Breaking: Raiders Agree Deal To Sign Former Pro Bowl QB As Undrafted Free Agent
After the NFL draft, top free agents will have a clearer idea of where to sign their contracts. Ryan Tannehill, a former Miami Dolphins quarterback, is considered a top possibility in the market. According to Bleacher Report’s Jack Murray, the Las Vegas Raiders are one of the “best” options for the former Pro Bowl quarterback.
“The Las Vegas Raiders were a team that many expected to make an impact in the NFL Draft by selecting a quarterback. That did not happen, and Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and Anthony Brown will be on the depth chart to start the season.
“That may sound like enough, especially considering the fact that the team just signed Minshew in the offseason and O’Connell had significant experience as a rookie in 2023, Murray wrote in his April 27 column exploring landing spots for Tannehill and Odell Beckham Jr. “However, the Raiders could be a team that has an itch that wasn’t totally scratched in the draft and adding another layer with Tannehill could push the other quarterbacks during training camp.”
Raiders Didn’t Draft a Quarterback
The anticipation going into the draft was that the Las Vegas Raiders would select a quarterback. However, this did not happen, and coming into May, there will be a quarterback duel between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
Minshew performed admirably in 2023, featuring in 17 games. The 27-year-old passed for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. O’Connell appeared in 11 games for the Raiders in 2023, totaling 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
After the NFL draft, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco stated that picking a quarterback “didn’t line up.”
“On the third day?” No. Certainly not on the second day. Yes, it is the first day. “But not after that,” Telesco informed reporters. “If we thought there was a quarterback out there who was better than us or had the potential to be better, we would have done something. But it didn’t match up.”
Telesco would not rule out the possibility of acquiring another quarterback, which is where the former Miami Dolphins quarterback may come into play.
How Ryan Tannehill Would Help the Raiders
With so many veterans on the Las Vegas Raiders team, Tannehill might fit right in. The team boasts talented players on both sides of the football field, including Davante Adams, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and others.
Bringing in a veteran like Tannehill, who was a starter with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, could be ideal. He also has 11 years of league experience.
Tannehill has just had two of his worst seasons in terms of statistics. However, this was owing to just participating in 22 combined games throughout the two seasons. In 2021, his last healthy season, the 35-year-old threw for 3,734 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
It’s unclear whether he’ll be able to maintain those stats given the injuries he’s sustained with both the Titans and Dolphins. The 2019 AP Comeback Player of the Year has a career total of 34,881 yards and 216 touchdown passes.
