The Las Vegas Raiders set themselves up for success by trading for Geno Smith, and while he isn't a viable long-term option, he raises the floor of their offense significantly better than any other quarterback on their roster could.
Not only is he more talented, but he's also reunited with a head coach who is confident in his abilities and already has a connection with Pete Carroll. Pair that with a workhorse running back in Ashton Jeanty, and Smith has all the tools he needs to orchestrate a successful offense for the Silver and Black.
Chris Trapasso is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he recently published an article discussing what each team's new quarterback brings to their team. For the Raiders, he believes Smith brings an excellent schematic fit alongside new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
"Smith indisputably raises the floor of Las Vegas' passing offense, from many perspectives. It can be much more of a threatening three-level attack, and his accuracy should equate to much more efficiency moving the football through the air.
What's also potentially incredibly fun about his pairing with the Raiders and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly -- at West Virginia, Smith excelled in an up-tempo, spread-based Air Raid-style offense, which is comparable to what Kelly utilized at Oregon to rise to football-coaching prominence a few years before Smith entered the NFL",
Not only will Smith be able to hand the ball off to Jeanty and let him cook, but he also has one of the best tight ends in the NFL, with Brock Bowers. A lot of his last year with the Seattle Seahawks felt like their offense solely relied on Smith and his capabilities, which led to their offense eventually flaming out in the regular season.
Coming off a season where they only won four games, the Raiders are expected to make a small jump, and if Smith continues his stellar play, I think they are a team that can surpass people's expectations for them.
Even if they can't make a playoff push with Smith, they drafted Cam Miller in the 2025 draft, and he has the potential to be their starter one day. However, the Raiders should strive as best they can next season to be as competitive as possible, taking advantage while their top offensive players are still under their rookie contracts.
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