Geno Smith is the new starting quarterback in Las Vegas and the reaction from fan base has been a mixed bag since the Raiders gave a third-round pick (no. 92 overall) to the Seahawks for the 34-year-old veteran quarterback.
Smith is a respected quarterback in the league, but his career in the NFL didn’t take off until three years ago and he’s coming away from a 2024 season where he threw 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Those are numbers that require an explanation, and a few have been brought up in the days since the trade. In short, the majority of analysts would say Seattle was far from a quarterback-friendly environment.
But for Raider fans who aren’t sure what to make of the trade, it sounds like the consensus among the NFL community is that the Raiders made out like bandits in the deal.
In a Tuesday appearance on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate, Yahoo and FOX Sports host Jason Fitz talked about the trade and shared feedback he has gotten from his connections around the league.
“I got such negative feedback from it, that I went to every person, every single person from ESPN, from FOX Sports, people I know that have worked in the league, people I know that work at NFL Films,” Fitz said. “I went to every person in my phone book, and I said, what am I missing? And I had one incredibly respected person come back and say, ‘If Raiders fans don’t like this, they’re idiots.’”
“I’m telling you right now, did Pete Carroll become stupid? That’s my question to Raiders fans. If you believe Pete Carroll is stupid, then just stop watching the games this year… He provided a quarterback he knows, that he’s seen. They did the tape evaluation because he’s not stupid and they decided that they like him more than Sam Darnold.”
What is nice about the trade now is that Darnold has since signed with the Seahawks, and we’ll have a good idea of which team made the better decision at quarterback in about 10 months.
For now, though, it looks like the Raiders have found an upgrade at quarterback and Carroll got the signal caller some believe he wanted from the start. There’s a unique relationship between Carroll and Smith and that will be something to dig into deeper in the weeks ahead.
In the meantime, we’re still learning about how the situation came together and there are signs the deal might have been pushed forward with a little behind the scenes communication between Smith and the Raiders.
According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the Seahawks were blindsided by Smith’s apparent disinterest in working on a new deal in Seattle. Just days after the veteran quarterback rebuffed a $40+ million offer from the Seahawks, the Raiders showed up and a deal came together quickly.
“While reports vary, one person with knowledge of the situation said the [Seahawks] offer was a two-year deal in the $40-45 million per year range, similar to that of Matthew Stafford of the Rams, who has a four-year, $160 million deal with L.A. That would have kept Smith under contract through the 2027 season,” Condotta reported this weekend.
“The team made the offer early in the week and hoped to wrap things up by the end of the week. Seattle, instead, is said to have gotten no counteroffer.”
Coincidentally, the timing of negotiations breaking down between Smith and the Seahawks lines up closely to when the Raiders reportedly reached the decision to pursue him.
x: @raidersbeat
If he was alive,he must’ve been a fan of Marc Wilson too. Pathetic.
If the ride Smith on his current contract and have a better plan for next season, ok. But you could’ve had Darold for 33 or so per year. That was the deal to make.
Geno Smith. What about Gino Cappelletti.
So far the team hasn’t even looked at upgrading the OL, other than signing Cappa who was a waiver wire pick up. This was the same mistake that they did last offseason, and we know how that turned out. What good is having all that cap money if you don’t use it to improve the team? Additionally, with all the players they are losing they won’t be able to fill those roster needs strictly thru the draft. Looks like they’ll be left shopping thru the bargain bin, yet again. Hello AFC cellar, again.
Agreed.
Geno Smith last season threw for 21 td’s and 15 int’s.
He will be 35 when the season starts.
He took 50 sacks for 338 yards lost.
He isn’t going to get better, he’s going to get worse.
What other team in the NFL was offering a 3rd for him? No one.
To answer the question, yes, Pete Carroll became stupid.
The only saving grace in this organization is our coordinators.
We went into this free agency period with over $93 million in cap space, and walked away with bargain basement players.
This is a DISGRACE.
Spytek is an imbecile.
Carroll is senile.
The bug splash was re-signing Malcolm Koonce who had one decent season.
This is pitiful by any objective standard.
Spytek doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near a GM office.
The good news is that it’s not too late for you to find another team.
That would instantly upgrade the fanbase exponentially.
Your opinion of my Fandom means nothing nor will it change the problems within this organization.
Are insults ALL you have to offer? At least Philly gave his opinion on the team’s moves.
Fanboy huh? What a shame.
Maybe you need glasses. Or are just that biased?
Geno was the best quarterback available!
Even if he was, that isn’t saying much.
We get nowhere important with him.
He’s a bridge at best.
The bigger matter right now, is that two idiots are running things for the Raiders right now. Spytek and Carroll.
One is incompetent and the other is senile.
Still have not addressed the biggest need on this team which is the O line.
We need Mekhi Becton.
Geno is more mobile than Darnold. Better than old man Rodgers, Humpty Dumpty cousins, Wilson. Try and trade with Detroit for Hendon Hooker. Marcus would be a good backup for Smith. I would trade AOC in a heartbeat. Get Milroe round 2. Forget sanders at 6 pick Geanty at 6 the best player that you need is available
Almost nothing of what you said is true.
