Raiders might try to trade for Patriots QB Mac Jones

Although the Raiders missed out on Tom Brady, it doesn’t mean they can’t land another Patriots QB. 

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders might try to acquire New England’s Mac Jones if Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo are out of the picture.

Las Vegas’ interest in Rodgers diminished since he’s undecided on retirement. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported Raiders HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler “agreed the Raiders won’t be in on the Rodgers sweepstakes.”

Garoppolo is a free agent whose market value is a four-year deal worth $34.9M annually, per Spotrac, a steep asking price for a player who missed 18 games due to injury over the past three seasons. 

Las Vegas only has one QB under contract (Chase Garbers). So it doesn’t have time to wait on Rodgers or cross its fingers and hope Garoppolo’s injury problems vanish.

Therefore, trading for Jones is the next move. 

He knows McDaniel’s system, something the HC values. Additionally, Jones blossomed in it during his rookie season, throwing 22 TDs and making the Pro Bowl. 

New England might be reluctant to trade the 24-year-old QB, yet his fractured relationship with Patriots HC Bill Belichick increases trade probability.

“I don’t think that Bill appreciated the way Mac handled some stuff last year,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently told WBZ-FM in Boston recently. “I think they would consider (trading Jones).” 

Interest may fizzle since the Raiders have the No. 7 pick in the draft and can use it to select a QB. Nonetheless, McDaniels may prefer molding a young QB who has already succeeded under him. 

It appears Jones is near the top of the Raiders QB wish list.