Raiderstation

Title sounds silly but hear me out. The Vegas odds on the Raiders 2025 regular season record was 7.5 so lets say the Raiders meet expectations and win 7 or 8 games with a mediocre Geno Smith and 74 year old Pete Carroll who clearly isn't the coach he used to be. The organization would have likely been compelled to bring it all back for the 2026 season and keep going with the Band-Aid QB approach, once again not drafting a QB in the first round as they would be picking around 15/16. It's very possible the 2026 season could have melted down like this one with Pete being a year older, Smith being older and worse, etc. Bottom line is that the organization would continue treading the waters of losing and mediocrity. Seems like this season was always the eventual conclusion to the Carroll/Smith experiment and giving them another season would have been simply kicking the can down the road and going through this one year later.

As of now everything is clear going into the offseason. There will be no tough decisions on the coaching staff or starting QB. They are both gone and the team will very likely draft a QB with their top 3 pick. Now that in itself doesn't guarantee anything, but it's very clear that the veteran QB Band-Aid approach is not working and to unearth the next franchise QB, you have to draft them. It may not work out but they have to try or the seasons will continue to be pointless. Also a top 3 pick is going to be attractive to top head coach candidates as they know a rookie QB buys them time and it's an opportunity to build around their guy. Maybe, just maybe, the Raiders finally get something right in the offseason finding their QB and head coach. The odds are probably slim because a lot of QB's bust and Mark Davis is still in the building, but really it's the first time in a long time there is truly hope for better as there's real opportunity here for the organization to lay down the foundation to better days.

RunOverByHubbard wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:16 am I have to disagree. Some major problems with this season override any successes. First, we overpaid for Geno Smith both in the trade (a 3rd round choice) and his contract (which is bloated). Second, Pete Carroll may be a bust as a coach at this point. He made some bad coaching hires and he is starting to look kind of lost out on the field and in pressers. Third, our 2025 draft choices have not helped much. Fourth, we might have the worst offensive line in the league. Fifth, we might have the worst back 7 on defense in the league. I am finding it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I would be very worried if Pete is still around next year and making draft decisions

rcraider wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:37 am I would be very worried if Pete is still around next year and making draft decisions

I would be very worried if Pete is around next year and has zero input on draft decisions.
Pete needs gone

You know it really hard to stay positive with the raiders; we are really the worse team in the NFL and I cannot see the light at the end of tunnel; I will still support them till the day I die; I mean the right coach could come here and turn this team around quite quickly; but I don’t think the owner will do that; Mark probably in talks right now about bringing Belichek to vegas….

You know good coaches were available and Mark did nothing about bringing them to Vegas….Harbaugh and Payton were available a few years back and now we gotta face them twice a year….

There a possibility that Pete Carroll will be back in 2026; I hope not but it could happen

Willmark wrote: Mon Dec 08, 2025 8:10 am Joe Brady, Bills OC if he decided to leave?

I don’t get the Joe Brady hype. I watch the Bills and just see Josh Allen carrying the team. Don’t see a great play calling or amazing concepts

RunOverByHubbard wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:16 am I have to disagree. Some major problems with this season override any successes. First, we overpaid for Geno Smith both in the trade (a 3rd round choice) and his contract (which is bloated). Second, Pete Carroll may be a bust as a coach at this point. He made some bad coaching hires and he is starting to look kind of lost out on the field and in pressers. Third, our 2025 draft choices have not helped much. Fourth, we might have the worst offensive line in the league. Fifth, we might have the worst back 7 on defense in the league. I am finding it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Overpaying Smith was a terrible football move but if they don’t sign him, they very likely are not 2-10 and the front runners for 1st overall (according to the Athletic based on their model). He’s been the worst starting QB in 2025 and instrumental to the tank. I look at it as trading a 3rd round pick and $30 million in cap space for the opportunity to draft a franchise QB. Well worth it.

Sure the OL is terrible but the good news is that it’s a position the team didn’t invest in it in the offseason and it’s been poorly coached. That will be rectified in the offseason as Pete’s kid will be replaced by a real coach and the team will likely upgrade the OL via free agency and the draft.

