Las Vegas Raiders

The Indianapolis Colts were interested in trading for Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota before landing Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Carson Wentz, per Mike Kaye of NJ.com.

The report dropped on the same day the Colts announced that Wentz will be out five to 12 weeks after undergoing a procedure on his left foot. Jacob Eason is filling in as the Colts' starter in Wentz's absence.

Mariota, 27, is entering his seventh NFL season. He spent his first five with the Tennessee Titans, but he lost his job midway through the 2019 season in favor of Ryan Tannehill. Mariota never got the starting gig back and left the team via free agency after the campaign.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft found his way to the Raiders, slotting in as the QB2 behind Derek Carr.

Mariota took over for an injured Carr during a late-season home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, completing 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed nine times for 88 yards and another score in a 30-27 overtime loss.

That's all the action Mariota saw in 2020, and he didn't fare particularly well in six starts in 2019 (59.4 percent completion rate, seven passing touchdowns), so dealing for him might be a risk.

At any rate, the asking price might be high for Mariota anyway, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic:

Surgery it is for Wentz.
Before you ask about a trade for Mariota, #Raiders would be ok with Peterman as No. 2 but really like their QB room as is. Would take at least a 3rd-rounder to get them even interested in a trade. https://t.co/BGijNHqxjx

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 2, 2021

Wentz could very well return on the earlier end of that return timeline. However, the pessimistic end has Wentz returning midseason, leaving the Colts in a potential bind.

For now, Eason is the guy. The former Georgia and Washington quarterback was taken in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He did not see any game time last year.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following scouting report on Eason in advance of the draft.

His elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler. Eason is fun to watch when he's ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured. He's relatively inexperienced and should continue to develop from the pocket, but poise is hard to fix, and handling exotic blitz packages is not a given. He's a pro-style, play-action-based quarterback with average starter potential and an average backup floor.

The 6'6", 231-pound Eason completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 23 touchdowns (and eight interceptions) during his final season in college for Washington.

Jon Gruden's Las Vegas Raiders have gone just 19-29 in the first three years of his second stint as their head coach. For now, however, his job appears to be safe.

According to Peter King of Pro Football Talk, Gruden is "not under any win-now mandate from the owner [Mark Davis]. [General manager] Mike Mayock, I don't know."

When King asked Gruden if he was "pissed" that the team hasn't had a great record under his watch, the head coach replied:

I'm not pissed. I'm excited about the progress we've made. We weren't very good. We had, I think, 20 new starters my first year. Our second year, we got off to a pretty good start. We lost our right tackle. We lost our right guard. We lost our featured back down the stretch. We struggled. And we lost games against Jacksonville and Denver late in the year. You gotta really see it to believe how we lost those games. Got off to a good start last year. Decimated at times because of [COVID-19]. We had a tough schedule. But we were in the playoff hunt last couple years until the latter part of the season. I think we are improving. But I don't like to lose. I don't like hearing 19-29. I do like the feeling of progress. We were 6-2 in the West. 6-2 on the road, that's pretty good. We gotta continue to get better obviously at home.

The Raiders have made strides under Gruden, going from 4-12 in his first season to 7-9 in 2019 and 8-8 last year. But anything less than a postseason appearance this year is going to be deemed a disappointment. 

Another concern is that the team's first-round picks in the Gruden and Mayock era have been hit or miss. 

Kolton Miller and Josh Jacobs have been nice hits. Clelin Ferrell has been a huge miss. Johnathan Abram—who has been switched to linebacker in Gus Bradley's defense from safety—and Damon Arnette need to show more.

"We need more production out of that group," Mayock told King regarding Ferrell, Abram and Arnette. "But we've been able to have an offseason this year, and we've had great attendance in the building."

Henry Ruggs III gets some benefit of the doubt, since wideouts often develop more slowly than other positions and his explosiveness is undeniable. But a rookie season of 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games was a bit of a letdown. 

