A Las Vegas Raiders insider thinks spring practices proved that signing Gardner Minshew was a mistake. The 2023 Pro Bowl nominee is the betting favorite to win the QB1 job over second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
The Las Vegas Raiders QBs had a rough spring
O’Connell and Minshew had their struggles during OTAs. That’s not a good sign for an offense that needs the passing game to work, not only to take advantage of the trade for star receiver Davante Adams but also because the backfield is predicted to be one of the league’s worst after losing Josh Jacobs to the Green Bay Packers in free agency.
Why the Raiders might regret signing Gardner Minshew
Fortunately for the Raiders, O’Connell could take a significant leap during training camp. Vic Tafur with The Athletic wrote that O’Connell has momentum before training camp. Tafur thinks the Raiders would not have signed Minshew if they knew how O’Connell was going to prepare for the 2024 season:
O’Connell had some momentum going during the team’s spring workouts, and maybe he can pick that up again when training camp starts. He can make all the throws and has a little swagger to him this year. I don’t think the Raiders would’ve given Minshew $15 million guaranteed in March if they knew O’Connell was going to get in better shape and have a real air of confidence this spring. But they did, so we’re going to battle.
The QB battle will come down to the preseason
Minshew has more NFL experience than O’Connell. He’s likely the Raider’s best option to win Week 1. However, O’Connell has a higher ceiling than Minshew, and head coach Antonio Pierce must consider that this summer. Tafur wrote Minshew has another advantage over O’Connell, and it will take the preseason before the Raiders will know who to start:
“And it may come down to a few exhibition games series, when both quarterbacks are under pressure and we see who gets the ball out better to Davante Adams and Bowers. Extending plays is the one thing Minshew does well … O’Connell not so much.”
Pierce can’t be too happy about the Raiders quarterback situation before training camp. He wanted the Raiders to select a rookie quarterback in the first round of this year’s draft. His best bet is to hope O’Connell can show major improvement during the month of August. The Raiders have plenty of weapons to help O’Connell develop.
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