Answering Your Las Vegas Raiders Questions & Emails

The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most followed franchises in professional sports, and each week we answer questions from their fans.

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders stand out worldwide for having the most rabid and loyal fans in professional sports.

Each week we answer your questions and emails, so let's get started:

Hondo, I've got a great idea, and it is a rumor I am hearing from someone connected. Dave Ziegler is trying to trade Derek Carr to the New Orleans Saints for the rights to Sean Payton. What do you think of that? --S. Curtis

I think whoever told you it is NOT only NOT connected, but if you believe it or see it in any way relevant, you are not up on things.  Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels are a package deal. Ziegler is not the GM had he not been able to deliver McDaniels.

Hondo, I have heard something from someone that I feel would know.  They said that they will keep him as the backup when the Raiders aren't able to trade Derek Carr. Appreciate your work. -- Paul T.

Again, you are welcome to listen to anyone you want to.  The Raiders are NOT paying $40 million for a backup quarterback. The Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders ship has sailed.

Hey Hondo, I'm all for cleaning up the slop; however, it's counterintuitive to take the "bad boys" of the NFL and turn them into drones. Jacksonville goes from worst to here. Raiders go from 10-6 to here. --Jason C.

You make some fair points, but you forget that Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler also have a boss. If their boss wants Tom Brady, they don't have a lot of options.

Hondo, I was thrilled to see in your last question and answers article about the possibility of the Raiders going with a rookie. I was also shocked to know that you don't think any of the non-rookie options, in your opinion, are not better than Derek Carr. My question is, what rookie QB do you like? --Jason H.

Not done with my evaluations and research, but thank you for reading.

HI Hondo, I always listen and read your Q&A, and really shocked about the hate mail directed toward you, the coaches, and DC. I am a die-hard Raiders fan, but I still get shocked at the personal attacks on people. My question would be, how much does Mark Davis care about winning? Was this season really hard on him like it was for Al? They said Al took it really hard. Thanks again for all that you do to keep us informed. --Sincerely, J. Niazi

I think that this is a brilliant question. I think it matters to Davis greatly. He has had two coaches take his team to the NFL Playoffs, and he fired them both. Was that a good move? You can debate it both ways, but at least he was doing what he thought was best moving in that direction. Is he a football guy like Al? No, but that doesn't mean that winning doesn't matter to him.

Wouldn't it make more sense to stay at seven, and if Skoronski and or Johnson Jr. are both still there, which is likely, trade down a pick or two and use the draft capital to take either of those or drop a few more places and take Broderick Jones, then bundle a couple of picks to try and land Anthony Richardson as a QB to sit and learn the system, and roll with Stidham. --Rob Roy Douglas, Reno, Nev.

I have previously reported that they have not yet shown a penchant for Jarrett Stidham as a starter. I know that the Raiders have spent much time looking at Peter Skoronski and that they love him. Do they love others more? I am not sure right now, but if the Raiders can trade back, pick up additional picks, and still get Skoronski in this draft, that would be a superior trade.

Hi Hondo, I enjoy your work and respect your views. Here's my question--Does Mark Davis realize he alone (with a little help from his upper management team) is responsible for all these disappointing Raiders seasons? Gruden did indeed have to go, but generally speaking, it can't be 3-years-then-playoffs-then-fired any longer.  Have a nice day. --Kevin C.

I have previously reported that Mark Davis was embarrassed and angry about the season. He is well aware that Raiders fans are unhappy, and he is unhappy.

Hey Hondo...like your work & honesty...any scenario that Carr stays with the Raiders? They want a QB who uses legs. Is Brady getting younger & going to morph into Steve Young or Mike Vick? --G. Merriweather

No.

Hello Hondo, how many fans do you think the Raiders will lose if Brady comes to Vegas? There are so many other better options out there. Why take the Raider Nemesis of the Tuck Rule and Deflate Gate as your go-to guy? Lamar Jackson and Jimmy Garoppolo, just to name a couple right off the bat, are better options and more in line with a Raider Nation mentality. --Bob B, Raider fan since 1973

Jimmy Garoppolo, in my opinion, is not an upgrade. To get him and not keep Derek Carr makes zero sense. Unlike Carr, they are very similar players, but Garoppolo is always injured.

I love Lamar Jackson, but his style is 100 percent different than what Josh McDaniels runs. Why bring in Josh and a Lamar who doesn't run his system? Don't get me wrong, Jackson is ELITE, but he doesn't play like Josh's system dictates.

As far as losing fans, if Brady comes here and wins, many people who say they would quit won't. Every election, people on both sides of the political spectrum say they would leave if their party doesn't win, and no one does.

Would they lose some? Yes, but I think they would gain far more. This may hurt, but I don't think they care. They will do what they feel is best and live with it.

Hondo, would you give a percentage of what you think the likely hood is of the Raiders being able to trade Derek Carr before they have to cut him? --Tom F.

Great question. 65 percent.

Thank you for all you do, Hondo. Reading your articles is the highlight of my week. To what extent is Derek's sensitivity going to diminish his market? --Robert K.

I appreciate your question. I don't think Derek is overly sensitive, so let me explain. Jon Gruden, and I think I made this clear, was brutal on Derek, but the brunt of it was in private. Not all, but the brunt. I don't think Josh was nearly as brutal, but I believe Josh was much more detailed in his criticism, and it was almost all in front of the team. In the opinion of the people I spoke to, they didn't feel like Derek appreciated that. No one ever said he was soft, just not how it was delivered. Years ago, someone taught me: "It isn't what you say, but how and where you say it that matters." Derek has a market, and he is highly respected around the league.

Hondo, will the Raiders try to address the crowd mix with huge visiting team representation? --Tom & Maryann M.

At the end of 2021, you saw a very pro-Raiders crowd. The team can't do anything to stop people from selling their tickets. Nothing. If the Raiders win, Raider Nation will be there. This issue isn't the crowd, don't make it about that.

The issue is a losing team and a fan base that is spending a lot of money for a loser, so they are attempting to recoup their losses.

If the Raiders strike out on their top 3 QBs they are chasing, are they going into rebuild mode? --Andrew Q.

If the Raiders go with a rookie they are not concerned about, they can deliver immediately, and they can convince Davante of that, fine. They are in trouble if they go with a rookie who doesn't produce or can't convince Davante of that. Davante is more popular with the fans than Mark Davis, Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels. If he wants out, they are in for a fan reaction that would be massive. Davis, Ziegler and McDaniels said this was not a rebuild. If Davante wants out, it is because he doesn't want to be part of a rebuild, and that is what he sees coming.

Hondo--Thank you for all the outstanding effort you put into your work; it shows. Dave Z has been on the record several times stating that he wants to build a sustainable winning team and build this thing long term. If that's true, wouldn't signing Brady be the exact opposite of that thought process? Am I crazy for thinking that Dave and Josh only want to sign Brady to please Mark and buy them more time? --Thanks, Sam M.

Perhaps you are thinking in the wrong paradigm. Let me explain. If Tom Brady wants to be a Raider, he will be. While I think Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels think this team can win quickly and do it with Tom Brady, their owner also believes that. Mark Davis owns this franchise. His voice IS THE LOUDEST in the room.

I wrote about this extensively in the past, so I would suggest you read that.

Hondo, I respect that you have been saying this for weeks, but I have a quick question. Do you still think the Raiders would trade players other than Derek Carr this off-season? --Trent B.

As you mentioned, I have stated this, and yes, 100 percent they would.

If you have a question that you would like to have answered, you can send us that question at SpartanNationMail@yahoo.com and put Raiders Q&A in the subject line.

The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. On March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. During that time, starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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