Normally, some questionable decisions in the first round of the draft wouldn't fall on a head coach. But Gruden wields enormous power in the Las Vegas franchise and final say on personnel decisions. Those misses fall on him just as squarely as they fall on Mayock.

Anything less than a playoff appearance this season and questions will start emerging if Gruden's seat is getting hotter. And if it isn't, whether it should be. 

Even though there's been plenty of outside speculation about the dynamic between Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr, general manager Mike Mayock had a unique analogy to sum up their partnership. 

Appearing on The NFL Rhodes Show with Lindsay Rhodes (h/t the Las Vegas Review Journal), the Raiders GM called Gruden and Carr's relationship "like a corny marriage" that is "really funny."

During last year's training camp, Gruden and Carr both made interesting comments that led to speculation about the veteran quarterback's long-term outlook with the organization.

Carr told reporters in Aug. 2020 that he is "tired of being disrespected." It's unclear who the three-time Pro Bowler was talking about with that statement.

Shortly after Carr's comments, Gruden did praise what he saw from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota following a Raiders practice. 

“He has turned a corner with his ankle (injury) and he is a dazzling playmaker," Gruden told reporters, adding that Mariota "really fired me up today."

Since rejoining the Raiders as head coach in 2017, there has been near-constant speculation Gruden would look to find a new starting quarterback.

After his first year with Carr, Peter King of MMQB told Dan Patrick that Gruden was enamored with Kyler Murray ahead of the 2018 draft (h/t 247Sports), while Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady have all been suggested as potential targets in the years since.

It doesn't appear as if Gruden was in a great rush to find a new starting quarterback, though. The Raiders could have gotten out of Carr's deal this offseason with just a $2.5 million dead cap hit. 

Instead, Carr is going to enter 2021 as the Raiders' starter for the eighth straight season. He has only missed two regular-season games in his career to his point. 

Las Vegas will have the opportunity to move on from Carr next offseason if it chooses. He is under contract in 2022, but the deal includes no dead cap penalty if he is released or traded. 

The Fresno State alum is coming off one of his most productive seasons in 2020. He threw for 4,103 yards, 27 touchdowns and completed 67.3 percent of his pass attempts.    

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a shakeup in their front office, with Marc Badain resigning as team president Monday. 

Raiders owner Mark Davis issued a statement announcing he had accepted Badain's resignation:

Raiders president Marc Badain—who helmed the team’s move from Oakland to Vegas—has resigned. pic.twitter.com/2Y1h4Z4kUO

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 19, 2021

In a separate statement (h/t Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal), Davis said Raiders executive vice president and general counsel Dan Ventrelle will replace Badain on an interim basis.

Badain provided a statement about the decision to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Statement from former Raiders’ President Marc Badain to ESPN: https://t.co/gAVv88RmqU pic.twitter.com/UpYMT0wnK5

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021

Badain began his career with the Raiders as a summer intern in 1991. He moved into the front office in 1995 and eventually took over as chief financial officer. 

The Raiders named Badain interim team president during the 2013 season after Amy Trask resigned.

Per ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr., Badain was one of the key figures in the Raiders' push to move from Oakland to Las Vegas, helping to secure financing for a new stadium.

Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com described Badain as "the Raiders' buck-stops-here business chief behind balancing operations."

Ventrelle has been in the organization for 17 years.

The Raiders played their first season in Las Vegas last year. They will open the 2021 campaign Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium.

Two seemingly unrelated comments head coach Jon Gruden made nearly a year apart continue to hang over the Las Vegas Raiders organization. 

The first involves his reported 10-year, $100 million contract. It might not be so clear-cut. Gruden said he must perform, or he'll walk. 

"If I can't get it done, I'm not going to take their money," the coach told USA Today's Jarrett Bell nearly three years ago. 

The second deals with how Gruden envisioned his roster, which he discussed after the ill-fated Antonio Brown trade prior to the 2019 season. 

