Analyst names major Raiders move as head-scratching decision

With new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek joining the fold, the Las Vegas Raiders are hoping for a quick turnaround from a dismal four-win campaign.

No move did more for the Raiders to cement that point than the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks on March 13. Smith is coming off the best stretch of his career with the Seahawks, playing three seasons with the team (two of which under Carroll). Between 2022-23 when Smith played with Carroll as head coach, he made the Pro Bowl in both years and won Comeback Player of the Year after breaking franchise single-season records with passing attempts (572), completions (399), yards (4,282) and completion percentage (69.7%).

Smith represents a massive upgrade on the Raiders’ quarterback room and instantly raises the floor of the team, but one analyst is not so convinced by the move.

The Geno Smith trade was the most baffling move of the Raiders’ offseason, per one analyst.

According to Yardbarker’s Seth Trachtman, the Smith trade is the most head-scratching move the Raiders made this offseason.

“There’s no question that Raiders needed a change at quarterback, and Smith is quite familiar with new head coach Pete Carroll,” wrote Trachtman. “However, the Raiders invested a third-round pick and significant cap space to take on Smith, who is arguably the worst quarterback in the AFC West. He had a mediocre 53.8 QBR last season, but is guaranteed $66.5 million over the next two seasons.”

Sure, Smith’s last season was not quite at the same level as his first two in Seattle, but to put the blame solely at his feet is somewhat unfair.

Seattle’s offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL last season, prompting the team to draft North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick in the draft. The running game was also inconsistent for the Seahawks, recording the fifth-worst rushing game in the NFL with 1,627 rushing yards. With both of those aspects of the Seahawks working against Smith, opposing defenses were able to key in on the passing game and force him to do far too much.

The Raiders are making a calculated risk by investing in Smith for 2025 and possibly beyond, but head-scratching is far from an accurate assessment of the move.