The Raiders made a ton of roster moves this offseason, reshuffling most of the defense. Going into Year 2 of the Josh McDaniels era, the team is finally starting to take shape. But is there a new addition that could end up disappointing this year for the Raiders?
In a recent article by Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, he wrote about the one player from every team that could wind up being a bust for the 2023 season.
For the Raiders, that was none other than Jimmy Garoppolo, who the team signed to a three-year deal this offseason. Here is a snippet of why Ballentine doesn’t believe the fit between Garoppolo and the Raiders will work
Jimmy G has proven to be a capable starter who won’t outright lose games. He generally takes care of the ball and has an 87-42 touchdown to interception ratio for his career.
But he does have limitations when it comes to arm strength and he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. There’s a reason the 49ers have been trying to move on from him as a starter for the last two seasons.
If Garoppolo is able to stay healthy, it’s hard to imagine him being a complete bust for the Raiders. He knows the system and he’ll be surrounded with a ton of playmakers and a good rushing attack. Garoppolo might not put up big numbers, but he should be a solid and efficient passer.
But if Garoppolo struggles to stay on the field, it could tank the entire offense. Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell just won’t be good enough to compete in the AFC and it likely will mean that the Raiders will have a top pick again in next year’s draft.
A lot is riding on the health of Garoppolo for the Las Vegas Raiders. But that was clearly a risk they were willing to take this offseason when they moved on from Derek Carr in favor of Garoppolo.