"We don't want to have a good receiving corps. I want to have the best receiving corps in football, and I think in order to have the best you have to have the best, " Gruden told reporters. 

The two statements are now intertwined as the Raiders prepare for the '21 campaign. Las Vegas has struggled under Gruden's supervision. The organization, meanwhile, has made significant investments at wide receiver only to see the position fall well short of expectations. 

Massive improvement from the wide receiver corps this fall should accompany a successful regular-season performance. If not, Gruden should live up to his word and walk away from the franchise. 

The coach may not be on the hot seat since owner Mark Davis had been enamored with the possibility of him leading the Raiders for years. Then again, Gruden understands it's a year-by-year business. 

"Who guarantees I'm going to live 10 years?" he told Bell. "So I don't think about that. You start thinking about a 10-year contract—people don't know how it's structured, and it doesn't matter. ... I've got more important things to worry about than eight years of my contract."

Well, seven years remain, and he might not make it beyond the fourth based on what everyone has seen to date. 

The Raiders are 19-29 through the first three seasons. The team incrementally progressed but not beyond the point of mediocrity. At 8-8 last season, an obvious gap existed between the Kansas City Chiefs and the AFC West's second-place finisher. The ironic part is the Raiders' high-water mark came in a Week 5 victory over those Chiefs. 

After their Week 6 bye, the Raiders finished 5-6, including five losses in their final seven games. 

Las Vegas won't be able to elevate its status, particularly in its division, without some of its top talent realizing its potential. Last year's draft investments—including Henry Ruggs III, the first wide receiver off the board at No. 12, and Bryan Edwards—should allow the Raiders offense to become more explosive. There's also veteran John Brown, who joined in free agency this offseason.

Consider for a moment: The Raiders finished seventh in passing offense last season and ranked top-five in 20-plus- and 40-plus-yard chunk plays. However, the unit leaned heavily on tight end Darren Waller, who finished 10th overall with 1,196 receiving yards and 16 total big plays. Both led the Raiders last season. 

Nelson Agholor led the team's wide receivers with 896 receiving yards and 15 big plays. The veteran target signed a free-agent deal with the New England Patriots this offseason. 

Thus, Hunter Renfrow will return as the team's leading wide receiver after posting 656 yards in his sophomore season. 

Ruggs and Edwards are the keys to success, but they need to be far more effective in Year 2 for the Raiders to keep pace with the Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and even the Denver Broncos. 

The Chiefs are motivated after their embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. Plus, they've rebuilt their offensive line to better protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chargers did the same for reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert. The Broncos will be healthier, with outside linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Courtland Sutton returning to the field. 

Las Vegas needs a shot in the arm to propel itself beyond middling with Gruden's reputation on the line. 

Ruggs can change the game with his 4.27-second 40-yard dash speed. Defenses must account for him at all times, and the Raiders knew it when they drafted him. 

"He was the only person I wanted in this draft," Davis stated. 

He added: "You don't just come in and be Cliff Branch. You've got to earn that tag. But he does have that ability to change the game." 

In 13 contests, Ruggs posted 452 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Yes, some receivers take time to adjust and become legitimate threats. But the Raiders had to be a little jealous of how the Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb, Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson and even the Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins performed after being selected later in the draft. 

Gruden said Ruggs looked "much better" this offseason and wants him to be more than a decoy this fall, according to The Athletic's Vic Tafur. 

"We knew exactly what he was, and that's who he is," general manager Mike Mayock told reporters this spring. "We had no surprises last year on Ruggs. Now, he needs to take it to Level 2 now, the next level up—stronger, better route-runner, finish, get both feet down. All those things. And we think he will."

Speed can be a wonderful asset when properly harnessed, but Ruggs' maturation regarding the nuances of the position must improve. If they do, his status will grow from a talented speedster into a true playmaker. 

A difference can definitely be seen so far. 

"Man, he's been impressive," quarterback Derek Carr said of Ruggs. "The way he's running routes. He's being violent in his cuts. I think something clicked in his head."