A lot has to go wrong to finish 32 so we should feel fortunate that the stars are aligning for the Raiders for once.

CWood24 wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 2:28 am If you cam put together a top tier OL that would give Jeanty space to work in then it would help what ever QB (as average as they might be) is back there to atleast keep the offence moving

It's not the OL talent that does that. In order to achieve that you need two things:

-A true WR1 that makes the defense retreat on hike or plays off.

-A QB that defenses respect.

James Cook is a mid-level talent at RB, but he overachieves because defenses respect Josh Allen. Chase Brown also looks good with Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins spacing the floor for him.

If we get Mendoza and he's the real deal, Jeanty will automatically have more room to operate.

Without either, defenses will always stack the box, making Jeanty's job harder regardless of the talent level of the 5 fronts.

mranquales wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 2:55 pm It's not the OL talent that does that. In order to achieve that you need two things:

-A true WR1 that makes the defense retreat on hike or plays off.

-A QB that defenses respect.

James Cook is a mid-level talent at RB, but he overachieves because defenses respect Josh Allen. Chase Brown also looks good with Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins spacing the floor for him.

If we get Mendoza and he's the real deal, Jeanty will automatically have more room to operate.

Without either, defenses will always stack the box, making Jeanty's job harder regardless of the talent level of the 5 fronts.

LOL You are delusional, I don't care if you trot out the greatest QB and receiver in history, if they are playing behind this current shit O line you will have the same results.

rcraider wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 4:12 pm LOL You are delusional, I don't care if you trot out the greatest QB and receiver in history, if they are playing behind this current shit O line you will have the same results.

Bengals have a shitty OL but Chase Brown does pretty well despite that. It's because of Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, and Tee Higgins.

Ocoordinator wrote: Mon Dec 08, 2025 7:08 am Not only does a new coach have a high draft pick to take his Qb, he has many draft picks coming at the top of each round, loads of cash and a handful of talented players already on the team. He would come in knowing he has a few years to turn this around.
Bigger question in my mind is who would we pick to coach this team. The right one is bigger/as big as anything else I mentioned.

In what are you living if you think the new coach gets a say in who is drafted in this organization. I doubt our GM even has a choice.

mranquales wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 2:55 pm It's not the OL talent that does that. In order to achieve that you need two things:

-A true WR1 that makes the defense retreat on hike or plays off.

-A QB that defenses respect.

James Cook is a mid-level talent at RB, but he overachieves because defenses respect Josh Allen. Chase Brown also looks good with Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins spacing the floor for him.

If we get Mendoza and he's the real deal, Jeanty will automatically have more room to operate.

Without either, defenses will always stack the box, making Jeanty's job harder regardless of the talent level of the 5 fronts.

Teams wont respect tour QB if he doesn't have time to throw cause they’ll put him in the dirt more often than not

They wont respect your WR cause your QB is running scared for his life more worried about the rush than getting ball out

They won’t respect the run because they know your line is so ass that your QB isn’t a threat so they’ll just stack the box

As has been quoted from Mike Tice in another thread the OL is the engine & if you don't have an engine all the bells & whistle are just for show

As for Burrows he is special as very few QB’s can take the punishment he takes & still be good, once again you’ve taken a once in a blue moon thing thinking it is the norm when that would be the worst way to build a team

It starts in the trenches just look at the Eagles they control the line & they win superbowls.

With QB & OL it is not one or the other it’s both & having Bowers enables us to almost forgoe a season without a true No.1 WR if we don’t find an option

CWood24 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 2:24 am They wont respect your WR cause your QB is running scared for his life more worried about the rush than getting ball out

This is a made-up scenario from the Carroll Kool-Aid drinkers. It's already been proven that Geno has had plenty of time to throw on the majority of his drop backs this season.

As for Burrows he is special as very few QB’s can take the punishment he takes & still be good, once again you’ve taken a once in a blue moon thing thinking it is the norm when that would be the worst way to build a team

Burrow is not an outlier in this scenario. Any QB and WR that does their job backs defenses up. Secondly, we don't know how good or bad our OL is, because we have a QB who will literally hold onto the ball and wait for a sack to come. We also have a dictatorship coaching staff that is playing linemen out of position. Miller, Maki, JPJ, Rodgers, DJ Glaze is an improved OL and we didn't have to sign or draft anyone.

