One of the big free-agent dominos at the quarterback position fell Monday as the Las Vegas Raiders and Jimmy Garoppolo agreed to a three-year deal during the legal tampering period. This doesn’t directly impact the Indianapolis Colts, but it could be a factor in the 2023 NFL draft.
After Derek Carr was released and eventually signed with the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders were thought to be a team in the market for a quarterback. Holding the No. 7 overall pick, they also were a candidate to trade up ahead of the Colts in the draft order to take quarterback prospects.
However, the new deal between Garoppolo and the Raiders may be enough to keep them from trading up. It doesn’t keep them out of the quarterback market entirely, but they may view it as an opportunity if a player falls to them rather than making an aggressive move to get a rookie.
Comp update: Raiders are giving former 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo a three-year, $67.5 million deal, including $34 million guaranteed, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2023
The Colts currently hold the No. 4 overall pick. The Carolina Panthers, who recently traded up for the top overall pick, and the Houston Texans are both expected to take a quarterback with the first and second picks, respectively.
That means a team looking for a quarterback prospect in this class has essentially two options. They can wait and hope one falls to them or they can try to put together a deal to move up to the No. 3 overall pick in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals.
There are a few teams within striking range of the Colts who have the potential to jump them for the presumed third quarterback selection.
The Seattle Seahawks (No. 5), Detroit Lions (No. 6), Atlanta Falcons (No. 8) and Tennessee Titans (No. 11) are the teams other than the Raiders who may be looking to move up for a quarterback.
The Colts certainly could sit back and hope their top-ranked quarterback prospect falls to them or they could ensure they get a crack at the top three prospects by moving up.
It’s difficult to know what will happen, but the Raiders signing Garoppolo may take them out of the candidacy to trade up for a quarterback.
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