With the Las Vegas Raiders on bye this week, this week’s mailbag covers a wide range of issues, from the rest of the season to free agency and the NFL Draft. So, let’s dive right in!
C.J. Stroud was my first-round pick last year, but I’d take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye over him. Both have greater arm talent and are better at using their legs—particularly Williams—than Stroud was coming out of Ohio State.
If the Raiders can sign Williams or Maye and improve their defense, they will be able to compete with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Granted, doing so in one offseason will be difficult because moving up for a quarterback means fewer assets to fix the defense.
My rapid rebound solution: Draft Johnny Newton, DT, in the first round, trade for Justin Fields in the second round, and sign Patrick Queen to cover Travis Kelce.
I like Newton a lot and would choose him in the first round if the Raiders don’t trade up for a QB, and Queen would be a terrific free-agent signing.
Fields, on the other hand, isn’t the answer if you’re looking for a quick fix because there’s so much ambiguity surrounding him. While the Bears haven’t done a good job of placing him in a position to thrive, he hasn’t done enough to instill confidence that he’ll be a franchise player in a better environment. Fields had a lot of terrible mistakes this season, is sluggish to go through his reads, and gets a lot of sacks, so I’d be wary to sell him.
Also, while Queen is good at covering, I wouldn’t assume he can handle Kelce. That guy is difficult to stop, thus I don’t think adding one person will suffice to slow him down.
