When news came a week ago Friday that the Las Vegas Raiders would acquire Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, the tie that pushed that move was clear. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had Smith as his starting quarterback during his final two years as Seattle Seahawks head coach, and the two clearly had a good relationship.
Smith of course brings credibility and competence to the the quarterback position for the Raiders, which they simply have not had the last couple seasons. They seem set to treat him like their quarterback for the foreseeable future, with a market value contract extension separate from the possibility (if not likelihood) a quarterback will be drafted in April.
It's clear Carroll wanted Smith, so the deal got done in based on his having a long-running past relationship with Seahawks general manager John Schneider. Contract talks between the Seahawks and Smith had also apparently not gone well over the course of the week leading up to the trade, so Seattle was ready to pivot.
Raiders' acquisition of Geno Smith came with natural approval from Tom Brady
Leaving aside any invitation of conflict with his job as a game analyst for FOX during the season, minority owner Tom Brady will have influence over everything the Raiders do. Any acquisition of a quarterback would naturally be high on that list this offseason, and as Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported Brady gave his stamp of approval on the trade for Smith after Carroll initially drove the move.
"After striking out on Stafford and learning that Smith was quietly available, Pete Carroll started talking to his friend from his Seattle days, Seahawks GM John Schneider."
"Smith, sources say, requested a trade last Thursday night following four days of unsuccessful contract negotiations. Simply put, Seattle was never going to get to the number Smith wanted. Carroll, with a "major sign-off from Tom Brady," as one source familiar with the negotiations said, pulled the trigger Friday evening to land his former quarterback."
Smith would of course not be the Raiders quarterback unless Carroll wanted him. Though it may have only been the final push to get it done, Brady approving of Smith/the trade was easy to presume as a prominent part of the equation and Schultz confirmed it.
