Raiders Working to Trade for Vikings QB Sam Darnold: Report

With Matthew Stafford's future with the Los Angeles Rams secured, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is once again the belle of the ball ahead of free agency.

Appearing confident to move onto J.J. McCarthy next season, the Vikings must find a trade suitor for Darnold before the franchise tag window closes on March 4. If Minnesota cannot find a trade partner, they will likely refuse to tag Darnold and let him walk to what is expected to be a competitive free agency.

Fortunately for the Vikings, Stafford staying in Los Angeles has put the pressure on teams to make a move for the 27-year-old quarterback -- including the Las Vegas Raiders.

Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline reported on March 1 that Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is pushing to trade for Darnold.

"After losing out on Matthew Stafford, what will the Las Vegas Raiders do next? ... People close to Sam Darnold tell me that Raiders coach Pete Carroll will work to make a move to acquire the quarterback from the Vikings," Pauline wrote. "As has been reported elsewhere, Minnesota is seriously considering a tag-and-trade option with Darnold, similar to what the Packers did with Davante Adams just a few years ago before the Raiders acquired the receiver."

Pauline noted that there are rumors Las Vegas could try to trade up for a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick. However, it's a thin quarterback draft class that may only see Cam Ward selected in the first round -- and there are many more teams desperate for a quarterback.

The New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Raiders are all teams that have been linked to Darnold in some fashion ahead of free agency.

Carroll has stated that he does not want to have a rebuilding year in his tenure with the Raiders and wants to win now. 

"Y'all wondering about timelines and stuff like that. It took us a few years to get to the very top of the last couple of programs I was with," Carroll said in his introductory news conference. "We're starting right now going for it immediately. We don't have some timeline five or six years down the road. That's not what we're thinking. We're going to start right now. We've got to go after it and build this team as quickly as we can."

The rookie quarterback route could be a counterintuitive move for Carroll considering his goal to be competitive now.

A handshake deal must be done before 4 p.m. ET this Tuesday so the Vikings can apply the franchise tag to Darnold.