The Raiders Have Many Things Working in Their Favor

"If the Raiders' core aim is to establish baseline competitiveness, Pete Carroll and Geno Smith seem to be fitting leaders for that mission. With Chip Kelly designing the offense, the coach and quarterback could rekindle the spark that allowed them to defy expectations in Seattle," Middlehurst-Schwartz said.

Middlehurst-Schwartz expressed optimism for the future of the Raiders, largely because the offseason additions Las Vegas made on the offensive side of the ball. The Raiders have added talent at nearly every position group on offense.

"Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashon Jeanty's arrival should immediately change the complexion of a historically putrid ground game, while the receiving corps added pieces to lighten the load on Brock Bowers and move on from the disappointing Davante Adams era," Middlehurst-Schwartz said.

"And the Silver and Black might be the only ones in their home city who can count on better luck in short order after their -16 turnover differential finished tied for the second-worst mark in the NFL."

Following Organized Team Activities, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll acknowledged how things have gone between he and Smith now that they are back together again, this time, 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," Carroll said.

"I mean, it's not just the couple seasons that he played, it's all of the years that he was there. Because 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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