Geno Smith has interesting message for Raiders doubters

The Las Vegas Raiders oversaw a complete overhaul of their organization this offseason in the hopes of getting back to a competitive level.

The mission for head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek is to turn the ship around quickly,  guiding the Raiders to their first trip to the playoffs in four years. To that end, the team made a slew of roster moves to match the new timeline, with the most prominent being a March trade with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith. It has been no secret that mediocre quarterback play has been the death of the Raiders for the past few seasons, so improving that area was a must if Carroll and Spytek wanted to reach their goal.

With expectations still tempered, Smith talked about what it meant to continue being doubted on a new team.

Smith has experience silencing his critics before.

On NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp Live program, Smith has no problem with playing the role of the underdog again.

“I’m always the guy that I believe the game gets settled between the white lines on game day,” Smith said. “But from my vantage point, we’ve got a really, really good team. I don’t know if we’ll shock anyone inside of this building, but maybe shock some outsiders. But it’s good, like let them sleep. I don’t want them to see us coming. We’re just working in the shadows right now, getting our game right, and when it’s time to go in those bright lights, I think we’ll be ready.”

Smith knows what it takes to overcome low expectations, turning from journeyman backup to legitimate starting quarterback during his time in Seattle.

However, for the Raiders to return to prominence, the burden cannot fall on Smith’s shoulders alone. Questions still remain in many key places, such as the receiving corps and the secondary. In order to reset the team culture, the Raiders need a full team effort.

Fortunately for them, Smith is ready to make good on his new opportunity in Las Vegas.