The Las Vegas Raiders addressed the quarterback position by bringing in Marcus Mariota. Long-term however, would the team benefit from drafting Jalen Hurts in spite of the signing?
Right now, all signs point to Derek Carr being the starter for the Raiders in Week 1. The Tom Brady rumors all turned out to be just smoke and Philip Rivers was probably not even considered. Yet, Mariota’s addition creates a quarterback controversy, whether a sub-culture of fans will admit it or not. So how does Hurts fit in all this? It depends on how you’re looking at the team.
Raiders Blog: Current Situation at QB
Despite the Raiders additions in free agency, there’s still holes that need to be filled. In particular, wide receiver and cornerback have to be addressed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean quarterback is set. Again, this depends on how the position is being viewed by Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock. If they truly feel Carr’s the answer and Mariota is an insurance policy, then yes, drafting Hurts would be a waste.
Related: A Mathematical Look at Derek Carr’s Potential 2020 Season
If you’re drafting Hurts to be your starter in two to three years, how do you expect Carr or Mariota to truly deliver? You’re essentially telling both men they’re stop gaps. They’re professionals but this being the inaugural season in Vegas, are you going to tell the fanbase to wait two more years?
Raider Nation Weighs In
Speaking of the fans, we at the Raider Ramble decided to take this straight to Raider Nation. We posed the question like this: Assuming the Raiders are rolling with Carr and Mariota as QB1 and QB2 respectively, would you want them to still draft Hurts? And as always, the Nation didn’t disappoint.
Via our Instagram account most fans agreed that yes, take him if he’s available but only if it’s in the third round. On Twitter by way of a poll, fans overwhelmingly said yes as well, 63% voted for Hurts.
#RaiderNation assuming the #Raiders are rolling with Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota as QB1 and QB2 respectively, would you want them to still draft Jalen Hurts? 🤔
— RaiderRamble.comâ„¢ (@TheRaiderRamble) March 24, 2020
A final note, NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently said Hurts “embodies a lot of what the Raiders have tried to build since Mayock took over as general manager.” Fans want him but only under the right circumstances, but what really matters is how Mayock and Gruden feel about the current situation, do they believe Carr (or Mariota) can be a franchise signal caller for the next decade? We’ll see at next month’s NFL draft.
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