Potentially obtaining Matthew Stafford wasn’t in the cards for Pete Carroll upon joining the Las Vegas Raiders. One month later, after news broke of Stafford wanting a new deal, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback suddenly became an option.
Well.. sort of.
The thought of landing a Super Bowl winning quarterback who’s hovered around the top-10 at his position in the National Football League for the better part of 15 years is nothing short of dreamy, especially if you’re 73-year-old Pete Carroll looking to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once more. That’s why Sin City wasted little time contacting Stafford’s agent and working towards terms that were in the same ballpark.
However, much like many things in life that are too good to be true, this situation was, well, too good to be true.
In reality, the race for Matthew Stafford was one that Carroll and the Raiders were never in. That’s because there never was a race; just a player testing his value, hoping to prove to Sean McVay and the Rams that he’s indeed worth more than his current contract valued him at.
That’s the entire reason why Los Angeles allowed Stafford to speak with other clubs.
Stafford thought he was worth ‘X’ while the Rams thought he was worth ‘Y’. After his agent worked out potential deals with both the Raiders and Giants, proving the 37-year-old was indeed worth closer to ‘X’ than ‘Y’, the groundwork of a deal for the Super Bowl LVI winning quarterback was quickly built.
A deal that proved Stafford was never really going to be on the move, agreeing to an extension that keeps him in Los Angeles for less money than he would’ve gotten as a Raider or Giant.
It’s back to reality for Sin City’s football club.
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders miss on Matthew Stafford – What’s next?
You can’t blame the Silver and Black for swinging big here. It’s been a problem of theirs in the past–not taking shots on players who would drastically elevate the team, regardless of how slim the chance of landing that player is.
And with the case of Stafford in particular, there’s no harm in missing out on the Georgia alum.
That’s because there’s no ‘onto Plan-B’ after missing out on Stafford. The reality is, Stafford was never Plan-A, Plan-B or even Plan-C. The 37-year-old was an option that suddenly came up which the team hadn’t considered beforehand, because there really was no reason to believe Stafford was a possible option until it was made known he was looking for a new deal.
Stafford himself was the pivot; meaning, it’s back to the original Plan-A after missing out on Stafford, whatever that plan may be, instead of drawing up a backup plan.
But what is that original Plan-A?
It’s tough to know for sure–impossible, really. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been left with clues.
Carroll, on his last chance at lifting the Lombardi Trophy once more, will look to add a quarterback that gives him and the Raiders the best chance to do just that. The team proved this true with the sudden aggressive move for a quarterback who’s a few short years away from 40 years of age.
Back to Plan-A
As it just so happens, there’s a quarterback who will likely be available this offseason who led his club to a 14-3 record this past season. And that quarterback happens to be the same player who Adam Schefter believes the Raiders will be targeting.
Schefter’s sentiment is one to truly take in. While Raider Nation believes ESPN’s NFL insider has a personal vendetta against the Raiders, his analysis is usually quite accurate. For example, Schefter beat the rest of the NFL-world to the punch when it came to insisting Ben Johnson and the Raiders wasn’t a real thing.
And right he was. As it turns out, Las Vegas was never truly in play for Johnson, despite Tom Brady’s influences. That’s a fact that Mark Davis himself alluded to.
In Schefter’s own words, he believes Pete Carroll and the Raiders will be chasing Sam Darnold this offseason. It’s a take he’s been consistent with up to this point, although these things naturally remain fluid.
What’s true today may not be true tomorrow.
As Q Myers has said, Schefter doesn’t truly give his opinion. Instead, he gives what his sources have told him.
A second option that’s in the realm of possibility is Russell Wilson. On top of posting a winning record last season and proving he’s still ‘got it’ with a 16-touchdown, 5-interception campaign, Carroll’s first Super Bowl win was with Wilson under center.
This route is considerably less likely, however, given Carroll passing on Darrell Bevell – Seattle’s offensive play-caller during their Super Bowl victory – in favor of Chip Kelly to serve as Sin City’s offensive coordinator. It remains a possibility nonetheless.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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