Raiders could trade Fernando Mendoza for massive return

The Las Vegas Raiders literally just drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and he's seen as the future for this team. It's been a rough road for Vegas. We're talking a 3-14 record last year and 4-13 in 2024.

But, that's in the past, and Tom Brady and company are ready for the future. Mendoza is it. So, why would they trade him?

They shouldn't and wouldn't trade Mendoza, of course. It would make no sense. But, during the NFL offseason, analysts like to think about the impossible. They ask about the "what ifs." Because there's not much else going on in mid-July in football than to think about those "what ifs."

Las Vegas would get a lot for trading Fernando Mendoza

Bill Barnwell of ESPN went down the rabbit hole of what the Raiders could get if they traded Mendoza. It's a lot. He believes they would get three first-round picks for him.

"Mendoza wasn't even regarded as a likely first-round pick in some circles heading into the 2025 college football season, but he quickly dismissed any doubts about what he could do in the Big Ten after transferring to Indiana," he notes in the piece. "Just as Joe Burrow did before his unexpected rise to the top pick, Mendoza produced one of the great college football seasons in recent memory, averaging more than nine yards per attempt while leading the Hoosiers to an unlikely national title."

He adds that when Mendoza finally signed his rookie contract, he'll be five years away from requiring a franchise tag, so an acquiring team could have a "massive surplus value if the quarterback lives up to expectations."

So, per the league rules, the Raiders could technically trade Mendoza at some point after he signs his rookie contract and the NFL's mandatory waiting period has ended. But, it won't happen. Don't hold your breath.