The Las Vegas Raiders’ most fascinating coaching camp battle will likely be between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell as they compete for the beginning quarterback job.
Head coach Antonio Pierce seems to be protecting an open thoughts as to who he’ll roll with as soon as the 2024 season begins, and Minshew and O’Connell have been having fun with the possibility to compete towards each other. Nevertheless, each gamers are additionally targeted on doing what they should assist the crew win which bodes properly for the locker room forward of a highly-anticipated season.
Whereas Minshew and O’Connell have each overcome loads of adversity to make it to the NFL, there are some across the league who’re decrease on Las Vegas due to their quarterback scenario. There’s an adage that if a crew has two beginning quarterbacks then they’ve none, and this could possibly be the case for the Raiders.
With that in thoughts, NFL insiders like Albert Breer imagine that the franchise’s future quarterback isn’t on the roster through Sports activities Illustrated:
“I additionally imagine that the roster is a methods off, and the long-term quarterback for Pierce and first-year GM Tom Telesco isn’t on the roster, so there’s a fairly logical state of affairs on the market the place they turn into sellers on the deadline. They might, on the very least, get calls on Crosby. Which doesn’t imply they’d commerce him—he’s nonetheless simply 26, so it’d be completely different than dealing Adams and even Miller—however they’d get to see his worth to different groups.”
It’s hardly a stretch to say the Raiders’ long-term reply on the place isn’t at present on the crew particularly contemplating all of the reporting that the crew was making an attempt to maneuver up within the 2024 NFL Draft for a sign caller. Jayden Daniels was the reported dream goal although he finally went No. 2 to the Washington Commanders.
As Breer additionally notes, there’s a actuality that the quarterback place doesn’t matter this season, and basic supervisor Tom Telesco pivots to a rebuild. Quarterback is crucial place in sports activities, and the silver and black perceive they want the most effective to compete for a Tremendous Bowl.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby believes Aidan O’Connell has come a good distance
O’Connell would possibly find yourself being the backup once more after the Raiders dedicated to Minshew on a two-year deal in free company, however he has apparently been turning heads within the offseason. Maxx Crosby’s taken discover of O’Connell and believes he’s come a good distance already.