The Las Vegas Raiders made a bold move at the quarterback position this offseason. They opted to move on from Derek Carr, who had been the franchise quarterback for nine seasons. He was released and subsequently signed with the New Orleans Saints.
There are a few options that Las Vegas can consider to replace Carr. They can wait until the 2023 NFL Draft and either make a move up the board or hope one of the top signal callers in this year’s class drops to them. Or, they could seek out an established veteran.
Either route makes sense. Josh McDaniels could want a young quarterback to develop in his system, or knowing that the pressure is on to turn things around, bring in a veteran that can help win games immediately.
If they opt for the ladder, Lamar Jackson could be a good fit for the franchise. The Raiders are facing an uphill battle in the AFC West having to go up against Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Sean Payton leading the new-look Denver Broncos. That is a tall task for any franchise, but if the Raiders had Jackson leading the offense, it would be a little more attainable.
With the franchise tag being placed on him, Las Vegas would have to surrender two first-round picks to the Baltimore Ravens on top of agreeing to a long-term deal with Jackson. While that is certainly a steep price, it is likely worth it.
While Jackson’s worth is being diminished by owners around the league, there is no denying the success that he has had. He won the MVP award for the 2019 season and is 45-16 as a starter. Baltimore has consistently been among the best teams in the NFL with Jackson at the helm despite doing very little to build the offense up around him.
In Las Vegas, Jackson would have Davante Adams as his No. 1 wide receiver and Darren Waller at tight end. The team put the franchise tag on running back Josh Jacobs, giving them an incredible trio for Jackson to work with. Imagine how explosive that offense would be with all of those weapons around the dynamic Jackson.
It would take some salary-cap maneuvering to be able to fit Jackson’s contract on their books, but it would be worth it. The Raiders should be able to turn things around rather quickly with him under center and if he remains healthy, be one of the more dangerous teams in the AFC.
