Raiders mailbag: Could Dak Prescott end up in Las Vegas in 2025?

The Raiders open training camp July 21 in Costa Mesa, California, and fans have plenty of questions.

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

Matt Berger (@matt_berger): I heard the national media say that the Raiders have “all but reserved a locker for Dak Prescott in 2025.” Do you give this any value?

Vincent Bonsignore: Short of Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew decisively establishing themselves as the Raiders’ long-term starting quarterback, it behooves the club to be on the lookout for an upgrade after the season.

The Raiders wanted to move up in the NFL draft to secure Louisiana State quarterback Jayden Daniels, even with Minshew and O’Connell on the roster. That emphatically says they are seeking to secure their long-term face of the franchise.

There is no question that Prescott represents a massive upgrade over Minshew and O’Connell. He is a bona fide top-10 quarterback coming off a season in which he finished second in MVP voting. If he and the Cowboys can’t come to terms on a new contract, and he’s available on the open market, the Raiders most likely would be interested in signing him.

JGinWV (@JGinWV): Should the Raiders sign a cornerback before training camp?

Bonsignore: Jakorian Bennett and Brandon Facyson head to camp as the main competitors to win a starting job opposite Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs. The Raiders feel good about that battle producing a valued starter. That said, someone such as Stephon Gilmore, for the right price, makes a lot of sense.

Kenny Nauta (@kennynautajr): It felt as if Josh McDaniels’ offense would never audible into different plays when he was coaching the team. Does offensive coordinator Luke Getsy give his quarterbacks the freedom to change plays if they see something they don’t like from the defense?

Bonsignore: That was a bit overplayed. The Raiders quarterbacks always had multiple options to turn to at the line of scrimmage depending on the defense. In terms of going off script to call an entirely new play, that only comes with experience in the offense. O’Connell or Minshew probably will go to the line of scrimmage with offsets based on the original call to better attack the defensive formation.

B2Grizzly (@brian4catlin): How confident are you that the young guys in the defensive backfield take another step? Can this group become elite or do the Raiders need to grab a veteran?

Bonsignore: It’s really just the starting perimeter job and the rotational roles that are cause for mild concern. Otherwise, this secondary is set at cornerback and safety. Between Bennett and Facyson, the Raiders should have an adequate starter and fourth cornerback. If so, this entire unit has a chance to be good.

Rick Honig (@RickHHonigII): Will the team make a change for the kickoff play that swaps out kicker Daniel Carlson for another player? Maybe sign a rugby player to handle the play?

Bonsignore: Based on minicamp, the Raiders will give some position players a chance to show they can handle kickoff duties in order to protect Carlson. As far as devoting a roster spot to a designated kicker, that seems unlikely.

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