The Las Vegas Raiders made a big move at the quarterback position this offseason when the team struck a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith, who was then extended with a multi-year agreement.
That move is bad news for Aidan O’Connell, who now has no path to a starting job, barring an injury to Smith. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if the former fourth-round pick will get traded, or if the team will keep him as the backup for another year.
One analyst, Last Word on Sports’ Anthony Palacios, thinks it’s possible O’Connell will be moved, and he pegged the New Orleans Saints as a possible landing spot, which makes sense in the wake of the Derek Carr injury.
Last season, the New Orleans Saints were hoping they had their franchise quarterback in Derek Carr after two back-to-back explosive performances, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. In yet another injury, it will be time for the Saints to part ways with the veteran quarterback, and the team is back to square one. This might be a wake-up call to finally motivate general manager Mickey Loomis to embrace the rebuild. Second-year Spencer Rattler will likely be their next signal-caller, which gives new head coach Kellen Moore a new regime that he was already establishing.
However, he’s far from anything that proves he could be their long-term answer, as the Saints are better off drafting a quarterback. Despite that, they might have to trade for someone like OConnell to give them another option. He might not start immediately since there is still hope for Rattler. Perhaps, the two could battle it out at training camp to give them a chance to prove their abilities.
With Carr on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time, the Saints are looking at a situation in which they may have to start Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener, neither of whom are starting-caliber players. New Orleans could draft a quarterback, but there’s no telling if that player will be ready in Year 1.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
O’Connell has more experience than Haener and Rattler combined, with 20 games and 17 starts under his belt during his career. The Purdue product has proven to be a serviceable player in those contests, with O’Connell completing 62.6% of his passes for 3,830 yards and 20 touchdowns to 11 picks. Also bear in mind, O’Connell has been surrounded with lackluster supporting casts over two seasons.
Not only would O’Connell offer more competition for the room, he’d be the favorite to start over Haener and Rattler. He’d offer a solid bridge option for the Saints this season, and quite possibly a long-term solution, as he’s still only 26.
When it comes to trade compensation, O’Connell shouldn’t cost more than a sixth-round pick, and the Saints might be able to nab him for a seventh. That price would be worth it considering the precarious situation the Saints find themselves in.
MORE NFL NEWS
Saints-Shedeur Sanders rumor is great news for Steelers
Aaron Rodgers breaks silence amid free-agent waiting game
