Raiders continue to move away from adding a veteran QB

The Raiders appear to be giving up on adding a veteran franchise QB and are prioritizing drafting one instead. 

"General manager Dave Ziegler doesn't think the Raiders are 'one or two' major veteran acquisitions away from being a legitimate contender," wrote The Athletic's Tashan Reed. 

Although Las Vegas remains the favorite for Aaron Rodgers via Oddschecker, Green Bay wants two first-round picks, per NBC Sports' Peter King. It's a considerable trade price for a player nearing the end of their career at 39. Also, he's due $59.5M in 2023, per OverTheCap. 

Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent, but his market value is a four-year deal worth 34.9M annually, per Spotrac. Garoppolo has only started one entire season in his nine-year career.

The 2023 QB class is talented. ESPN's Jordan Reid gave four QBs first-round grades (Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson). The Raiders are within range of selecting one at the No.7 overall pick. 

According to Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema, Las Vegas will select Levis. He demonstrated a grasp of a pro-style offense, throwing 43 TDs in two seasons as Kentucky's starter.

"NFL teams will appreciate that he has been working in the Rams and 49ers offensive systems in back-to-back years," wrote CBS Sports' Josh Edwards.

Despite Levis's shorter learning curve, Las Vegas only has one QB under contract (Chase Garbers). It may need to re-sign free-agent Jarret Stidham, who's played three seasons under Raiders HC Josh McDaniels, as a bridge QB. 

The plan establishes a framework for life after Derek Carr and retains cap space ($48.4M, per OTC), allowing Las Vegas to address other roster holes.