Now let me preface this by saying, I don’t want any hostility towards anyone here. This is a genuine discussion I want with you all as this seems to be the big topic now entering the bye week.
Looks like AOC won’t be the guy (I feel this even with what I have to say), dude is just too immobile for todays NFL and just doesn’t have the arm to be a true Raider QB. We NEED downfield accuracy, it’s why I feel so many were able to put up with Carr for so long cause he could throw dime 60+ yards. Don’t get me wrong, AOC is a solid player and I hope he can fix his woes, but that’s up to him and his work ethic cause those issues are physical and mechanical. However, a lot of it has to do with habit and muscle memory which is a tough task to rewrite so it’s not likely he succeeds here unless we hire some QB guru.
With all that being said, us as a collective of fans have now shifted our crosshairs toward the future and have begun discussions on which QB to take in the draft. Last year and into this year, people were clamoring about how this QB class was a great one and had some depth to it unlike last year. Unfortunately, each game I see or hear about just gives me less and less confidence in it. Quarterbacks entering the NFL are such a crapshoot and I’d really hate to waste resources and the time our stars have here trying to get some poor kid to quickly acclimate to everything the job of an NFL QB comes with.
Let’s look to Andy Reid and the Queefs, they picked up Alex Smith and he did what was asked of him while the FO built a team around him that could keep the team at a playoff level as long as the signal caller was anyone who could play at an above average level. This is a strategy Raider Nation MUST employ.
As of now, our biggest areas of need outside the QB position are (in no particular order): Offensive Line, interior D-Line, CB1 & both Safety positions. We need an immediate impact player at one of these positions in the upcoming draft or it’s just gonna be more of what we’re seeing now, next year. Simple focusing on our needs in the trenches alone would pretty much give this team the juice it needs to be a playoff contender.
Given some of the names at QB going into FA (Cousins, Tannehil, Mayfield), I just dont see why it would be a big deal to get one of these guys while we build up this team and get them to a competitive, playoff level of football so that way the QB won’t have to be asked to do much. Tell em to do their best Trent Dilfer and trust the team and system around him to do most of the work. That way we don’t have to try so hard to “pick the right guy” and instead let the right find come to us like Mahomes did with the Chiefs. I think a lot can be said when a team is more relaxed at picking their future because they e got everything else secured. Most teams in huge distress and dysfunction tend to make sloppy decisions because they need to act now. We can avoid this if we just get this team to be complete with a game manager.
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Sticking with AOC 100% depends on the qb draft class and how they are graded:
If you have a class like 2004 - Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger 1983 - jim kelly, elway, marino 2005 - aaron Rodgers, alex smith, fitzpatrick (lol)
Point is sometimes there are multiple QBs that you have confidence in AND this is not common……if 2024 is one of those years……and it could be (IDK) you take one aggressively……if not take BPA.
I want A top QB. I simply don’t believe that AOC is going to be that guy. He’s not bad but I don’t have faith he will be better than Carr.
Having a top QB makes things so much easier and if we can get Williams, Nix, Maye or even Penix, our odds of success go up tremendously.
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this is a good draft to be a QB needy team and the “cost” to get one of the top ones would not be as crazy.
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we have Aidan who at minimum will be a very good tk excellent backup for the team for the next few years at least.
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we have Jimmy G on the roster who is already a cost heavy vet, adding another one doesn’t help us address other areas of need in FA.
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we are heavily invested in our offense as is. Getting a certified starter QB would elevate it (we have seen what standing pat does).
I’m not sure anyone is saying Aidan can’t grow into a certified starter, but we have a limited window with the roster we have. Getting another young QB is not a bad thing, in fact it should be a good thing. We’ve seen how important the backup QB position is in recent years.
Kansas City is not exactly one to compare to as they were a solid team when they traded for Smith. They went 11-5 year before and 9-7 year he signed, 11-5 year after.
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I want defense defense defense. I want a Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco are Super Bowl champions style defense. I want a d so stingy Mahomes gives up 3 TO’s type of defense
This makes no sense why would we go after tannehill when we can just keep AOC?
Mainly because if jacobs comes back it’s most likely on a short term deal and Adam’s only has one more year left before the opt out. Their window to win is incredibly small and if they’re gonna try to give it an actual shot they need an actual QB
The best of the best QB’s will be gone when we are picking in the first.
Pick a QB in the 3rd… someone like KJ Jefferson. He is physical, can run, and throw all the passes. Plus he’s gone up against the SEC and has a ton of experience.
So basically get another Aidan……
QB class very deep these types of classes don’t come around often I think that is why
We have needs on both O and D line. Address them first before bringing on another QB.
This place has a significant amount of loud under 30s that scream about stuff - expect idiocy.
My take, is AOC has the base abilities of a Brady/Brees style player, that to me looks credible to be a middling starting QB, and no one knows if he can develop the elite processing and consistent accuracy to truly contend as a slowpoke QB in a league populated by QBs that run like RBs. Theres this assumption the Brees/Brady style is not viable is I think BS, but obviously does make things difficult in some ways. On the flip side its not like there is a stream of athletic QBs that can read defense, call protections, go through a progression and place a ball, but there are a load of one read types.
I’d assume that his odds of retaining the number one slot go down dramatically if its a new regime. A new coach owes the existing guys nothing beyond decent professionalism, and sometimes they fail with that.
I do wonder what trade value he’d have to New England or a purist WCO.
Building around a rookie QB who’s on contract for $1.5m a year for 4 years helps open up cap space to grow and bring talent over a few years.
Honestly i think Cousins would be a great intermediary. Idk how likely that is. I think a drafted qb has a much higher likelihood of succeeding if we have a veteran qb in place to teach him. Much like alex smith did for mahomes. Not to mention spend our draft capital on alot of the positions outside of QB that are a need for us
Bro what?
Because getting lucky with a QB in the draft is the most beneficial thing that can happen to a franchise. You essentially have 5 years of your most expensive position being one of the lowest paid stars on your team.
Its an emotional response. People fully expect 40pts since we have all these offensive weapons. But what i’ve realized is that this offensive scheme isnt built to score 40. Its built to score 30 if you make zero mistakes and run the ball for 100 yards a game. Is it fair to judge AoC based on this offense? NO. Is it fair to judge AP or BoBo in this offense? NO. But if you’re Mark Davis, you dont have a few years to try out different schemes, QBs, and coaches.
That being said, judging by people who know way more about QB play than i do, i think we’re fine at QB. AoC is a really good rookie prospect whos only going to get better and better. If we had the system that Brock Purdy or CJ Stroud plays in, we would probably say we’re set for the next 5 years.