The Raiders’ 2025 season will come to a merciful end at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, but despite the team’s 2-14 record, has the season been a total failure?
Not necessarily, says Las Vegas Review-Journal insider Vinny Bonsignore, who believes this year might have been exactly what the organization needed.
“In the whole scheme of things, if we’re being straight up honest, it’s the best thing that could have happened to this organization. Finishing getting a top two pick and getting a quarterback,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate.
“Geno Smith has been a class act to us. And I know I’ve had plenty of conversations. I’ve got no problems with Geno Smith. I know that he didn’t deliver and that’s going to be on his resume and it’s created a lot of discord with the fans. I get it, he gets it, it’s the way life works. But he wasn’t the answer, the long-term answer,” Bonsignore continued.
“Nobody on this roster is the long-term answer at quarterback. The Raiders need a quarterback. We’ve been saying that for years. They’ve been on the outside looking in, in the draft, they’ve won meaningless games down the stretch in previous seasons that knocked them out of contention for one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. In the whole scheme of things, as painful as this season has been, and it’s probably going to cost people jobs, it’s literally the best thing that could have happened. Only because of now, you’re in position [to draft a quarterback]… and I think that’s going to be a game changer for this franchise.”
Everyone understands the quarterback situation in Las Vegas, but Bonsignore brought up another benefit to the 2025 season that hasn’t been mentioned as much.
Last year, the Raiders missed out on their top coaching candidates, in large part because they had not addressed the quarterback position.
This year, the Raiders can address the quarterback position (most likely) with the no. 1 pick or take the top pick and get a haul of premium picks from a team that wants Fernando Mendoza or possibly Dante Moore.
“It’s why they lost out on Ben Johnson last year,” Bonsignore said on the Vegas Nation First and 10 podcast. ‘Because he’s like, okay, ‘I like what you’re saying, Tom Brady. I got nothing against the Raiders and it seems like the leadership is in place and maybe good things are going to happen, but I need to know that I have a quarterback right now.'”
“It’s not Geno Smith and it’s not Aiden O’Connell at that point. I’m going to go to Chicago with Caleb Williams. If the Raiders end up with that asset, the number one pick overall, that’s really something that’s going to widen their net and increase the chances that they’re going to be able to lure a good coach over here who otherwise wouldn’t be interested in this job if that wasn’t.”
For what it’s worth, not everyone has been rooting for the Raiders to “earn” the no. 1 pick in the draft.
Raider Nation Radio host ‘JT the Brick’ has been in a months-long squabble with fans and content creators rooting against the team for the top draft pick.
The long-time Raiders’ host hasn’t wasted a second feeling good about Sunday’s loss.
Notably, JT said even owner Mark Davis was hoping the Raiders would beat the Giants on Sunday (below).
To be fair, there are different perspectives on the draft and rooting for/against your favorite team, but after years of winning meaningless games in December, is it time to focus on the bigger picture?
Sure, the mantra in Las Vegas is ‘Just Win Baby’ but the Raiders are an organization that chases Super Bowls, not toilet bowl wins in December with their Pro Bowl players injured on the sideline and/or shooting jumpers at home.
If the Raiders truly have the right people in place in ownership and in their personnel department, there’s no time better than the present to give them the most valuable resources possible going into what promises to be one of the most pivotal offseasons in team history.
x: @raidersbeat
I am beginning to believe that we should Trade Crosby if we can get 2 #1’s and Trade the First pick we have for at least 2 #1’s. If we are Going to Rebuild then Lets REBUILD!!! With a Few Hits in the Draft, a New YOUNG ambitious Head Coach and a Ton of Cap Space we could be competing in 2 – 3 Years. And I mean for a Championship!!! If, however, we Decide to take QB with Pick #1 chances are we will Kill him off and Destroy his Confidence with the Line we Have. AND no actual #1 quality wide Receiver on the roster… Hopefully a couple of Youngsters will develop but we need a Coaching staff that Knows How To Coach (TEACH)… If not we we be stuck in the same HellHole that we have been decending deeper into for a long Long Time. You know that this is the Trurth Vinster. And Mark had to trade in his raisins for Balls and Become Decisive and Disiplined. Mark – you have your Money now Get Some Wins!!!
Who do you recommend as qb? Please don’t say Aiden O’Connell. I have seen enough of him to know he is not the answer. I will go so far as to say he will be a perennial back up and bounce around the league maybe 7- 8 years
Vinny will give you some good stuff but this constant defense of Brady shows you what a shill he is.
