Raiders’ franchise-changing decision has never been clearer to Tom Brady and John Spytek than it became Monday Night
The Raiders have to love what they saw from Fernando Mendoza.
One of the most important decisions in the Las Vegas Raiders’ history is coming soon. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Raiders must choose: Do they finally take their franchise QB in Fernando Mendoza? Or do they pass, hoping to get a better QB next year and trade the pick for a bigger haul?
On Monday night, GM John Spytek and owners Mark Davis and Tom Brady may have found their answer more clearly than ever.
Raiders brass watched Mendoza win a National Championship in Miami
On Monday, the Raiders brass — Spytek, Davis, and Brady — traveled to Miami primarily to conduct head coaching interviews. While in Miami, they also watched the National Championship game. If there was ever a tell that the Raiders would draft Mendoza, it was Monday night.
Davis stared at Mendoza from the back of the end zone throughout pre-game warmups, while Brady and Spytek followed him closely from the sideline. This is not something they would be doing so closely and publicly if they didn’t at least intend to draft Mendoza.
That’s not even what made it clear for the Raiders — it was what Mendoza did. He won a National Championship against his childhood team in his hometown. He also willed his team to victory. His fourth-down run in the fourth quarter was stunning. Some would call that cinema, and the Raiders brass must have loved every second.
That’s not the type of thing Brady would have done as a quarterback. As we all know, he didn’t have much mobility. However, he would do whatever it took to win the championship. That’s what Mendoza did.
The Raiders need a quarterback like that. While I’m kind of split on whether they should draft him or wait, what he did Monday night was so impressive. It’s even more impressive that he did it in front of the Raiders. He had a pretty decent game, all things considered.
If the Raiders hesitated about drafting Mendoza before, they feel sure now.
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