Teams have become much less patient when developing young quarterbacks. One of the biggest projects at quarterback to be a first-round pick in the last several years was Anthony Richardson.
NFL teams got excited about him because he’s built like Cam Newton and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash. He also has a massive arm. This is why the Indianapolis Colts drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he only threw 393 passes in college.
After just two seasons that were marred by injuries, the Colts appear to have already given up on Richardson. It was recently announced that he lost the battle for the starting job to Daniel Jones.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that his career in Indianapolis is over, but it’s hard to imagine the Colts wouldn’t entertain trades offer for him. If he’s going to go somewhere else, it makes sense for him to join a strong offensive coach and a team with a veteran quarterback he can learn behind.
Seattle Seahawks beat writer, who is very familiar with Pete Carroll, Corbin Smith, believes that the Las Vegas Raiders could be the perfect team to trade for Richardson.
“I could absolutely see the Raiders trying to trade for Anthony Richardson to work with him behind Geno Smith,” Smith wrote on X.
“Pete Carroll has been a fan for a long time. And Pete has a pretty good track record with his staff of turning the careers around for QBs.”
Does Richardson Fit With Raiders?
There was a lot of talk about how the Raiders wanted to draft a quarterback to learn behind in this year’s draft, but they waited until the sixth round to select Cam Miller. Miller has made some plays in the preseason, but he doesn’t have nearly the upside as a player as Richardson.
The Raiders might be the perfect place for Richardson to try and reset his career. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly almost certainly won’t be leaving for the next couple of years, and Geno Smith would be a great quarterback to learn behind.
It’s no secret that Carroll loves players with elite physical traits, and there aren’t many more quarterbacks in the NFL who are more athletic than Richardson. He needs a lot of work, but the Raiders have the infrastructure in place to help guide him in the right direction.
Can Richardson Ever Live up to Draft Status?
The biggest concern with Richardson is that the Colts have an offensive guru head coach in Shane Steichen, and he hasn’t been able to unlock the quarterback’s potential. It’s on the board that Richardson just doesn’t have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.
He’s big, runs fast and can throw the ball to the moon, but he has serious accuracy issues that are usually difficult to overcome. Perhaps sitting behind a proven quarterback like Smith will be what he needs, but even if the Raiders took a flyer on him, there’s no guarantee it would lead to anything substantial in the future.
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