Now he saying Brady’s horrible decisions were actually great for us. So the plan is to be way better & step up the standard by firing AP/Telesco yet since it’s all blown up on Brady’s face he’s actually awesome cuz his ineptitude got us a top over all pick.
Of course, he tells that Ben Johnson totally believed in Brady & the ownership group it’s just that there was no franchise quarterback, otherwise he’s dying to work for Brady.
We all Brady is a psychopathic liar so no wonder Vinny has to spread his BS
Vinny, I. Think the raiders need to draft a franchise qb. Forget trading the pick for more picks. They need a qb unless you’re saying Cam Miller is our franchise qb. Lastly I want to know why you or the other media always mention O’Connell but not a word about Cam Miller? He outplayed O’Connell during the preseason.
What guarantee is there that Mendoza will turn into a franchise QB? How does it benefit the Raiders to draft a QB and ignore building the O line? How does it benefit the Raiders to focus on just acquiring a QB and ignore all the other needs of the team?
The ONLY thing that Vinny got right is that this losing thing IS the best thing that could have possibly have happened to this team. NOW, a full scale reshaping must take place. So, let’s start with quarterback depth. My suggestions; go get Joshua Dobbs as the second string quarterback. He’s younger and more mobile than Geno and extremely battle tested. Next, go get Malik Willis as the starting quarterback. He’s young, mobile, plenty of upside and deserving of a starting role. Lastly, at the quarterback position, draft a young, mobile man with potential, who IS NOT under pressure to start right away. These moves will give the Raiders quarterback room plenty of experience, depth and longevity.
Next, the offensive line should be the priority. LOAD and I mean LOAD up on young bucks. Trade Kolton Miller for whatever they can get for him and start to heed Al Davis’ own edict; The greatness of the Raiders IS their future. After securing quarterback depth, NOTHING is more important than quarterback protection. Even current Raiders management can no longer ignore this. It’s all about priorities and anyone who saw last years Super Bowl knows that a substandard offensive line is what kept the Kansas City Chiefs from winning another Super Bowl.
THIS YEAR, those SHOULD BE the Raiders TOP TWO priorities. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the revitalization of this franchise won’t happen in one offseason either. Anyone who believes otherwise is delusional and only has to look at the past 10 years of the Raiders management teams attempts at quick fixes. It’s an old adage but it still rings true; slow and steady wins the race.
Additionally, get a couple of fullbacks who are tightend body types and USE them. In the past, Gruden almost killed Josh Jacobs through overuse. Don’t let that same thing happen to Ashton Genty. Learn from other’s past mistakes. On third and short, employ some common sense and fight bulk with bulk instead of killing your top flight runningback. It’s called THINKING. A bruising runningback in a tightend’s body is what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had in Mike Alstott, the San Francisco 49ers had in Tom Rathman, The Miami Dolphins had in Jim Kick. the Kansas City Chiefs had in Christian Okoye and the Dallas Cowboys had in Moose Johnston. Emulate tried, trusted, proven and successful practices.
One of the things that EVERY Raiders fan loved about Al Davis was the he WAS NOT passive. Al said that he wanted to dictate to other teams what the Raiders were going to do to them and NOT the other way around. Sadly, in my opinion, past Raiders coaches WERE NOT visionaries who knew how to dictate the narrative. THAT was what the Raiders did under Al Davis’ leadership. Not this passive, soft type of football that we see today. Instead of sucking up to keep their jobs and income, Raiders coaches need to buck up and push the envelope. That’s what Al did and while his flame remains the spirit of what he stood for has been lost. Al Davis said that he wanted to dominate, not just squeek by.
I’ve been a Raiders fan since 1968 and I remember a team that was hated by ALL and the envy of ALL other football teams and the GOLD standard that ALL OTHER football teams aspired to, with the possible exception of the Vince Lombardi lead Green Bay Packers. In my opinion, today’s coaches are soft and certainly don’t know how to control the narrative. John Madden said that he didn’t have a lot of rules but the ONE RULE that he did have was; “…play like Hell on Sunday.” Surely, THAT is MISSING from today’s Raiders with the notable exception of Maxx Crosby.
Fernando Mendoza Baby!
Anyone see that Miami/Ohio State game? Forget Mendoza, I want Reuben Bain Jr.
That’s a big “if” whether the right people are in place within the organization. Recent history says that they will screw this draft up with them having the first pick or the first five picks. It is going to be awfully difficult to reverse the large snowball that has formed and is screaming downhill. This once proud organization has gone from “Just Win Baby” to “We Hope Someday to Return to Prominence”. Wake me up if that ever happens and I’m still alive.