Raiders mailbag: Fans have questions about Derek Carr’s successor

The Raiders officially moved on from quarterback Derek Carr when they released him Tuesday. Now the question becomes, who will replace the nine-year veteran who had spent his entire career with the franchise?

Raiders fans obviously want to know the answer.

Here’s a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:

Brian Catlin (@brian4catlin): Are the Raiders more likely to trade for a veteran quarterback or move up in the draft to get their guy?

Vincent Bonsignore: The Raiders’ best option might be to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, then draft their quarterback of the future.

Unkn0wn (@Wee_Bey78): I understand everyone wanting defense, but isn’t it backward to get defense first and then a quarterback? Better defense equals winning more games, and winning more games equals further away from drafting a franchise quarterback.

Bonsignore: The defense-first strategy is one the Seahawks followed and benefited from when they added Russell Wilson to a rebuilt, talented defense. The Rams did something similar to get to a Super Bowl with Jared Goff and then win one with Matthew Stafford. The last thing anyone should be thinking about is losing games to better their draft position. It never works out when teams put draft position over building a talented roster.

Mike (Mars) Van Elgort (@MarsMVE): Why not trade for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones? He knows the system, would cost less in draft capital, is much cheaper and still has upside over other options.

Bonsignore: It feels as if the Patriots’ addition of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who briefly crossed paths with Jones at Alabama, is a strong sign they are banking on O’Brien being the right coach to get Jones to his ceiling. In other words, Jones most likely isn’t available in a trade.

GSW Discussion (@gswdiscussion): What would the Bears want for Justin Fields if they decide to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick?

Bonsignore: A first- and third-round pick.

Skeletor (@Grimside6): What do you think the chances are for the Raiders to bring in Aaron Rodgers, and, if not, what about Jimmy Garoppolo or Mac Jones?

Bonsignore: Less than rolling with Jarrett Stidham and drafting a young prospect.

Bryan Cuevas (@Breezzy90s): What are the Raiders going to do to prevent the Chiefs from winning the next Super Bowl in Las Vegas?

Bonsignore: The best thing the Raiders can do is make sound decisions that help them build the best possible roster to compete with the Chiefs and everyone else.

barrio riffa (@BarrioRiffa): What will be a successful season in 2023?

Bonsignore: Depends on who the quarterback is, but if it’s Jarrett Stidham or a rookie, a minimum of nine wins and improvement on defense.

Brandon Taylor (@Brandon62499779): Is it reasonable with the defensive problems they have for the Raiders to spend a significant amount of cap and draft capital for Aaron Rodgers?

Bonsignore: That’s the question the Raiders are pondering. To predict their answer: no.

Sean Fuentes (@trooper91): I’ve heard all the talk about a “package deal” between Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels. But Ziegler has to take stock of this year and not from a friend’s standpoint. How close are Ziegler and McDaniels from a GM/coach perspective and does Ziegler have the chops to move away from McDaniels and stay as the general manager if owner Mark Davis demanded it?

Bonsignore: The prevailing sense is everyone in the building understands the importance of being problem solvers rather than finger pointers, and that the bulk of the Raiders’ issues is related to years of bad decision-making relative to personnel. McDaniels and Ziegler will get time to build a viable roster.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.