The Las Vegas Raiders are among the most polarizing organizations in the National Football League. Whether the team is good or bad, people care about the Raiders. After making one of the more notable offseason trades, there have been varying thoughts on their moves.
Las Vegas entered the offseason determined to add a quarterback via free agency, the NFL Draft, or possibly both. After trading for Geno Smith, it seems the Raiders may be less likely to use a top draft pick on a quarterback in a weak quarterback class.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with multiple league executives based on anonymity, and the execs did not hold back their thoughts on the Raiders. Overall, the Raiders' most notable offseason move seems to have been taken well, as they added a proven winner at quarterback.
“Getting Geno was as good as they could have done in their situation. They aren’t getting a quarterback they feel confident in where they are picking in the draft (No. 6). They get a guy who has won," the exec said.
Even with Smith's addition, the Raiders' roster needs as much help as possible heading into next season. Smith's ability to quickly gel with his new teammates will largely determine the Raiders' success next season.
“I don’t know if the rest of the team is going to be reflective of Geno’s ceiling this year, but I think they will win 8-9 games even if they are good around him, because of his inconsistency. That goes up if they can build a top-five defense.”
The Raiders hope a new start will lead to improved results next season or, at the very least, an improved team, even if the difference in wins is minimal. Las Vegas has had as good of an offseason as possible without overspending in free agency.
Las Vegas still has one of the top picks in the NFL Draft and plenty of picks to potentially find multiple starters once again. The new Raiders' front office has made moves with the long-term future of the organization in mind, which is all anyone can ask for.
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