The Las Vegas Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for their third-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. This move solves the quarterback problem for the Raiders and reunites him with his old head coach, Pete Carroll.
Smith fits in with the Silver and Black, in that his story thus far in the NFL has been that of an underdog. Despite being in the NFL for eleven seasons now, he’s just recently begun to see success after the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson, giving him the starting position.
In his final year with Seattle, he threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. He’ll feel right at home with Carroll taking over play-calling duties and being surrounded by a team that believes in him so much that they’re willing to trade for him.
The Raiders bring in a quarterback with hopes that it takes them out of the slump that they’ve been in the past couple of seasons. Who knows how much success Smith will find with the Raiders, but one thing should be certain for the team as they move forward with him as their starter.
Trading for Smith should not prohibit the Raiders from selecting a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft. Despite reports that the Raiders are looking to give Smith a long-term contract, Smith should not be part of the Raiders’ future.
He’ll be 35 by the time next season comes around, and they can’t expect his stellar play to continue forever. This move makes it unlikely they’ll draft a quarterback with the sixth overall pick, but it shouldn’t remove the possibility of them targeting a quarterback in later rounds.
If the Raiders are committed to Smith as their long-term option, they are committing themselves to a two-year window of contention, and this roster isn’t built to compete for a Super Bowl just yet. I believe this move brings them closer to a playoff berth, but in a loaded AFC, Smith is not moving the needle for this team.
What Smith and Carroll can do together is set a solid foundation for the next quarterback to come in and turn this franchise around into a successful situation. They could find their future in this year’s draft and have him be mentored by Smith, who knows all about the highs and lows of playing quarterback in the NFL.
Now that they’ve solved their quarterback problem, they can focus their high draft pick on another position of need. Does this mean Ashton Jeanty will be a Raider next season? On the other hand, does this open up room for them to target a running mate to pair alongside Christian Wilkins?