3 Instant Reactions to Jimmy Garoppolo's Reported 3-Year, $67.5M Raiders Contract
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVMarch 13, 2023
The Las Vegas Raiders addressed the quarterback position on Monday, agreeing to sign veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million deal that includes $34 million guaranteed, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Obviously there are more than a few angles worth dissecting, so let's dig in to three instant takeaways from this signing.
Josh McDaniels Needs to Get the Most Out of Jimmy G
Let's not mince words—Garoppolo isn't an upgrade over Derek Carr. The Raiders haven't improved at the quarterback position with this signing. He's a different type of quarterback, more of a game-manager, but it's hard argue that he's actually a better player.
But—and there is one important "but" here—he is familiar with head coach Josh McDaniels from their time together in New England, and the hope will be that the familiarity between the two can, at the very least, get the most out of Jimmy G.
Albert Breer @AlbertBreerNew Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's three-year deal has a base value of $67.5 million—$22.5 million per. There's upside in there that can get him around the number, $25 million per, he was looking for.<br><br>For what it's worth, Vegas coach Josh McDaniels loves Garoppolo.
John Daigle @notJDaigleDavante Adams saw a career-high 30% of his targets come in the intermediate level of the field (10-19 yards) in year one under Josh McDaniels.<br><br>Derek Carr in that range:<br>52% completion rate (33rd)<br>9.1 YPA (30th)<br><br>Garoppolo in that range since 2021:<br>64.2% (5th)<br>11.6 YPA (5th) <a href="https://t.co/QJEEGZCTVX">https://t.co/QJEEGZCTVX</a>
The hope is that Jimmy G will simply be a better system fit than Carr, and he might. That might be enough to propel this signing into smarter territory. Because on paper it sure looks like nothing more than a perplexing, lateral-at-best move.
The Raiders Still Should Prioritize the QB Position at the Draft
Garoppolo isn't a franchise quarterback. He's a decent enough system quarterback, a game-manager, a player who won't make a team worse. But he isn't the sort of player a franchise gets built around.
But the Raiders have the No. 7 overall pick in a draft with four players who might be off the board in the top 10 in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. They could land one of those players and develop him for a year or two behind Jimmy G.
Levi Damien @LeviDamienI'm expecting them to draft a QB and use Jimmy G as either a gap until that QB develops or insurance. If Jimmy G ends up staying healthy and playing great in McDaniels's system, they stick with him or get assets in trade. If not, they move on either by cut or trade. <a href="https://t.co/I03k0IBlDh">https://t.co/I03k0IBlDh</a>
That should be the plan in Vegas. Garoppolo should be considered a stopgap. Time will tell if that's the actual plan.
Raiders Still Have an Uphill Climb to Reach the Playoffs
The Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl and have the best quarterback in football, Patrick Mahomes. Justin Herbert is outstanding and has a talented roster surrounding him with the Los Angeles Chargers. Sean Payton should have the Denver Broncos improved in 2023.
And that's just the AFC West. Never mind the loaded AFC East, or the normally competitive AFC North.
The point is this: The Raiders have a lot more roster-building to do before they can be considered a playoff contender. Maybe Jimmy G will give them a bump as a better system fit, but it probably won't be a huge one. There is far more work to be done in Vegas before the Raiders can be considered a threat to reach the postseason.