Geno Smith better than Aaron Rodgers? On what planet?
Trade AOC? You can’t be serious.
Ashton Geanty is a beast! He fits the coaches desire to pound the defenses. Building a Legion of Boom all over in the Desert 🌵🏜️🌴
This is a deep draft for RB position. Using the #6 pick on a RB wouldn’t be wise especially when their OL remains mediocre at best. Based on their lack of moves to improve the OL, I guess they think coaching will vastly improve the OL play?
Agreed. There are other excellent running backs in the draft for it to make sense to not pick a rb at 6.
Personally, my pick would be Mike Green Edge Marshall.
He is going to destroy this league. Can you imagine him on one side, Maxx on the other with Wilkins in the middle?
Nobody wants to see that.
We could then get a rb in the 2nd round. Like Kaleb Johnson or Quinshon Judkins. Both are excellent.
I really don’t know what Spytek is doing. If you take a look at the team before free agency and then after the changes, the team stands at a net loss in terms of talent.
I can’t believe this guy wasted our cap like this.
One impact difference maker for this team is left and that is Mekhi Becton. Get him, and this free agency can be considered ok.
Sounds to me like, under Tom Brady, perhaps we were Cheating a bit. a Sneaky call to Smiths agent that implied Coach Carroll wanted him and so Please don’t sign a New deal with the Sea Slugs and you will quickly be a Raider. Brady is a Cheat and now I guess that is Fine since he is on Our Team. After All, in almost any Competitive Business like the NFL… If You’re Not Cheating You’re Not Trying!!
Being a Raiders fan means being told time after time “We’ll see…” and the track record on that is pretty poor when it comes to results on the football field.
I’m fine with the trade in the sense that it removes some desperation from the team to reach for a QB, but it’s another band-aid.
Philly raider whatever, Ashton Geanty had like a dozen yards less than Barry Sanders, pick Geanty and close that door. Why wouldn’t you trade AOC? He’s good at times but he’s not mobile get it? The league has changed. Milroe in the 2nd or Kelly’s boy Howard in the 3rd. Geanty is like Bowers ,,,, pick the generational talent and roll with it.
Walter, try to think strategically, bro.
Why take a RB at 6 when you can get another critical need position there and still get an equal to close to equal RB in the 2nd round?
Jeanty at 6 is a wasted pick, bro.
For example, if we took Mike Green at 6, we get the best Edge defender in the draft and then let’s say we take Johnson, Hampton, or Judkins in the 2nd round.
This way, you still got an elite RB prospect but now you have the best Edge defender in the draft on top of it.
As opposed to taking Jeanty at 6.
Also, I’d take either Johnson or Hampton either ine works for me.
Philly, you say there are excellent options at rb. Why wouldn’t you take Johnson over Hampton? Just curious.
Either one works for me, Walt.
All I’m gonna say is…I want you to come back and read your own comments when everything you have said turns out to be a bunch of bull💩. I understand everyone has their own opinions but all you’ve done is cry about how bad spytek and Carroll are and ride the 🥜s of mechi Becton and Mike Green. Don’t get me wrong I’m not happy with every move we’ve made either but I’m on the side of waiting and seeing how everything plays out this off-season. I do like the move of us getting Geno Smith. Dude is the best QB we’ve had in years. I like the signing of Chinn. Dude balled out for Washington last year. I live in the DMV area and watch a lot of redskins games and Chinn was a dawg last year for them. He was all over the field making plays. I’m surprised Washington didn’t resign him for real. The LB we signed Roberts is another dawg. Yeah he’s not great in coverage but he’s a top ten LB against the run. Maybe top five. I do agree we need OL help and we need a wr and a RB. I’d be happy with us trading back in the draft and getting as many high draft picks as we can and then draft the best OL available or the RB Hampton, the LB Jihad Campbell, the CB Barron or either the wr Matthew Golden from Texas or the WR from Ohio State. If we do happen to take Jeanty at six though I won’t be mad. The experts are saying he is one of maybe 3 players in this draft that are studs. That’s Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter and Ashton Jeanty. So why wouldn’t you be happy if you get a player that people are saying can possibly be a generational talent regardless of where you draft him. I bet you was calling Telesco a idiot last year for drafting Bowers. Plus our OL isn’t all that bad. I think coaching was a big problem last year. Miller is better than what he played last year.JPJ is a upgrade at center over James and DJ Glaze isn’t bad at RT. Yeah Cappa was terrible last year but years before that when he was in Tampa he played above average ball. So I do agree we need another guard that can start but I believe our line will be a top 15 OL this coming year. I honestly think we can get 10 wins next year. Our schedule next year isn’t that bad other than the teams in our division. So I’m saying right now you gonna look mighty stupid when Spytek and Carroll and the players we signed and draft make you eat your words.
Ironic you praise Chinn’s play last season when so many others are far more specific in pointing out how he was demoted in coverage and playing in the back end because he was a liability. Can’t cover TE’s. Weak over the top. We don’t need more box safety’s. That’s what Tre’von is. Pola Mao is the only solid all around safety we have. Graham will probably use him as a hybrid LB/S. But I really like Gainer and Burney.