The Las Vegas Raiders added a potential starting quarterback when they signed Gardner Minshew to a two-year contract this offseason but they likely aren’t done yet. Aidan O’Connell and Minshew are the only quarterbacks on the roster right now.
The Raiders will add another quarterback at some point. According to a March 11 report from The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Las Vegas did kick the tires on a trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. The former first-round pick is going to be on the move this offseason but the Bears’ asking price is likely going down every day.
Despite the Minshew signing, Fox Sports’ Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and Skip Bayless all agreed that the Raiders are the team that should trade for Fields.
“I like the talent and what he brings and what he gives you. Something extra when you’re going against Patrick Mahomes,” Irvin said on the March 14 episode of “UNDISPUTED.”
Johnson is particularly high on Fields and thinks the Raiders are better off adding him than any of the quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“He’s better, in my opinion, than any of the quarterbacks in the draft,” Johnson said of Fields.
Bayless is also on board with the idea of the Raiders making a deal.
“Justin Fields fits with the Raiders because he plays football the way Antonio [Pierce] wants to coach football. … He fits their style of play, he fits the locker room mentality there,” Bayless said.”
The market for Justin Fields has been ice-cold for the Bears. At this point, it’s highly unlikely the team will get much in return. The Dallas Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for Trey Lance during the season and he was drafted higher than Fields in the 2020 draft.
The Bears might be looking at a fourth-round pick for Fields. It’s hard to imagine a team giving up a second-round pick for a quarterback that not many teams believe is a capable starter. Now, a fourth-round pick isn’t a huge risk for a potential impact quarterback.
Though he struggles as a pocket passer, Fields has rushed for 2,220 yards in his three seasons. At worst, he can be a dynamic player in the run game. If the Raiders don’t think they can land one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, Fields could be worth taking a chance on if the asking price is low. Losing a fourth-round pick for a quarterback who can’t play wouldn’t be the end of the world.
The Luke Getsy Problem
A big reason why the Raiders might not be a fit for Justin Fields is the fact that they hired Luke Getsy to be the offensive coordinator this offseason. He spent the last two seasons coaching Fields in Chicago and the quarterback’s lack of development is a big reason why he got fired.
It was a controversial choice when the Raiders hired Getsy but the hope is that the reason Chicago had poor offenses under the coach was due to poor quarterback play. Getsy has spoken highly of Fields but they don’t seem to be a match when it comes to offensive schemes.
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