Las Vegas Raiders fans likely had concerns over the starting quarterback position after it was revealed that Jimmy Garoppolo had offseason foot surgery. As you can imagine, that put his Week 1 availability into question.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport might have calmed the waters for Raiders fans. As it turns out, their team should have their starting quarterback once this season begins.
While Vegas plays the waiting game on whether one of their offensive leaders will be on the field, Divine Deablo noted that he’s ready to step up this season and lead the defense in an AFC West load with top quarterbacks.
Jimmy Garoppolo will be ready for training camp?
Vegas signed Garoppolo a three-year, $72.75 million deal that came with $45 million guaranteed in March to reunite with Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and replace Derek Carr.
However, news recently surfaced that Garoppolo had surgery after signing his Raiders contract causing many to speculate whether he’d be ready for Week 1. There were also conjecture surrounding Tom Brady. The former Patriots quarterback will soon own a minority stake in Vegas. Naturally, some wondered if he’d consider “unretiring.”
Nonetheless, Rapoport might have calmed fans from thinking they’d need to prepare for this season without Garoppolo.
“Jimmy Garoppolo has been present for basically everything inside the Raiders building,” Rapoport said. “He has been present for all the OTAs. He’s been present for mini-camp, not taking part [on Tuesday]. But from where he stands right now, following surgery several weeks ago, he is expected to be ready long before training camp.
“That is, barring any sort of snag in this process, barring any sort of issues with his foot, which is obviously a big caveat there, but he is expected, I’m told, to be ready for training camp. And if that is the case, if Garoppolo responds as he should following the foot surgery that was necessary after he signed, and of course, the contract adjustment, the guaranteed money that is now waiting for him, needs to pass a physical for all of that.”
“But if all this plays out as it should for the Raiders, I know they are confident that this will be the case, then this will basically be over. He’ll get the money that is due to him. The Raiders will have their starting quarterback.”
Divine Deablo is ready to step up as a defensive leader
Deablo used the offseason to find the proper weight that would allow him to play his best. However, in the process of getting bigger, the 24-year-old went a little overboard, risking his speed, so he had to drop some weight. As a result, bulking up remains a trial and error.
“I’m still working on it,” Deablo told reporters about high weight as he went from 225 pounds to 238, then back down to 234 (h/t The Athletic’s Tashan Reed). “I might’ve gotten a little too heavy.”
Nonetheless, the process of bulking up is due to Deablo preparing to become a leader on defense. The Virginia Tech product is heading into his third NFL season and has shed the rookie and sophomore labels. Now, he’s ready to be a captain as he dons the green dot.
“I’m a lot more confident than I was last year,” Deablo said. “I was the new kid on the block. I was nervous. It was my first year in the system. Now, I’m comfortable. I’ve been doing it for a while now, so I’m ready.”
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images