Powers-Johnson GETS THE NOD: Raiders Release James, Showing Confidence in Young Star
The Raiders have their 2025 starting quarterback, needing to give up only a third-round pick for him. Geno Smith‘s reunion with Pete Carroll checked off the most important box for the Raiders during their offseason, and a new contract will be expected for the ex-Seahawk.
A meeting between Carroll, Tom Brady, John Spytek, Chip Kelly and QBs coach Greg Olson charted a course after the Raiders’ Matthew Stafford effort failed. The team wanted to have an established veteran over an untested rookie, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, who indicates the meeting came after “several members” of the Raiders’ offensive staff preferred a vet.
That said, the Raiders have still acquired a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback. While Smith’s presence could allow the Raiders to reset and table their need to draft a passer — perhaps when more appealing QB draft classes emerge after 2025 — but Reed adds this trade is not expected to take the Raiders out of the mix for a first-round QB investment this year entirely.
The Raiders may need to keep this up to make their pick more valuable in a potential trade, as smokescreen efforts regularly involve quarterbacks, but the team has done extensive homework on Round 1 passers in each of the past two years. Of course, two different regimes went through those process. Spytek and Brady will lead this one. A quarterback chosen outside the first round also may be in play.
Already linked to Jalen Milroe recently, the Raiders were particularly impressed with he and Texas’ Quinn Ewers after going through concepts with them at the Combine, per Reed. Both players are not currently viewed as first-round prospects, but we have seen QB prospects vault to that status during the pre-draft process many times in the draft. How teams fill their positions in free agency will also impact perception on these two, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough ahead of the draft. The Raiders were linked to a Cam Ward trade-up, but now that they have Smith, it seems highly unlikely they would move up for the Miami passer. Shedeur Sanders may well be available at No. 6, though the Colorado product’s stock his falling.
The Seahawks had put off adding a Smith heir apparent in the 2023 and 2024 drafts, and while they had not seen their QB match his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year form, Smith remained a solid option under center. He finished 14th in QBR in 2023 and started 17 games last season, though his QBR fell to 21st.
Smith saw his interceptions climb to 15 but also matched his 2022 yards per attempt figure (7.5) and established a new high for completion percentage (70.4) with a mark that bettered his NFL-leading 2022 number (69.8). Smith should provide the Raiders with flexibility, likely giving them a multi-season starter.
Nothing had gone especially well for the Raiders at quarterback since they cut Derek Carr. Neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Gardner Minshew proved the answer, with each being benched during stays that involved injuries and, eventually, post-June 1 cuts. The Raiders will need a Smith heir apparent in the not-too-distant future, but taking a Day 2 QB and evaluating him this year would not cut into the team’s resources to build around Smith too much.
