NFL.com picks Geno Smith as vet QB who'll make biggest impact outside Aaron Rodgers

"There's a long list here -- including Sam Darnold (Seattle), Justin Fields (New York Jets), Russell Wilson (New York Giants) and Daniel Jones (Indianapolis) -- but Geno Smith is the obvious choice," Chadiha wrote. "The Raiders traded a third-round pick to acquire him from Seattle, and he's walking into a situation that is extremely familiar to him.

"Head coach Pete Carroll was leading the Seahawks back in 2022 when that team decided to deal Russell Wilson to Denver and elevate Smith from backup to starter after Smith spent several years operating as a journeyman backup. Smith has been a solid signal-caller in the three seasons since that point, as he's averaged 4,075 passing yards and thrown 71 touchdown passes and 35 interceptions."

Smith, 34, somewhat struggled in his final season as a Seahawk. He completed a career-best 70.4 percent of his passes (not counting 2020, when he completed four of five passes he threw) for 4,320 yards, but his 21-15 touchdown-interception ratio was just not good enough.

Whether that's the fault of Smith or former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is up for debate, but regardless, the Raiders are expecting him to be better for them.

"What Smith needs to do is the things that the most recent Raiders quarterbacks couldn't: make the big throws when they matter most, provide steady leadership and avoid the mistakes that plagued him last season, when he threw 15 interceptions," Chadiha wrote. "Look, nobody is sitting here predicting the Raiders to morph into a playoff team after winning four games in 2024. However, it is reasonable to expect three to five more victories with Smith providing better quarterback play.