Somehow, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh McDaniels era just got even worse — or perhaps it got slightly better, depending on your perspective. Jimmy Garoppolo was hand-picked by the ex-New England brain trust of GM Dave Ziegler and McDaniels to be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2023. Big shocker there, I know.
That move to acquire Jimmy G looks even more disastrous in retrospect, as Garoppolo is headed for a two-game suspension for a PED violation. Even if Las Vegas had wanted to entertain keeping him with a retooled contract as a potential bridge QB for whomever they might draft or acquire by other means, that pretty much went out the window with this development.
On the other hand! Garoppolo was such a debacle in Sin City that the Raiders might actually get out of this better than they could’ve imagined. That’s because, in all likelihood, Garoppolo’s suspension is grounds for wiping out the $11.2 million in guaranteed salary he’d be owed if he’s released prior to June 1.
Per Over The Cap, Las Vegas would’ve saved over $17 million by cutting Jimmy G outright. Now you can tack on another $11 million to that total, which would give the Raiders about $63 million in cap room to work with entering free agency next month. That’s not even accounting for the room they could free up by restructuring the deals for superstars Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby. OTC estimates that could add another $22 million in extra cap space.
Thought this was cold, by the way:
The 2024 NFL Draft is universally seen as the best crop of QBs in quite some time. In my personal opinion, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have the dual-threat skill sets to be superstars. JJ McCarthy has a massive ceiling. Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. have tantalizing skill sets and tons of collegiate experience. UNC’s Drake Maye is the consensus QB2/QB3 from what I’ve seen, but I have him a rung below Nix and Penix.
Williams is expected to go to the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall. Everyone seems to think the Commanders and Patriots will draft Maye and Daniels in some order. The Raiders could move up from 13th overall to secure the rights to McCarthy, or potentially wait for him, Nix or Penix to fall to them. Complicating matters is the fact that Minnesota and Denver, who are at the 11th and 12th picks respectively, both have needs at quarterback, especially if the Vikings can’t pay enough for Kirk Cousins.
New Las Vegas GM Tom Telesco was in charge of the Chargers for many years. He selected Justin Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 draft. Didn’t have to move. Had a superstar franchise QB fall right into his lap. Unless he falls in love with one of the prospects, it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed put and took whomever was there at No. 13. That 2020 class yielded the likes of Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Herbert, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts. They’ve all been hits. That’s a historical anomaly, but it just goes to show you never know how the draft is going to shake out.
What a tough spot for the Raiders. At least Jimmy G’s impending exit creates some clarity.
Not ready to declare what I’d do if I were in the Raiders’ front office. It’s an unenviable position to be in. However, I know what I’m rooting for.
It’d be incredible to see JJ McCarthy in the AFC West, facing off against his former college coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers twice a year. Not to mention, both those teams would be chasing Patrick Mahomes and the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs. And you’d have the Sean Payton-coached Broncos with a new QB as well. What a division that has the chance to be — and maybe it’ll beat up the Chiefs a bit to where their three-peat bid is derailed. That’s what all other fan bases would be hoping for anyway.
Anyway, Jimmy G’s career as a starter is over. I don’t see him pulling a Joe Flacco-esque comeback off the couch down the road. I would laugh very, very hard if he went back to the Patriots, or got signed by whichever team Bill Belichick coaches in 2025 with McDaniels as his offensive coordinator. You know one of those two scenarios is 100% going to happen.
