It was inevitable the Raiders were going to move on from Derek Carr this offseason. But now, they’ve signed an arguably less talented veteran quarterback to replace him.
The Raiders inked Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year deal Monday, according to multiple reports. The contract is believed to have a base value of $67.5 million with $34 million guaranteed. (Carr, for comparison’s sake, signed a four-year deal with the Saints for $100 million guaranteed.)
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The reaction to Josh McDaniels bringing in Garoppolo has been mixed. On one hand, his career record as a starter is 40-17, and McDaniels coached him up with the Patriots.
On the other hand, Garoppolo’s fragility is a question mark, along with his ceiling. Though he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl and two NFC championships, they moved up and selected Trey Lance in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to try and replace him.
This offseason, they were content with letting Garoppolo walk. He suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 13.
Armed with the No. 7 overall pick, there was ample speculation the Raiders would draft a rookie quarterback and try to build around him. But McDaniels went with familiarity, even if it comes in mediocre and brittle form. (Perhaps that’s for the best, considering McDaniels did draft Tim Tebow in the first round with the Broncos.)
The Raiders signing Garoppolo invites fresh scrutiny over whether McDaniels can successfully build his own operation rather than trying to recreate the Patriots’ old system. After three mediocre seasons, it’s apparent Tom Brady was the biggest reason for the Patriots’ offensive success — by far.
Last week, former NFL QB David Carr said on a podcast that Brady “bullied” McDaniels in New England, and enjoyed ultimate control over the offense.
The Raiders experienced plenty of low moments on their way to a 6-11 finish last year, including a loss to Jeff Saturday’s Colts at home. They started the season 2-7 and blew a myriad of second-half leads.
But Mark Davis publicly supported McDaniels amid Las Vegas’ struggles and brought him back for a second season. The Raiders went on a free agent spending spree last offseason, bringing in Davante Adams and Chandler Jones.
With the Garoppolo signing, McDaniels is doubling down on his vision, and not afraid to spend money in order to see it through. We’ll see if his Patriots West system can succeed this upcoming season.
If not, the decision to sign Garoppolo instead of drafting a first-round rookie will likely be cited as the beginning of the end.