The Las Vegas Raiders' 2023 campaign was a roller coaster. A 3-5 start and a disappointing Monday Night loss to the Detroit Lions prompted them to fire head coach Josh McDaniels. Things turned since then. Las Vegas promoted Antonio Pierce to interim head coach and made rookie Aidan O'Connell their starting quarterback. They ended the year with a 5-4 record (8-9 overall) and carried that momentum into the offseason with some big moves.
But they still have plenty to sort out. The Raiders have a few training camp battles to monitor ahead of the 2024 NFL season, including one at quarterback and tight end.
Gardner Minshew or Aidan O'Connell?
Aidan O'Connell did some good things for the Raiders down the stretch last season. Perhaps most important was that he took care of the ball. He threw just seven interceptions in his 10 starts last year. On top of that, he completed 62.1% of his passes and totaled 2,218 yards. He was on pace for about 3,428 yards over the course of 17 games. For a rookie, those are solid numbers.
But that doesn't mean the Raiders can't get better play from that position. O'Connell only averaged 6.5 yards per attempt, which ranked 27th in the NFL among quarterbacks according to playerprofiler.com. He also was 26th in QBR (36.9), 24th in true completion percentage (68.9%), and 28th in EPA plus CPOE composite score.
Las Vegas reportedly wanted a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but they never got the chance to get one. Instead, the Raiders will have to settle with a training camp quarterback battle between O'Connell and Gardner Minshew to see who starts the 2024 NFL season under center.
Minshew does represent an upgrade over O'Connell. He might not be a robust upgrade, but he is still an upgrade nonetheless. He ranked 22nd in EPA plus CPOE composite score in 2023. Minshew also ranked 11th in QBR last year with a mark of 60.3. On top of that, he helped guide the Indianapolis Colts to a 9-8 record and a near AFC South division title.
This quarterback training camp battle to determine who begins the 2024 NFL season as the Raiders' starting quarterback could go any way. It will be worth watching closely to see who ultimately comes out on top.
How will the tight end rotation look?
No one should fault anybody for drafting with a ābest player availableā approach. That's what the Raiders did when they took Brock Bowers with the 13th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bowers is a flat-out baller. He was just as good a receiver as any of the three wideouts drafted ahead of him.
But the issue here is that Las Vegas just drafted a tight end last year. They used the 35th overall pick on Notre Dame's Michael Mayer, but he wasn't all that involved in their offense in 2023. He didn't play more than 50% of the team's snaps in a game until Week 4. On top of that, he registered at least five targets in a game just four times and registered at least four receptions three times.
The good news is that both of these players are dynamic and talented enough to play together. Bowers can operate as a ginormous slot receiver and even handle carries on jet sweeps. Mayer can play more as a traditional tight end and own the seams. Both are outstanding blockers as well.
This is a good problem for Las Vegas to have. But, it is a training camp battle the Raiders will have to figure out before the 2024 NFL season is underway. How they go about it will go a long way in determining how next year will go for them.
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