The Las Vegas Raiders had been one of many groups most in want of a quarterback heading into the 2025 offseason, and they’re working to fill that hole by hanging a commerce with the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith on Friday evening.
In change for Smith, the Raiders are sending a third-round draft choose again to Seattle.
Within the quick time period, it is smart for the Raiders. Smith is a transparent improve over what that they had on the place, and he has a historical past with new head coach Pete Carroll. That is the excellent news.
The unhealthy information is it nonetheless leaves the Raiders with some critical long-term query marks on the place, and that would be the case whether or not they re-sign Smith past this season or not.
Signing him or not signing can each create its personal set of points.
Let’s begin with the tough actuality that whereas Smith is a transparent improve over the Gardner Minshew-Aidan O’Connell duo the Raiders had been utilizing a yr in the past, he’s a step under the top-tier quarterbacks within the NFL.
Smith is nice. Possibly even, at instances, excellent. He did a stable job resurrecting his profession in Seattle after being a backup for many of his profession and turning himself into an above-average starter.
The Raiders will not be an above-average quarterback away from contending. Nonetheless, their lineup has important holes, and Smith won’t be sufficient to fill all and even a few of them. With a greater supporting forged than he may have in Las Vegas, the Seahawks have been solely a nine-win crew the previous two seasons.
Suppose they re-sign him, which they’re reportedly enthusiastic about doing to make him their quarterback of the longer term. In that case, they may be a contract north of $40 million, given the going price of beginning quarterback contracts within the NFL. That might be a giant chunk of cash for a quarterback which may not be a participant that may get them nearer to competition. It may be a detriment to their long-term wage cap.
