It’s not a fair question by any means, but Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco faces a monumental challenge right out of the gate this year. In fact, deciding what to do at quarterback could end up deciding his fate.
This year’s draft class features a quarterback group that has Raiders fans salivating. Unfortunately, after going 5-4 under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the team put itself out of contention for the cream of the crop. That is, unless. Telesco and Co. have something up their sleeve, namely a trade for, say, a player like Jayden Daniels.
On the other hand, if Telesco stays put at No. 13 overall, the options at quarterback are very different, and it’s unlikely that all fans would unanimously be happy. Unless Telesco goes a different way, sign a proven veteran and roll with Aidan O’Connell as QB2.
Do the Raiders go after Kirk Cousins as a short-term solution?
Once Antonio Pierce took over the head coaching position, the interim boss named O’Connell as the starter. From then on, the Purdue product flashed potential at times, though he also struggled. The question is whether the film will convince Telesco that No. 4 is a viable, long-term solution. If Telesco holds him in such regard, why not pursue a proven commodity to stabilize the situation while O’Connell develops behind the scenes? However, we should closely monitor this situation, considering the uncertainty surrounding Telesco’s opinion.
One name in particular we should keep in mind is Kirk Cousins.
Social media went into a frenzy recently when numbers surrounding Cousins’ supposed contractual demands made the rounds. However, let’s be real for a second: there’s no way that the Raiders would ever give Cousins $45 million a year. Much of that conjecture stemmed from a former NFL general manager’s opinion, with no official statement from Cousins’ camp. So, there’s that.
When you account for how much the Raiders’ defense improved last season, plugging in someone of Cousins’ caliber could be the right call. What say you, Raider Nation?
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