5 trades that will give Josh Rosen the fresh start he needs

4. Las Vegas Raiders

It’s a matter of when, not if, the Raiders move on from Derek Carr. If there had been a good trade offer out there for him this offseason, they may be going with free agent signing Marcus Mariota and/or a drafted rookie this year. Head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock both loved Mariota in their previous lives as analysts during the pre-draft run-up back in 2015, and if he gets a chance to play at lot this season Mariota can cash in very nicely.

Simply put, the Raiders can go a lot of directions at quarterback for 2021 and beyond. Aaron Rodgers? Russell Wilson? Mariota? Someone they draft next April? The only thing that feels certain, barring a playoff appearance or a deep playoff run this year, is the quarterback won’t be Carr next year.

Gruden took over as Raiders’ head coach in 2018, so he was not evaluating quarterback prospects for ESPN. But here’s some of what Mayock had to say after Rosen’s Pro Day, as part of his work for NFL Network.

“I thought he threw the ball beautifully. By the way, not a surprise,” Mayock said. “The most natural thrower in the draft. Clear feet. Clear vision. He’s beautiful.”

Mayock was not hired as Raiders’ general manager until after the 2018 season. He clearly liked Rosen as a prospect though, even with some concern about his durability, and the sample of play Rosen has put out for the Cardinals and Dolphins has to be put into proper context.

Among the plethora of quarterback options out there for the Raiders going forward, Rosen is an easy, under the radar addition to the list.