The Las Vegas Raiders have had one of the worst head coaching and quarterback situations of any team in the National Football League over the past two seasons. The respective additions of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith should change that.
Following minicamp, Carroll spoke about the transition he and the veteran quarterback have experienced.
"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. 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," Carroll said.
"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."
Following Organized Team Activities, Smith noted a few of the reasons that he and other players enjoy playing for Carroll. The veteran coach and player look to have similar success with the Raiders as they did together with the Seattle Seahawks.
"I think Coach [Pete] Carroll is extremely relatable. I think he understands that guys have got to be themselves in order to be their best selves, and he allows guys to go out there and really, just be themselves. And he's a fun person to be around if you've ever been around him," Smith said.
"You see just how positive he always is, he's always got a bright smile, he's always laughing, joking around. And to have him as a coach, he's a part of the team. It's not him above the team or anyone above the team. It's everyone together, collectively. And I think that's what he does a great job of doing, creating a collective mindset for everyone."
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