take a look at the recent odds posted by BetMGM on who will be the Week 1 starter for the Raiders.

Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 starter: Best bets

Derek Carr (-589)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday, April 28 at 12 p.m. ET.

Carr is a monster favorite to open the season as the team’s starter. In his second season with Gruden as the head coach, Carr improved on his completion percentage (70.4%), yards per attempt (7.9) and passer rating (100.8).

While there are still areas of his game where he needs to improve, the Raiders added speed and talent to their wide receiver corps this offseason to help him out. Unless an injury happens between now and Week 1, Carr will be the team’s starting quarterback. The odds are chalky, but Carr is a safe bet here to begin the season as the starter.

New to sports betting? A $10 futures bet on Carr to be the Week 1 starter would return a profit of $1.70.

Marcus Mariota (+350)

After being replaced by Ryan Tannehill as the starter for the Tennessee Titans last season, Mariota hit free agency and signed a two-year deal with the Raiders to be the team’s backup quarterback. It’s an excellent deal for Mariota as he is now the highest-paid backup QB in the NFL.

In normal circumstances, Mariota might have a chance to beat out Carr in the offseason for the starting job. With teams not holding minicamps or OTAs, Mariota just won’t see many reps in the Raiders’ offense ahead of the 2020 season. For that reason, he won’t beat out Carr in time for Week 1. While the odds are enticing, PASS on Mariota to start the season as the Raiders’ No. 1 quarterback.

Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM, or play in their online casino. Bet now!

Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 starter: Long shots

Cam Newton (+2000)

The first non-Raiders player to appear on the list is the former Carolina Panthers’ star and MVP winner. Carolina released Newton early this offseason as they decided to sign Teddy Bridgewater to be the face of the franchise. Newton is currently a free agent and there hasn’t been a lot of noise about a potential landing spot, either.

While Gruden can never say “no” to enticing quarterback prospects, there just doesn’t appear to be a spot open for Newton. If Carr or Mariota were to suffer an injury at any point in time, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders called Newton and his agent, but as for now, PASS on Newton being the team’s starter in Week 1 or at any point in the 2020 season.

Andy Dalton (+5000)

Finally, Dalton appears on the list as a potential starter for the Raiders in Week 1. Like Newton, this one doesn’t make much sense as Dalton is currently on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster and the Raiders would need to make a trade to acquire him. For Dalton to start for Las Vegas, it likely means something happened to both Carr and Mariota. For that reason, it doesn’t seem very likely. PASS on Dalton to become the team’s starting quarterback in 2020, despite the lofty 50-1 odds.

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