Aidan O'Connell is already working on his mobility and throwing on the run at Raiders OTAs
The Las Vegas Raiders ended the 2023-24 season just shy of the postseason. Their offense struggled, scoring 19 points per game, the 10th worst in the league, according to Team Rankings. Meanwhile, the defense was the side of the ball that rose to the occasion when their names were called, as they allowed just 19 […]
The Las Vegas Raiders ended the 2023-24 season just shy of the postseason. Their offense struggled, scoring 19 points per game, the 10th worst in the league, according to Team Rankings. Meanwhile, the defense was the side of the ball that rose to the occasion when their names were called, as they allowed just 19 points per game, good enough for seventh-best in the NFL. With the coaching and the play of Jimmy Garoppolo, the offense was unbearable.
Raiders owner Mark Davis, seeking a turnaround, made a pivotal decision. He dismissed Josh McDaniels midway through the season. Although the offensive side of the ball had already suffered, with the Raiders averaging 22 points per game under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who was appointed as the head coach for the 2024 season just last week, the change in leadership was a clear signal of the team's determination to improve.
In a standout performance in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders scored 63 points, with two touchdowns from the defense. However, this did little to bolster the offense's case. Recognizing the need for change, Antonio Pierce is overhauling the offensive coaching staff and considering a change at quarterback for the next season. These strategic moves aim to strengthen the team's offensive capabilities.
With the offense taking a minor step under Pierce and Aidan O'Connell, more still needed to be done. The Raiders brought in a new coaching staff member, Gardner Minshew, to battle for the starting quarterback spot and weapons around their two quarterbacks. Now that his rookie year was out of the way, O'Connell needed to have a huge offseason. He now knows what to expect and has started putting in major work.
His biggest flaw last season, and really his whole career, was the use of his feet. He's not very mobile, his pocket awareness wasn't the best, and he can't really throw on the run. While the Raiders kicked off Week 2 of OTAs this last week, it was pretty clear he had been working on some of his biggest deficiencies.
If O'Connell can get significantly better in those areas, there is no telling what he will be able to do in 2024. But, it's clear he is working on it.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell not phased with potential position competition
The Raiders will likely take one in the draft.
