The Raiders will hire a new head coach within the next few weeks, and beyond that the expectation is that they will overhaul the roster through free agency and take University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the no. 1 pick in the draft.
From a coaching and roster standpoint, the overhaul coming to the Raiders is going to be as dramatic as any in franchise history.
Between now and April there will be no shortage of rumors around the Raiders and what they plan to do with the first pick in the draft – and for good reason, because they are going to have options.
Mendoza’s draft stock has skyrocketed in the last month and acquiring the first pick will require an unprecedented trade offer. With limited quarterback options in free agency and the draft, the Raiders are sitting on one of the most valuable draft picks in league history.
Most teams don’t have a quarterback that would match the potential upside of Mendoza, but there is a team that could be interested in a reset at quarterback and offer the Raiders a two-time league MVP.
With Lamar Jackson’s future in Baltimore a little unsteady, NBC host Mike Florio said there has been speculation in recent days that the Ravens and Raiders could end up discussing a trade that would send Jackson to Las Vegas.
“There are some who believe, and this was in the Mike Preston column about the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, and I have a feeling that Mike Preston has heard the same kind of things I have heard. There’s a feeling out there that the Raiders are going to make a play for Lamar. That that’s the big splash,” Florio said on PFT Live.
“Offer the first pick in the draft for Lamar Jackson. Before that they’ve got to hire a coach, but Tom Brady feels compelled to do something… this year people are expecting him to do something big.”
While it’s true that all eyes are on Brady to do something big for the Raiders in the offseason, he has the opportunity to do that by simply keeping the no. 1 pick.
The other detail that matters when referencing Preston’s column on Jackson is that it was posted on December 23. A lot has changed for both organizations since then.
The Ravens fired John Harbaugh on the sixth of January, and the Raiders have since secured the first-overall pick in the draft. Additionally, the no. 1 pick is worth a lot more today than most were thinking three weeks ago.
It might have been tempting for the Raiders to consider a move for Jackson a few weeks ago, but the bigger risk at the moment might by moving away from Mendoza.
By drafting Mendoza, Tom Brady and company would get at least three years on his rookie contract to build the remainder of the roster. Mendoza is seven years younger than Jackson and nothing about his play in the last few weeks would suggest he isn’t capable of being a league MVP someday, too.
There is still a lot of time before the Raiders need to make a decision on their next quarterback, but it’s hard to imagine Brady isn’t going to see some of his own traits in Mendoza.
Brady has always emphasized the mental side of playing quarterback and the importance of preparation.
Mendoza, it seems, is already preparing at a level many NFL quarterbacks haven’t matched.
During the second quarter of Indiana’s blowout win over Alabama, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit talked about Mendoza’s preparation and the work he puts into the mental aspect of playing the quarterback position in college.
“He would tell you a big part of his success this year has been the prep. He feels like he has the answers,” Herbstreit said before the broadcast went to sideline reporter Holly Rowe.
“He’s been working with a sports psychologist all year,” Rowe added.
“And he’s really worked lately on ‘I have the answers to the puzzle. I know where the puzzle pieces need to go.’ His preparation is legendary. Before he even got to Indiana, he asked for a sheet of every player’s name and a picture of them so that by the time he got to his very first meeting and his very first practice, he had memorized every single kid. So he stepped into the building knowing his teammates, being able to call them by their first names and the preparation is legendary, just like you said.”
Brady once talked about his “superpower” as a player, and his description of himself sounded a lot like what is being said now about Mendoza.
These were Brady’s comments last year on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, talking about preparing for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl…
“Friday night, I was just going through the film and I knew Kansas City’s defense better than they knew themselves,” Brady said. “I knew their body movements, the way their linebackers moved, the way their safeties moved – Tyrann Mathieu, Nick Sorensen, Charvarius Ward – I knew everything they were doing. I got on the field and I looked up as I got to the line of scrimmage and said, ‘OK, they’re blitzing.’ I was dealing with it right away. I walked up and I said, ‘OK, they’re going to bail to Cover 2.’ Ball was snapped, Cover 2.”
“It was like I had the answers to the test. That’s where I was great. That’s where my magic superpower was. It wasn’t how fast I could run. It was how fast I could diagnose what they were doing. What’s the special quality, what’s the internet speed of me as a quarterback? Fast as [expletive]. I was Starlink before Starlink.”
x: @raidersbeat
No Lamar,
Mendoza and build around him. Brady can do something big by dropping one
I certainly hope this is clickbait BS, it would be infinitely stupid and short sited. So, with this team’s history, it’s got a chance.
Please STOP! No Lamar. The team doesn’t need to continue with the quick fixes, they need to build thru the draft starting with Mendoza!
When I suggested the same thing, over a month ago, others on this site said “no way.” Now, according to this article, there are some who are considering the possibility. For what it’s worth, here’s my suggestion;
Ameer Abdullah, Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Robert Spillane, Demico Autry, Jacobi Meyers all did well for other teams, this year. These players were not the problem, Raiders “leadership” ( or more accurately the lack thereof) was. Tre Tucker’s and Michael Mayer’s “problems” ( lack of productivity ) are a direct result of the Raiders organization, most specifically, inconsistent offensive line play and inept quarterback play. If anyone doubts this then watch them, Tre Tucker and Michael Mayer, go to another team and be productive. The Raiders need, in addition to a competent offensive line, veteran quarterback depth, namely Malik Willis as the starter, Joshua Dobbs as the backup and a rookie, if that’s Mendoza so be it, who won’t be under pressure to start immediately. That’s how you add competent depth at this position.
Kolton Miller, Zamir White, Dillon Laube, Stone Forsythe, Tyree Wilson, Kenny Pickett, Geno Smith and Adian O’Connell all need to be let go. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to address the (not so) Special teams. The offensive line and Special Teams coaches could use a serious upgrade.
Surely, everyone agrees that this team has many needs and areas to address. This team is currently paying no less that four former head coaches and are in search of a fourth one, go figure. If this were a business. oh, it is a business, they would be guilty of mismanagement. But, back to fixing this team’s problems.
Like him or not, Antonio Pierce knew how to motivate players. He should be considered as the defensive coordinator. Also, while I believe that Brady’s insights about quarterback play are invaluable, he needs to focus his efforts in that department. Long ago, Al Davis hired a former offensive lineman as his head coach, John Madden. Perhaps Lincoln Kennedy should be added to the coaching staff. It’s not like he doesn’t know or understand offensive line play.
I hate this time of year, especially when you get these guy’s with they’re ABSURD thoughts and rumors. Lamar has been hurt the past 2 years. This shouldn’t even be a thought. If your not high on Mendoza, then continue to build, suck for another year, and grab a QB then.
Florio always tries to start stuff with the raiders he’s a pain in the butt!