The biggest need for the Raiders entering free agency was quarterback. With Derek Carr off to New Orleans, the Raiders needed to find some help at the most important position in football. The Raiders quickly added Jimmy Garoppolo on the first day of the legal tampering period, signing him to a three-year deal.
They were also able to ink veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers on a team-friendly deal. They added a few other pieces in free agency, but none were as significant as Garoppolo or Meyers. But what’s their biggest need now that Week 1 of NFL free agency is completed?
In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he named every team’s biggest need coming out of Week 1 of free agency. For the Raiders, that was still the quarterback position as they need a franchise guy to lead the team for the next decade.
Here is what Sikkema had to say about the state of the Raiders going into this week:
The Raiders signing Jimmy Garoppolo means they could go into the 2023 season without an abysmal offense, but they still need a young franchise quarterback. Their offensive line could also use a major boost, especially on the interior. Plus, don’t count out a cornerback pick for the Raiders at No. 7 if there’s no quarterback on the board they like.
While Sikkema is right that the Raiders need a young franchise quarterback, signing Garoppolo at least gives them some flexibility. They now aren’t forced to make a bad trade up to No. 3 to get the third-best passer in this class. They can see how the draft goes and pick their spots to be aggressive.
Look for the Raiders to continue to search for their next franchise quarterback in the draft despite the addition of Garoppolo in free agency.
