Rolling The Dice: Raiders Gamble With Garoppolo -

In signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a relatively short deal, did the Raiders leave a door open for a first-round quarterback this year?

To the consternation of some and the elation of others, Jimmy Garoppolo signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. This move, among a few moves, should immediately pay dividends. Coming off a subpar season from their nine-year starter, the Raiders needed to intelligently fill the void at quarterback, Now, what does Garoppolo’s deal mean now and in the immediate future?

The Player

Entering his tenth year, the Eastern Illinois product steps onto the field with positives that flow from a multitude of directions. First, his 40-17 record shows his ability to win games. Granted, a stellar defense backed him in both San Francisco and New England. However, Garoppolo more than contributed enough by completing 67,6 percent of his passes, at an 8.3 yards per attempt clip. The defense had nothing to do with Garoppolo being vertically aggressive. For all of the criticism of him as a player, the Raiders signed an immediate starter for Week One. Garoppolo still possesses NFL-caliber arm strength with the vision and progression-reading to move the Raiders up and down the field.

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The Negatives

With the praise, critique follows soon behind. At the top of the list, health remains the reddest of flags. During his career, Garoppolo played fifteen times just twice. Injuries, of all shapes and severity. In 2018, a torn ACL ended his season. Shoulder and high ankle sprains cost Garoppolo time. As a result, the Raiders need to make a wise choice for a backup quarterback. On a weird level, people blame Garoppolo and not the defense for the loss versus the Chiefs. If that one throw finds Emmanuel Sanders, the narrative changes. Yet, here we are and he did not win the big one. The best ability is availability.

The Contract And Future

The Raiders inked Graoppolo to a three-year, sixty-seven million dollar deal with thirty-four million in a signing bonus. Now, at first blush, you’d think that contract would prevent the Raiders from drafting a quarterback early. Instead, it buys the team time to draft high and slowly work a quarterback into the starting spot. Provided that Garoppolo stays healthy, a project like Anthony Richardson becomes a reality. Either way, in four years, probably two years, the Raiders will take the field with a new starter. Hopefully, one that sat as an apprentice. Plus, the money amount on the contract provides wiggle room to bolster the defense and along the offensive line. Jimmy Garoppolo may not be the spotlight signing, but he could be a gatekeeper to the future.