Predicting Raiders' Biggest Regrets from 2023 NFL Offseason
The Las Vegas Raiders had a lot of decisions to make this offseason, and several of them are going to have long-term ramifications over the next several seasons.
Ditching quarterback Derek Carr and bringing in Jimmy Garoppolo is the beginning of a new era, but that wasn't the only major move they made.
The Raiders were one of the busiest teams in free agency this offseason and made nine draft picks. General manager Dave Ziegler continued the work of molding the roster in his image.
While the hope is that all of those moves are going to get the Silver and Black closer to competing for a playoff spot, not all of the decisions are going to wind up being winners.
Here's a look at three moves the Raiders will come to regret this season.
Signing Jimmy Garoppolo
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The decision to release Derek Carr was a justifiable one. After nine seasons as the starter, he was 63-79 with two winning seasons. The blame isn't all on him for that, there were missteps along the way, but it makes sense that the new regime would like to reset the position.
However, it's the plan for the position after letting Carr walk that the Raiders could come to regret this season.
When replacing a long-time starter, a team generally has two viable options. They can either pursue a veteran star or go full reset with a young/rookie quarterback. By signing Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas took a dangerous middle path that rarely has a good outcome.
The Raiders were out of position to draft one of the top quarterbacks in this class, but a trade up to get Will Levis was possible. Trading for someone like Trey Lance was also a possibility. If they had gone into the season with one of them as a starter, it would be a full admission that they are in rebuild mode.
If the quarterback fell flat, they would be in a great position to draft Caleb Williams or one of the other top passers in next year's draft class. If they excelled, then they have someone to build around.
With the 31-year-old Garoppolo, the Raiders have a middling veteran who had success in a stacked 49ers offense with one of the best play-callers in the league. He doesn't really raise the ceiling of his supporting cast and isn't the long-term answer.
That takes some of the excitment out of the 2023 season.
Franchise-Tagging Josh Jacobs
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We can talk about the devaluation of running backs across the NFL, but there's still something to be said for retaining your best players.
The Raiders put Josh Jacobs in a situation where he had to prove himself last season when they declined his fifth-year option. It moved up the timeline for him to receive an extension by a year.
The 25-year-old did everything he could to prove he deserved to be one of the highest-paid players at his position last season. He led the NFL in rushing despite playing behind an offensive line that was far from the best in the league.
Given his performance throughout the season and the looming contract negotiations, this was a situation that needed to have a more decisive approach than simply putting the franchise tag on Jacobs.
Now the Alabama product is engaged in a holdout that has gone into the preseason. The team has said it hopes to still sign the back who has refused to sign the franchise tag to this point, but it has also signed running backs Damien Wilson and Darwin Thompson recently, pointing to the possibility of not getting Jacobs back any time soon.
At this point, Jacobs' trade value has likely taken a hit because of the well-publicized holdout. Even if he does come back, there's going to be a ramp-up period and there's a chance he starts the season slowly.
Zamir White has looked good in camp and the preseason, but going into the season without Jacobs or meaningful compensation in a trade is something the Raiders will regret.
Picking Tyree Wilson over Christian Gonzalez
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The Raiders made a somewhat surprising pick when they took Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall selection in the draft. The explosive pass-rusher from Texas Tech is a good prospect, but the Raiders had a pretty glaring need at cornerback.
Both are premium positions worthy of top-10 consideration in the draft. However, the 23-year-old had a procedure done on his foot in March that should have been a red flag.
Wilson is still recovering from that. He has yet to make his debut at camp and his status for Week 1 is questionable. There's a chance that when he does return to the lineup, it's going to be without the explosiveness that made him an interesting prospect in the first place.
Meanwhile, Christian Gonzalez was taken with the 17th pick and has looked solid in training camp and one preseason contest. He was the third overall cornerback on the B/R big board and has the kind of length and athleticism to become an elite cover corner.
Wilson's questionable health could make for a difficult rookie season. With Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby on the edges, the Raiders don't have to rush Wilson out on the field. That's nice, but it doesn't do much to improve the defense in 2023.
The Wilson selection might work out in the long run. It's easy to see the physical gifts that led the Raiders to make the selection, but picking him that high with the injury when there were other players who could address another need at a premium position will be something they regret in 2023.
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