Geno Smith trade is a calculated risk that can put Pete Carroll and the Raiders in a win-win situation
The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback and when looking at this draft class, as well as the free agency pool, the options are very limited.Which makes sense why Geno Smith is the franchise's new starting QB. You read that right: Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are trading one of their two third […]
The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback and when looking at this draft class, as well as the free agency pool, the options are very limited.
Which makes sense why Geno Smith is the franchise's new starting QB. You read that right: Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are trading one of their two third round draft picks for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
The Raiders were projected to pick at Nos. 68 and 73 in Round 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, so for what it's worth, the difference between either pick isn't too substantial. Regardless, it's been reported that the Raiders will give up pick No. 92 thanks to the Davante Adams-Jets trade from back in the regular season.
Pete Carroll is taking yet another calculated risk by believing in Geno Smith
Carroll is the reason Smith is here in the first place, which is a great sign for the Raiders. Smith is a clear upgrade over any/every quarterback option the Raiders had in 2024 and he's better than any option in this draft.
The acquisition of Smith not only gives the Raiders a viable plan at quarterback for 2025, but it also frees them up to take the best player available at No. 6, instead of taking a huge risk on a guy like Sheduer Sanders at quarterback.
However, at the same time, there's a legit argument to make that Smith needs a talented team around him to even warrant approaching a place in the top-12 quarterback discussion and it's clear that as of right now, the Raiders don't have anywhere near a competent roster on offense or defense to excuse the idea of paying Smith over $30 million in cash in 2025. However, Las Vegas can add void years to his contract and restructure things to lower the cap hit.
Therefore, if Smith doesn't live up to expectations, or even warrants bottom-half QB play in 2025, the Raiders should be in a good spot to get a good rookie QB in 2026, which would allow Carroll to max out the two years on his contract before his option year kicks in.
But, if he helps the team win games by playing at a high level, then he gives the Raiders a short-term future that's conducive to Carroll's pre-option timeline. And, most likely, the Raiders are in a top draft spot that includes much better QB prospects if things fall apart after 2025.
Either way, Smith could help the Raiders win a lot of unexpected games in 2025 and give folks hope. Or, he could flounder and give Las Vegas a top-5 pick in a much better QB draft. No matter what happens, it'll give the Raiders a solid path to take when it comes to turning things around.