Another boost could come from Edwards, who fell into the third round after he suffered a broken foot during predraft preparation. Technically, Edwards entered the '20 campaign as a starter because Tyrell Williams wasn't healthy. The rookie didn't do much with the opportunity and was quickly replaced by Agholor, and a nagging ankle injury limited his capabilities. 

Edwards does bring a physical presence to the wide receiver room. At 6'3" and 212 pounds, last year's 81st overall pick is a true X-receiver who's capable of working outside of the numbers and overwhelming defensive backs. 

Once again, Gruden potentially set himself up for failure with his words. 

"He's going to be a great one," the coach said of Edwards. "He's going to be a heck of a player. He's got a lot of the intangibles off the field that we're looking for."

Maybe Edwards will become a great one. He has the natural ability to do so. At the same time, he came off a rough rookie campaign and must grow into a much bigger role after only 11 receptions in 12 appearances. 

Edwards knows he has work to do too. 

"It definitely was a process, and it obviously was frustrating," Edwards said. "Anytime I'm not getting the results I want to get, I'm frustrated and I'm trying fix it. But Rome wasn't built in one day. All good things take time, and I'm just trusting the process."

The Raiders' top wide receiver investments are works in progress. In order for the rest of the offense to take off, Ruggs and Edwards must develop rapidly after disappointing rookie performances. If they do, the Raiders should be counted among the AFC's playoff contenders. If they do not, a lack of progress reflects directly on Gruden and his staff since other teams and their coaches had their first-year players prepared despite mitigating factors caused by a pandemic. 

By Year 4 under Gruden, the Raiders organization should know what it has regarding the roster. Potential breakout seasons from last year's wide receiver selections stand between advancement or time for a restart. 

              

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Running back Kenyan Drake has high expectations for himself in the Las Vegas Raiders offense during the 2021 season.

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra), Drake talked about his anticipated role and sharing snaps with Josh Jacobs:

"I'm definitely excited to see how our roles continue to develop with obviously Josh being the main guy to do what he needs to do because I have much respect and love for him and his game and what coach [Jon] Gruden has planned for us in that specific capacity. But I feel like I might have a big role in this offense. With them being a top-10 offense last year, the sky is the limit for us. I'm ready to see us take it to the next level."

Fantasy football players were thrown for a loop this offseason when the Raiders signed Drake to a two-year, $11 million contract after Drake had spent the previous two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

Signing Drake was an unexpected move since Jacobs was the Raiders' bell-cow back in his first two NFL seasons after getting selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Jacobs rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past two campaigns. He rushed for 1,065 yards last season and set career highs in rushing touchdowns (12), receptions (33) and receiving yards (238).

Meanwhile, Drake is coming off his most productive NFL season as a runner, rushing for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He also caught 25 passes for 137 yards in 15 games, including 13 starts.

While Drake ran the ball effectively, his receiving production dropped off significantly last season with Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury opting to use Chase Edmonds as his primary pass-catching back.

There is reason to believe Drake could bounce back from a receiving perspective in Las Vegas after catching 53 passes for 477 yards and five touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and then making 50 grabs in a 2019 season that was split between Miami and Arizona.

Drake has the ability to make a huge fantasy impact as a pass-catcher, and since that isn't Jacobs' strong suit, it stands to reason Drake will be a reliable safety valve out of the backfield for quarterback Derek Carr in 2021.

Jacobs and Drake both probably aren't worthy of being taken in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts, but they should each play enough to hold fantasy value and potentially both be fantasy starters during the upcoming season.

One unnamed team passed on the opportunity to sign Tom Brady, prompting him to question why they were "sticking with that motherf--ker."

Derek Carr says he is not the person in question.

“From what I know, it wasn’t me, which is good,” Carr told Brother from Another on Wednesday. “If it was, I've gotten in enough trouble trying to challenge people to fights. But, as a man, Tom, I know you got the rings, but if it’s not me then we’re good. What I heard, it wasn’t me. And so I’m good with that.”

