Are the Las Vegas Raiders players for Aaron Rodgers? Should they be? – NFL Nation

HENDERSON, Nev. — Not very probably, given the stage of funding of their present quarterback.

Or, to phrase it in “Jeopardy!” communicate: What are the probabilities of the Las Vegas Raiders buying and selling for Aaron Rodgers?

Look, the disgruntled reigning NFL MVP-turned-visitor host of the iconic sport present can hit Daily Doubles all offseason in terms of being “intrigued” by Las Vegas. And Jon Gruden is perhaps tempted to proper a improper after he labored out Rodgers previous to the 2005 draft and did not choose him for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 5 general (Gruden as a substitute drafted working again Cadillac Williams whereas the Raiders additionally whiffed, taking cornerback Fabian Washington at No. 23, one choose forward of the then-grateful Green Bay Packers).

But whereas it’s not recognized if the Raiders have had inside dialogue on doubtlessly buying Rodgers — discussing him publicly may very well be construed as tampering — this a lot is true: Las Vegas’ offense is constructed round Derek Carr.

And as a supply advised ESPN.com, Gruden is very pleased with Carr, and Las Vegas has retooled the protection to, in impact, give Carr some assist. Remember, it was the protection that collapsed late in thoughts-numbing house losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins (then once more, the protection confirmed up late to shut out wins at the Carolina Panthers, Chargers and Denver Broncos).

The prevailing thought in Silver-and-Blackdom is that this: Carr shouldn’t be the drawback with the Raiders. But is he the reply? And if it’s a must to ask your self that query, then perhaps you do have an issue.

Talking in circles, positive, and this isn’t to advocate a method or one other in terms of Rodgers, the Raiders and Carr, the most polarizing determine in franchise historical past (followers are in one in every of two camps in terms of the Raiders’ all-time passing chief).

But, as San Francisco 49ers common supervisor John Lynch mentioned throughout the draft, when he admitted inquiring about buying and selling for Rodgers, If the MVP is perhaps obtainable, it’s a must to at the very least examine.

So what wouldn’t it take for the Raiders to do greater than inquire? Glad you requested.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell created and then ranked seven of his own trade proposals for Rodgers, from least interesting to most engaging, and the deal he got here up with for Las Vegas was simply sixth.

In essence, Barnwell had the Raiders sending Carr, first- and second-spherical picks in the 2022 draft and a 2023 first-spherical choose to Green Bay for Rodgers and the Packers’ 2023 4-spherical draft choose.

The Packers may additionally need one in every of the Raiders’ younger rising stars nonetheless on his rookie contract — defensive finish Maxx Crosby?

It’s a steep value to pay for Las Vegas, particularly given how far down the street the Raiders are with Carr, scheduled to be going into his fourth season with Gruden and coming off profession highs in passing yards (4,103), yards per completion (11.8), quarterback ranking (101.4) and complete QBR (71.0). He simply turned 30.

Then once more, Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer who simply led the league in TD passes (48), passer ranking (121.5) and Total QBR (84.4) in a season during which he turned 37.

As Barnwell famous, the Packers “would eat a record $38.4 million in dead money, all on this year’s cap” if they commerce him earlier than June 1. His cap variety of $37.2 million is the costliest of any participant in the NFL for 2021 (Carr carries a cap variety of $22.125 million for this season).

Trading Rodgers after June 1 would “result in dead cap charges of $21.1 million in 2021 and $17.2 million in 2022” for Green Bay, Barnwell wrote.

A late begin in selecting up Gruden’s infamously robust offense and terminology? Perhaps. But the Raiders will not have obligatory minicamp till June 15-17, anyway.

In actual cash — Carr is scheduled to make greater than $39.3 million in base wage over the subsequent two years; Rodgers is scheduled to make $64.7 million over the subsequent three years. No one mentioned there could be math concerned, however that averages out to $19.65 million a 12 months for Carr, sans an extension, over his subsequent two years — when he shall be 30 and 31 — and $21.6 million a 12 months for Rodgers over the subsequent three seasons, when he shall be 37, 38 and 39 (he’ll flip 40 at the finish of the 2023 season).

Oh, and the Raiders would take only a $2.5 million wage cap hit by transferring on from Carr, both by commerce or lower.

Is it possible? Sure. But simply as unlikely.

Quick, any person cue the “Jeopardy!” theme music as we wait, most likely for June 1.