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Klint Kubiak & John Spytek of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders got some good insight into their quarterback room during OTAs, but the real competition doesn’t start until training camp. Kirk Cousins appears to be the leader in the clubhouse right now, but Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell.

Mendoza was the No. 1 pick, and O’Connell has started his fair share of games. Plus, new head coach Klint Kubiak recently said that O’Connell is still in the mix to start.

However, he’s not going to be the long-term starter with Mendoza on the roster. If O’Connell keeps playing well, it would make sense to trade him before he likely walks in free agency next year. The Athletic’s Sam Warren sees the logic in possibly trading O’Connell.

“Trading O’Connell now definitely makes sense,” Warren wrote. “He said his goal is to be a long-time starter in the NFL, which won’t happen in Las Vegas. He’s entering the last year of his rookie contract; for the Raiders, it’s the last chance to get something for him before O’Connell would likely leave in free agency.

“But Spytek and the new staff like O’Connell. And if they plan on taking Fernando Mendoza’s development as slowly as it appears, O’Connell gives the Raiders the luxury to not call on Mendoza should Cousins get injured or play poorly. While O’Connell wouldn’t necessarily like being the de facto third quarterback, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was kept around in Vegas as an insurance policy, at least to start the season.”

Could O’Connell Be a Long-Term Backup?

O’Connell wants to be a long-term starter somewhere, but that’s easier said than done. A fourth-round pick having a long career as a backup is also a pretty good gig.

Cousins is going to be 38 this season, and it’s hard to imagine he wants to spend the next few years as Mendoza’s backup. It’s possible he’ll be one-and-done in Las Vegas.

Mendoza is supposed to be the long-term starter, but it’s becoming more and more important to have a strong backup. O’Connell could theoretically be that player for the Raiders. He’ll likely want to see what’s out there during free agency, but if no starting job comes around, re-signing with the Raiders could be his best career move.

Mendoza Talks Relationship With Cousins

O’Connell will likely continue to fly under the radar, as Cousins and Mendoza are both big talking points in the media. The Raiders were very intentional with their decision to sign Cousins.

He’s the perfect quarterback to help with the development of Mendoza. So far, the relationship between the two quarterbacks has been very strong.

“He Kirk [Cousins] is definitely helping me a lot,” Mendoza said. “He has been in this offense before. So, he already has a little bit of an upper hand in a sense where he has been able to teach the other quarterbacks and have experience with the plays, not just in practice, not just in scrimmages, but in actual games. He sees how these plays have played out. He has had experience with Coach Kubiak, which has been so interesting to see.”