Brady made his comments on an episode of HBO's The Shop, expressing exasperation that a team would move forward with its incumbent over the then-six-time Super Bowl winner. That team's loss wound up being the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' reward, with Brady leading them to his seventh Lombardi Trophy. 

Speculation has been rampant about which quarterback Brady was referring to, with Carr being a natural assumption because of Raiders coach Jon Gruden's longstanding public adoration of Brady. There were also reports last March that the Raiders passed on pursuing Brady after reviewing his film.

However, Carr says he has a "good source" who says Brady was not talking about him.

Given some of the questionable quarterback choices around the NFL, there are still several good suspects remaining. The overwhelming odds are Brady will never reveal the mystery. 

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr made it clear this week that he wants former college teammate Davante Adams to join him in Sin City.

During an appearance on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast (h/t ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith), Carr said the following about his desire to pry Adam away from the Green Bay Packers:

"Davante, he's one of my best friends. I'm gonna offer him whatever I gotta offer. I'll buy him a car, whatever I've got to do I'll offer that man. I know he would fit in great with the receivers we have here. He would fit so well in that room. I'm allowed to say those things. Our organization isn't, but I'm going to say it. He's my best friend, I think he's one of the best—he's the best receiver in the NFL."

Carr and Adams had a great connection at Fresno State, leading to both of them being second-round picks in the 2014 NFL draft.

Both of them put up monster numbers in 2013, which was Carr's senior season and Adams' redshirt sophomore campaign.

That year, Carr completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 5,083 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Meanwhile, Adams reeled in 131 receptions for 1,719 yards and 24 touchdowns, accounting for nearly half of Carr's scores.

Since making it to the NFL, Carr and Adams have both enjoyed success, combining for seven Pro Bowl selections.

While it can be argued that Carr has plateaued, Adams is continuing to make strides, as he was named a First-Team All-Pro for the first time last season after making 115 grabs for 1,374 yards and an NFL-leading 18 touchdowns.

There is at least some level of uncertainty regarding Adams' future in Green Bay, as he is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2021, and it is unclear if reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers will return to play quarterback for the Packers.

If Rodgers does not play for the Packers again, perhaps reuniting with Carr in Vegas could be an attractive option for Adams.

Bringing in Adams could be a much-needed lifeline for Carr, as his long-term future in Las Vegas may be in limbo since he has only led the Raiders to the playoffs once during his career.

Despite that, Carr has Super Bowl aspirations for himself and Adams in 2021, saying:

"He's focused on being a Packer and I know that because I see how he works. I know how he works and I know how much it means to him. He's focused on that and I'm focused on trying to get to the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl, hopefully he's in it so I can beat his butt too. That's the plan, then recruit him over to the dark side."

A Raiders Super Bowl run during the upcoming season would be a huge shock, as would a Packers Super Bowl run if Rodgers isn't in the fold.

Regardless of how the 2021 campaign plays out, though, one can only assume the Packers will do everything within their power to keep Adams, including placing the franchise tag on him.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller says he's open to helping mentor Tim Tebow in his transition to the position.

"If he thinks he can learn from me, then I'd love to help him and help make his transition smoother," Waller told TMZ Sports.

Tebow, a former quarterback, is attempting to make the Jacksonville Jaguars roster as a tight end despite having never played the position. He's also 33 years old and nine years removed from being on a regular-season NFL roster.

The likelihood of Tebow having success making the switch—something he opted against during his athletic prime—appears slim. However, Waller has faith in Tebow's ability to overcome the odds.

"Football is in his blood," Waller said. "So, I feel like he'll find a way. He'll find a way. He's physical, he's athletic. So, I wish him nothing but the best going forward."

Tebow hasn't stood out during the Jaguars' offseason workouts, so perhaps it's a good idea for the 2007 Heisman winner to seek out Waller's counsel.