With the head coach and general manager officially in the house, all the focus of the Las Vegas Raiders turns towards the roster and, particularly, the quarterback position. Rumors have already begun circulating about a potential reunion between new coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but of course, he experienced his best success with the Seattle Seahawks under Carroll. The two won a Super Bowl together in 2014, and with Wilson a free agent this offseason and the Raiders in need of a quarterback, it makes sense that there could be some interest from both sides.
Carroll was asked about the possibility of the Raiders signing Wilson on an episode of ‘What the Football with Suzy Shuster & Amy Trask’ but said it is way too early in the process to give any insight:
“Right now, it’s so early and we’re just in the midst of trying to find the puzzle pieces, not even putting them together yet, so I can’t even say. Free agency hasn’t come yet, that’s the first competitive opportunity that will occur. And then the draft is coming and we’ll have that opportunity to do things. I can’t tell you right now. I mean I can guess, but it would just be a guess. But I promise you, if you’re a real competitor, you’re not letting options get away from you. So we’re going to consider every option as a possibility and we’re gonna go after it very aggressively, with intent and hopefully with a sense and a feeling that people wanna be part of this thing.”
Even if Carroll had an idea of the Raiders’ plans, it would have been foolish to give out any hints. Wilson is a decent option, as he proved he can still make some plays this past season in Pittsburgh, and if the Raiders don’t feel like they can get their franchise QB in the draft, Wilson is an ideal stopgap.
The quarterback position is the most important one in football, and finding one is imperative for the Raiders this offseason. Carroll, GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady will all be in lockstep to bring in the right one, and time will tell if Wilson is that guy.
Russell Wilson ‘always been intrigued’ by joining Raiders?
Seemingly making the possibility of Russell Wilson joining the Raiders even more real is the belief that this is something the quarterback has been eyeing for some time.
Wilson has reportedly ‘always been intrigued’ about joining the Raiders organization and has had them on his list of teams he would be open to joining in past offseasons. He and Pete Carroll have reportedly been mending their relationship over the past year.
