Raiders GM has bad news for Fernando Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders scored the fewest points per game in the league last season (14.2).

Hiring Klint Kubiak as their next head coach should help, but that's just the beginning. They need to bolster the offensive line and get better quarterback play.

That's why they're almost guaranteed to take Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.

However, even if that's the case, Raiders GM John Spytek just poured cold water on his aspirations to be a starter from Day 1. 

Fernando Mendoza may not start as a rookie 

“I think you want to limit the amount of pressure on that guy from the start,” Spytek said. “Now, if you have a young quarterback, I’m not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away, either, so another quality player that can play the position if you have a young quarterback.”

The Raiders also have Geno Smith and Aidan O'Connell on the roster. Smith threw 17 interceptions and O'Connell only attempted 22 passes last season, so their situation is clearly far from ideal.

That said, it's not like Mendoza would be the first rookie to sit for a while -- or maybe the entire season -- before being handed the keys to ignition.

The Raiders are aware that they're much more than just one player away from playoff contention, and they might be doing the right thing by being patient with their young signal-caller.

Mendoza doesn't seem to have the highest ceiling as a franchise quarterback, and they would be doing a disservice by throwing him into the fire right away.