Watch: Thomas Booker IV Makes First Comments as a Raider

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 6:58 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders made a quality trade when they traded cornerback Jakorian Bennett for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV from the Philadelphia Eagles.

After playing behind two of the league's better defensive tackles, he will have a chance to make an impact in Las Vegas. The Raiders need all the help they can get at defensive tackle.

Booker spoke this weekend on the trade and more.

You can watch the entire interview below:

Earlier in camp, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith spoke to the media. We have a partial transcript below.

On what he has seen from Pete Carroll after a year off from coaching...

Smith: "Yeah, Pete [Carroll] doesn't seem different at all. I'm pretty sure he's learned a lot. That's just the way that he is. He's always trying to improve. And I think for me, just as a player, just seeing him, it's just great to see the energy that he continues to bring every single day. Our first team meeting was just jacked up, and guys were losing their minds in there. But Pete, he loves it, and I think he's only going to continue to get better as a coach because that's his mindset. That's the way he works."

On creating and developing chemistry with Jackson Powers-Johnson...

Smith: "Yeah, Jackson [Powers-Johnson] and I have already developed a tight bond. And from the minute I signed to the team, he flew out to Miami, and we were able to just kind of sit down and talk, just get to know him as a person. Love that guy. He's an extremely hard worker. Him and Maxx [Crosby] are tied at the hip. Those guys work every single day. It's about repetition with us, so a lot of field work, a lot of classroom work, and he's doing a great job already. But for us, man, it's just about getting better each and every day and staying focused."

On if his expectations for the season are aligned with Pete Carroll's...

Smith: "Yes, sir. As a great man once said, 'Just win, baby.' So that's what we're here to do. We're here to win. And again, it's about what we do every single day, winning habits, creating a winning mentality. That's something we're doing already, so we just got to take it one day at a time, one step at a time."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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