Raiders GM Dave Ziegler discusses reason behind $72,750,000 Jimmy Garoppolo signing after Derek Carr’s departure - “It made a lot of sense” 

In the off-season, the Las Vegas Raiders released quarterback Derek Carr and replaced him with Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo was an unrestricted free agent after his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a three-year $72.5 million contract with Las Vegas as they decided to replace a veteran with another veteran.

Raiders' general manager Dave Ziegler, who worked with Garoppolo in New England, spoke about his familiarity with Garoppolo and his quarterback characteristics as reasons why the team signed him.

Via SI Sports, Ziegler told JT the Brick:

“We obviously had some prior experience with Jimmy when he was a young player in New England, and so we knew some of what the DNA of Jimmy was. His competitive spirit, his drive, his ability to lead, which are all super important characteristics of a successful quarterback, and he was obviously in a different system for some time."

"So we were able to see how he grew as a player, see how he grew as a decision maker and all the skill sets that go along with being a quarterback."

"And so, as we started to evaluate the quarterback position this offseason, obviously it made a lot of sense from the beginning, from our prior experience to him and what we believe he brings to a team. And so, for us, it didn’t take much to decide to pull the trigger once we went through that process.”

Garoppolo will also be reuniting with Josh McDaniels, as he was a former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

Can the Raiders become a playoff team in 2023 under Garoppolo's leadership?

Last season, the Los Angeles Chargers were placed second with a 10-7 record, while the Kansas City Chiefs won the division with a 14-3 record. It will be challenging for the Raiders to win the division, given the Chiefs are one of the best teams and the defending Super Bowl champions.

The AFC has many competitive teams and divisions, such as the AFC North and the AFC East, and it would be tough for the Raiders to make the playoffs this season.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit SI.com, Dave Ziegler, and H/T Sportskeeda.