Raiders trade proposal would send $180 million former Pro Bowler to Las Vegas - suong

The Las Vegas Raiders have a crucial offseason ahead, as the franchise will be hiring a new head coach and general manager in the next few weeks and will look to rebuild a roster that posted a 4-13 record in 2024 and lost ten straight games at one point.

One position that desperately needs an overhaul in Las Vegas is quarterback. Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew served as the team's starters at the position for most of the year, and neither is capable of being a franchise signal caller.

The Raiders will have a hard time selecting a quarterback in April's draft, as Las Vegas owns the No.6 overall pick, and there are multiple quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the draft order, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans.

The Raiders may have to sign or trade for a veteran to address the position this offseason, and Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton proposes a deal that would send Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins to Las Vegas and cornerback Jack Jones and a 2025 fourth-round pick to Atlanta.

Because the Raiders don't have a pick high enough to draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, Cousins may feel confident that he would start for at least a full season over O'Connell, Minshew and possibly a Day 2 rookie signal-caller. In Las Vegas, Cousins could start for two to three years as the bridge-gap signal-caller while the coaching staff develops a talent in a backup role.

The Raiders could add Jack Jones to the deal to bolster their bid. Jones struggled in coverage this past season, giving up eight touchdowns, but he also made plays on the ball. As a first-time full-time starter in his three-year career, he recorded 16 pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick-six.

Cousins had a rough 2024 campaign with the Falcons, as the four-time Pro Bowler tossed just 18 touchdowns in 14 starts and was tied for the league lead in interceptions with 16. The 2012 fourth-round pick was benched prior to the team's Week 16 contest versus the New York Giants in favor of rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., who finished the season for Atlanta.

The Raiders need a quarterback, but trading for Cousins isn't the answer. The 36-year-old is in the final stages of his career and still has three years left on a $180 million contract he signed last offseason.

If Cousins is released by the Falcons, then signing the veteran to a low-risk, high-reward contract in free agency would be understandable. But giving away draft capital and a starting-level cornerback in Jones for a signal caller who is past his prime and on a lucrative contract would be a foolish move by Las Vegas.