Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fair or Foul? A Deeper Look at the 2025 Raiders

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated May 28, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have made several changes this offseason, but it appears those moves have received a lukewarm reception.

ESPN recently released its Football Power Index ranking for every team in the National Football League. This offseason, the Raiders' FPI rank was 24th-best in the league. This was the same case for the Raiders in last season's FPI ranks by ESPN.

According to ESPN, "the Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily."

While the Raiders' FPI rank is near the bottom of the league, there is no real way of knowing how good they will be until they take the field. Las Vegas has also undergone so many coaching staff and roster changes that it is tough to know what to expect from them this upcoming season.

The Raiders made changes at some of the most critical positions on and off the field, most notably, trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith earlier this offseason. Smith gives the Raiders a competent starting quarterback for the first time in several seasons.

After the team's Organized Team Activities, Carroll explained how Smith's transition has gone in Las Vegas.

"It's really - it's been a natural transition. From the time we first contacted him and let him know that we were in on this deal, and we were trying to see if we can make some sense of it, we were both excited about it. And so, I feel really like we are connected at the hip. We have so much background. I mean, it's not just the couple of seasons that he played, it's all of the years that he was there," Carroll said.

"To me, coaching the next quarterback up is really, really crucial. And so, we spent a lot of time communicating and setting our priorities straight, staying on course, and he's just been a champion at that. And now he comes out the other end of that time frame, and he's an elite quarterback in the league. And so, what he brings to us is great confidence. He brings to me, I know that we're going to get great play out of his spot. So it's really easy to work that out."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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