Raiders minority owner Tom Brady played a major part in three of the franchise’s most important decisions of the past year: hiring head coach Pete Carroll, hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and acquiring quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with Seattle instead of pursuing Sam Darnold in free agency. Las Vegas went 0-3 on those moves. Carroll’s in the midst of his worst season in 14 years as a head coach, Kelly has already been fired, and Smith has been one of the league’s worst starters.

How do you like him now

Sold My Soul wrote: Fri Dec 12, 2025 9:50 pm Raiders minority owner Tom Brady played a major part in three of the franchise’s most important decisions of the past year: hiring head coach Pete Carroll, hiring offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and acquiring quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with Seattle instead of pursuing Sam Darnold in free agency. Las Vegas went 0-3 on those moves. Carroll’s in the midst of his worst season in 14 years as a head coach, Kelly has already been fired, and Smith has been one of the league’s worst starters.

How do you like him now

Where is this "quote" from?

RunOverByHubbard wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:16 am I have to disagree. Some major problems with this season override any successes. First, we overpaid for Geno Smith both in the trade (a 3rd round choice) and his contract (which is bloated). Second, Pete Carroll may be a bust as a coach at this point. He made some bad coaching hires and he is starting to look kind of lost out on the field and in pressers. Third, our 2025 draft choices have not helped much. Fourth, we might have the worst offensive line in the league. Fifth, we might have the worst back 7 on defense in the league. I am finding it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And I have to disagree with you. Jeanty hasn’t had the lanes to do what he does best, many times he is met in the backfield when he gets the ball because defenses don’t respect Geno. He has shown some flashes when they actually do give him the ball, laying wood on defenders and getting tough yards, he picks up blitzes well, and has been effective as a receiver.

Bech, before last week, was averaging a first down every time he caught the ball. They finally started to throw his way last game vs the Donks and you could start to see why we used a 2nd pick on him—I can see Bech filling the Jacobi Meyer role nicely and making a major leap with the right OC and QB in 2026. Pair him with a true WR1 and he will shine.

Rodgers, even grading high in PFF, was the first one to say he doesn’t believe his own hype and that PFF missed some of his mistakes and PFF stats are good for his mom but he needs to get better. Gotta love that type of accountability coming from a rookie, especially at a position of dire need. Rodgers has a lot of upside potential and a great attitude to match.

We haven't seen Grant at all thanks to Pete and his son at oline coach as they believe Blaze and Forsthye are better options at the moment. These are the reasons why the Raiders are in line to get the 1st overall pick as a Pete has been content with below average Oline play and not wanting see what Grant can do at OT or even guard (just to get him on the field)—like he can be any worse than the other two turn styles. I will remain cautiously optimistic (only because we haven’t seen him play one regular season down) that Grant make a big leap and will be a great contributor to improving the Oline next season.

Dante Thornton has had some moments but hes struggled in route running and pass catching although I will put some of this on Geno as he has constantly missed open receivers all season—Yes Geno, I’m blaming Thorton’s struggles on you. That said, I think with the right HC and position coach, and with Thornton’s commitment to improve, he can still contribute as an effective role player in this offense—he certainly has the speed.

Pegues and Hemingway are both still a work in progress but can contribute on the Dline alongside additional FAs ad incoming rookies next year. And I still don’t know why either of them have not been used on offense in short yardage or at the goaline. Even as a Fullback/blocker…like it would make anything worse than what already has been—yet additional reasons why the team is 2-10, no creativity.

This has actually been a decent draft class, it’s not their fault the HC is lost in his ways, their position coaches are inept, and the QB is over rated and washed. 1-2 more years you will be able to adequately grade this draft class.

WolfRaider wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:45 am I don’t get the Joe Brady hype. I watch the Bills and just see Josh Allen carrying the team. Don’t see a great play calling or amazing concepts

...and he has gotten his fair share of criticism at times this year, and to where mcd has had to defend him repeatedly due to it, and when he has, I wouldn't say he was overly enthusiast about it, more like your typical coach speak when you know you want to keep it in house, and help him work through it.