QB Carousel: Vic Tafur, The Athletic Raiders Reporter

Step right up here.

Don't be shy. The Super Bowl is over, but the NFL quarterback carousel is just beginning. You've got to ask yourself a question.

Do I feel lucky? What does the future hold for all 32 NFL teams at the QB position? Now, I'm going to give you an opportunity to spin this wheel right here. Let's spin the wheel and find out which teams we hit today. Las Vegas Raiders. Alright, let's go out to a man that covers the Raiders for the athletic, and that is Vic Tafer.

Vic, appreciate you doing this. How are you? I'm doing good, man. How are you doing? I'm doing fantastic. So, I've got to start you off with, obviously, the Raiders' old quarterback in Derek Carr signing a new contract with the Saints today.

What was your first reaction when you saw that one? I thought it was a good fit for him. I think it's probably better than going to the Jets. I think it's much easier to be in the AFC, especially the AFC South. He's definitely the best quarterback in that division going in now. And I think the AFC is tough, man. AFC is the best quarterback in the league in the AFC.

So, if you have a chance to go to the NFC, you should probably do it. Well, how do you describe Carr? I feel like he's so tough to describe just because there's so many different ways that people feel about him.

You've covered him for a while. What are the Saints getting? Yeah, it's tough to describe him because he kind of gets blamed for a lot of the Raiders' problems the last nine years. But they've had so many issues that he didn't have any control over. They've always had bad defenses.

They've had some horrible draft picks and free agent moves. So, he's kind of become, escape goes the wrong word, but just a guy that can kind of take some of the weight of all that, you know, expectations over the years. But he's still a top 12, top 15 quarterback. He has a great arm, smart guy. He can make plays with the last scrimmage, make plays, you know, change the play of the last scrimmage and kind of get your team in the right spot.

So, I think he'll do well there. We know in 2021, there were so many horrible circumstances that were just so indescribable when you look at what happened with the Raiders. And Carr was probably at his best with the way that he led that team and got them to the playoffs this past year. I know there were a lot of injuries, but what else do you chalk it up to on why the play on the field regressed so much? Yeah, sometimes things just don't click when you have a new regime, new coach in the old quarterback. I think that's what happened this year. I think they brought in Navante Adams, thought they should be a top five offense.

Didn't quite work out that way. I just think he's probably needed a fresh start for a while. I think, you know, the new regime want to give him a year to see how it worked out. And they came to the decision that he wasn't really worth, you know, 35, whatever million dollars a year. That's just kind of going right now for those kind of quarterbacks. So they're going to find somebody else. I think for him it worked out well also.

So I think all teams, all sides should be okay with where things are at right now. One more on Carr. I know that Dennis Allen was a part of the group that drafted him. And then Allen only lasted four games as the coach in Carr's rookie season, Vic Taffer. A lot of people are talking about their relationship.

What's your understanding of what that relationship is? Because I kind of look at him like, all right, yeah, he drafted him, but he was only there for four games. Yeah, they weren't really that close.

Like you said, it's hard to say because that was, you know, Dennis will tell you I was a really bad roster, so I think the expectations at Europe were pretty low. And I think in hindsight, he may have just gone with Matt Schaub, gone with the veteran, got Derek Ware in a little bit from watching, but he kind of got impressed with Derek. The preseason made the switch and it didn't work out.

They lost their first four games and he was fired. So I'm not saying it was a huge, you know, relationship there, but they both, they kind of needed some of that support. They're both kind of on a spot where, you know, they kind of need each other, so I think it could look out from that aspect. How likely is it, do you think, Rodgers winds up with the Raiders? Because right now, it seems like we all thought the Raiders were interested, and I think a lot of people assume that he'll wind up on the Jets if he's traded.

Yes, it's really low. I think the only way it works is, I mean, I think at this point, you feel the Raiders, you have enough holes where, you know, I mean, if you find Tom Brady as one thing, he's freezing, trading picks for a guy, like Rodgers is 39 years old, doesn't make a lot of sense, I think. And one way it might work out is if Packers are giving him away, but I think the Jets clearly purchased it, so they'll probably pay the price that it would take to get Aaron Rodgers, so I can't see the Raiders getting him in that regard. Do you think it's going to be Jimmy G?

No, I think it could be. I mean, obviously, I'm not really sure. The problem with Jimmy G is it's hard to gauge what he wants money-wise because of his history with injuries and stuff, and I think he's on the list. He's a guy they know well, and he's definitely a guy they'll consider, but I think ideally, they draft a guy at 7 and move up to 5 and get all these top-4 quarterbacks, and then maybe sign jersey to them as the top-cap guy.

When you hear about a potential trade-up, is there any understanding of who their preference right now is at quarterback, or is it just they'll try to figure that out through this process with the four big names that everyone's been talking about? They're doing a good job being a goalie. I mean, there's definitely a lot of smoke about Anthony Richardson.

He had a great comeback this week. I'm not sure he'll be there at 7. So, I can see they've struggled a little bit for himself. So, I think at this point, if you want one of these top-4 guys, you've got to get to probably 6 in the draft. And again, I'm not really sure who they like, but I think if they go the route and they move to 5, they'll know they want one of those four guys. This regime, when you look at the coach and the general manager, what do they have to show this year in year number two? Because a lot of people were done with them after year one. Well, that's the beauty of drafting a quarterback, because he can buy some more time.

He can say you have a longer rope. And I think that is the thing. There's not really a lot of pressure this year.

If you've got Tom Brady or Ed Rogers, all of a sudden there is some pressure, there is some expectations, there is some money spending on the old quarterbacks you have to win now. So, I think that's not being the case. I think these guys are in build-it-the-right-way mode.

They do the whole, you know, peaches, where-ya-ya-ya. So, I think Mark Davis is cool with that. So, I'm not sure there is a huge mandate to win this year. Was there shock inside the Raiders organization? Or at least someone like you covering the team when Brady walked away? Because from a lot of what people were speculating, it seemed like that's where Brady was probably heading to this offseason.

Yeah, I wouldn't say shock. I think that was always a plan. I mean, the guy was possibly retired last year. I mean, he maybe had some regret. Who knows?

He's always come back here. Rumors, the combine about Miami is still in play. So, both he and Rogers, it's hard to predict what they're going to do.

They're definitely a unique character. So, I wouldn't surprise anything that Tom Brady does. But I do think that I wasn't a big fan of that plan. I'd say, again, I think it's putting a lot of eggs in the guy who's 45. And that's a lot to ask for a guy to come in and take over the offense and win now as a team that has a lot of holes on the roster. And then also, there's been a lot of reports out there, Vic Taffer, about maybe McDaniels being interested in Mack Jones. The two worked together when Jones was a rookie in New England two years ago. But it doesn't seem like the Patriots are interested in trading him.

Just what are you hearing on that front? Yeah, the reason you hear those things is because, I mean, it's clear when you talk to McDaniels about Mack Jones. He loves the guy.

He gets all his eyes kind of soft and kind of gets that little smile going. He clearly has feelings for the guy, so that's why everyone thinks it's a logical jump. But I do think the Patriots, bringing in Bill O'Brien, they kind of decided that they want to go with Mack Jones. So, I can't imagine they'd trade him. I'm not sure it would take a real effort to address Doc, but I don't think that's going to happen.

Vic Taffer covers the Raiders for the Athletic. We appreciate the time. Thank you. All right, bud.