Fernando Mendoza hasn't even been a member of the Las Vegas Raiders for an entire month, and he is already making a great impression at the team facility. Not only does he feel like he is picking up on the playbook rather quickly, but the early reports about him are as promising as fans want them to be.
With OTAs now underway and Mendoza not just playing against the other rookies, a clearer picture will be painted of how well he stacks up against a much-improved Raiders roster. But in the meantime, fans will have to take the word of those close to the situation, like new OC Andrew Janocko.
Janocko met with the media for the first time since donning the Silver and Black after the first day of OTAs, and he spoke glowingly about the team's rookie quarterback. Then Hall of Famer Kurt Warner came out of nowhere to echo all of Janocko's sentiments about Mendoza in the early going.
Kurt Warner backed Andrew Janocko's praise of Las Vegas Raiders rookie QB Fernando Mendoza
When speaking with Raiders.com reporter Paul Gutierrez, Janocko was asked about his initial impressions of the No. 1 overall pick. It sounds like Mendoza is exactly who the Raiders want and fans expect him to be thus far.
"He's a tremendous worker. He's somebody that wants to know the 'whys' of everything, the story behind everything, what we're calling, but (also) why are we calling it?" Janocko said. "And then what's the building blocks of the footwork, what's the building blocks of his vision, how he's going to see it, how he's going to articulate it to the offense. He's really just a sponge that wants to know everything. So, it's a lot of fun working with a quarterback like that because he's coming in as a blank slate in this offense. (He's) never been in this offense before, and (he's) just asking a ton of questions."
Asking questions can be tough for a young player, especially for one who feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders, being a quarterback, and the top pick to boot. But Mendoza's vulnerability and pure willingness to learn are what will propel him throughout his NFL career.
Not to mention, his being authentic and relentless will help him earn the trust of his teammates, and they'll know if Mendoza doesn't know the answers or has a firm grip on the offense. By asking so many questions and breaking it all down, the Raiders' rookie quarterback won't let that happen.
His approach also has an added benefit for Janocko, Klint Kubiak and the rest of the first-year staff in Las Vegas, who, by and large, haven't worked with a rookie quarterback in recent years, at least not one of Mendoza's stature and metaphorical magnitude.
"And what it does is it makes you be on your toes for everything," Janocko noted. "But it also makes you evaluate everything, and (say) 'Hey, maybe we could get better if we did. Yeah, I know we've had some success doing it one way, but we could do it another way and be even better.'"
When Warner caught wind of these comments made by Janocko, the Hall of Fame quarterback had to chime in on social media. He made it known that, through his experiences with Mendoza, Janocko's comments both sound spot-on and are incredibly important for the long-term.
"I LOVE this! When FM was training at my house years ago, this was my biggest message to him & all the other QBs here: Take Ownership of Your Offense! Always ask the WHY, challenge everything (in a good way) & when doing it, you always have to have the knowledge to back it up or it carries no weight!
"Very few QBs have the conviction to do this, afraid to step on toes & offend their coach or never gain the knowledge needed! There is only ONE person with ball in their hands when it matters, so you better be comfortable with what you are being asked to do!
"I also believe that any GOOD coach would want to talk about the WHY as much as possible & would welcome the challenge to DEFEND their WHY or find a BETTER way of doing something!"
Some may infer that Warner is trying to take credit for Mendoza's prowess. I don't think that is what is going on. To me, Warner, who has advocated for young quarterbacks to sit and learn, is simply praising the Raiders' young signal-caller out of pure admiration.
All told, Mendoza is making quite a mark among elite NFL players and minds without even having played a single snap or gotten through an entire OTA period. But Las Vegas may have a special young player in its midst, and this could very well just be the beginning for the Raiders' future star.
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