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Mailbag: Should Las Vegas Raiders wait to draft CJ Carr in 2027?
Alright Raiders Nation, let's dive into this mailbag that's got everyone talking about the future instead of Monday Night Football against the Cowboys—which, let's be real, feels like a side quest at this point. The big question on everyone's mind: Should the Las Vegas Raiders just punt on quarterback this year, roll with Geno Smith for another season, and go all-in on trying to draft CJ Carr in 2027? Look, I get the appeal—Carr's slinging it at Notre Dame with some serious flair, and the idea of landing a franchise QB like that is straight out of a fan's dream playbook.But here's the cold, hard truth: banking on a college QB two years out is like planning your Super Bowl parade before the season even starts—it's a gamble with more plot twists than a Netflix drama. Think about it—what if Carr has a down year next season and his stock plummets? Then the Raiders are left holding a losing lottery ticket.Or, even scarier, what if he balls out and becomes the consensus No. 1 pick? Then Las Vegas would either have to tank all of 2026—which, let's be honest, nobody wants to sit through another intentional dumpster fire—or trade away a king's ransom of draft capital to move up, leaving the roster thinner than a rookie's playbook knowledge.It's a high-stakes game of chess, and right now, the Raiders are playing checkers if they ignore this year's QB class. Guys like Alabama's Ty Simpson or Oregon's Dante Moore might declare, and if they do, they're worth a long look—unless, of course, Pete Carroll is back on the sideline.If that happens, you can bet Geno's starting Week 1, and the front office might just kick the can down the road again, which feels like déjà vu from last offseason's hesitation. Speaking of Carroll, the coaching situation is its own soap opera.Dude's 74—hey, he's a young 74, I know—but that's halfway to 80 by next season, and Father Time is undefeated. I'm torn: starting over with a new coach sounds exhausting, but rebuilding with a septuagenarian? That's like trying to win a marathon with a sprint coach.If I had to call it now, I'd say give Pete one more year, but keep an eye on whether he even wants it—his recent comments sound like he's realizing this rebuild is a bigger mountain to climb than he thought. And let's not forget the Kyler Murray rumors floating around—lol, no, just no.That feels like a recycled plotline from a bad sports movie; the Raiders are better off developing a rookie than banking on another team's castoff. On defense, the hole at safety is glaring—remember Earl Thomas in the Legion of Boom? That guy was the glue, and right now, the Raiders have nobody even close.Letting Tre'von Moehrig walk was a head-scratcher, and it makes Ohio State's Caleb Downs a sneaky first-round target if they skip QB. As for the young guys like Charles Grant and JJ Pegues not getting snaps? Come on, it's time to flip the depth chart and see what these rookies can do—we're out of the playoff hunt, so let's play the kids and build for the future.And to the fan pitching Jon Gruden's return as OC? I appreciate the passion, but that ship has sailed—and it's probably sunk with his lawsuit against the NFL. Bottom line: The Raiders need a clear plan, not a Hail Mary for 2027.
#Las Vegas Raiders
#NFL draft
#quarterback
#Pete Carroll
#coaching decisions
#featured