Insider brings up possible concern for Geno Smith

When the Las Vegas Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in March, it was a move fueled by necessity.

Bringing in head coach Pete Carroll was a clear sign that the Raiders were looking for a quick turnaround from their four-win campaign last year. However, that was never going to happen with a quarterback room lead by Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, forcing the Raiders to make a move to improve under center. The team underwent a near-complete transformation of their quarterback room, with Smith serving as the centerpiece.

The Raiders have invested plenty in Smith, but one insider has laid out something worth keeping in mind.

Smith comes into his first season in Las Vegas with serious expectations.

According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Smith comes to the Raiders familiar with Carroll from their shared time in Seattle, but other aspects could require more fine-tuning during training camp.

“Smith has plenty of familiarity with coach Pete Carroll and multiple assistants on staff, but he’s still a newcomer working to learn offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system and ingratiate himself with his teammates,” Reed wrote.

“The Raiders have had a revolving door at quarterback for a few years and made a significant commitment to Smith with the belief that he’s the answer. The offense surrounding him isn’t anything to write home about — there are big question marks at offensive line and receiver — which puts a lot of pressure on him to be at his best. Training camp isn’t the end all be all, but fans will start to get restless if he doesn’t have a strong one.”

Smith is going to need to impress quickly with the Raiders, especially with the quarterbacks he is going to have to stack up with in the AFC West.

The Kansas Chiefs have built a dynasty with Patrick Mahomes at the center. The Los Angeles Chargers are always going to be in the conversation with Justin Herbert, while Bo Nix has the Denver Broncos ahead of schedule. Asking Smith to be better than those three could be a tough ask, but staying on the same level would go a long way towards keeping the Raiders’ ambitions in good health.

Smith does not have to worry about his job during training camp, but few Raiders are more in need of a great performance.