The Las Vegas Raiders made several massive changes this offseason as they transitioned into the Pete Carroll and John Spytek era. The most notable difference for this upcoming season will be the presence of veteran quarterback Geno Smith under center for the Silver and Black.
While Smith is an obvious upgrade over Las Vegas' trio of signal-callers in 2024, to what extent he gives the Raiders a better chance to compete is still a mystery. Many would consider him a middle-to-upper-tier quarterback, but others feel he has far too many limitations, especially at his age.
Raider Nation, by and large, has not watched every game that Smith has played over the last few years, nor have they covered him at length during his time in Seattle. FanSided's Seahawks expert, Lee Vowell of "12th Man Rising," has, however.
We asked him several questions about the Raiders' new quarterback in order to gain perspective about what the team and fan base can expect from the 34-year-old signal-caller this season.
Seahawks expert provides insight on what Raiders can expect from Geno Smith
What will be Geno Smith's biggest limitation this season, or what was his biggest fault while in Seattle?
"If Smith were going to go anywhere else, the Raiders are the best fit for him. Rejoining Carroll in Las Vegas should help Smith feel more comfortable. What it might not fix, though, is his penchant for throwing red zone interceptions. Smith led the league in this regard in 2024, and the reasons were unclear. He has a great arm, is mobile, and able to make accurate throws on the move, but he forces throws near the end zone. If he can limit this in 2025, he is going to lead the Raiders' offense to success."
What is Geno Smith's greatest strength as a quarterback?
"There is no throw that Smith cannot make. Arm strength has never been a weakness of his, though there have been questions about how good of a teammate he is when his temper gets the best of him. But he is accurate at all levels of the field. He might not throw receivers open like a young Aaron Rodgers, but if a receiver has any daylight at all at any point on the field, Smith can complete the pass."
Do you believe that the Seahawks upgraded or downgraded going from Smith to Sam Darnold?
"This is an excellent question. With Smith, the Seahawks knew what they were going to get: A strong-armed and accurate passer who could have flare-ups with teammates when things went wrong and who forced too many passes. But one could also assume Seattle's offense was going to be explosive, if not always efficient. Darnold has a good arm, too, but not one as good as Smith's. If Darnold plays as he did in the first 16 games of 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold replacing Smith is a great move. But Darnold has a history of making even more mistakes than Smith, so by midseason, Seahawks fans could be missing Smith."
Do you blame Smith's regression last season on new coach Mike Macdonald and not having Carroll, or on his age catching up with him?
"Any regression for Smith in 2024 should not be attributed to Macdonald. The new head coach focused on his defense and let offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb call most of the shots on offense. Macdonald gave some input, of course, but Grubb's scheme was the problem. The Seahawks were more pass-happy with Grubb and focused far too much on the wide receivers. One reason for Smith throwing as many red zone interceptions as he did is that Grubb seemingly had no imagination for how to call plays close to the goal line. One good part about Smith is that his age isn't like that of other 34-year-old quarterbacks. He was a backup for so long that his body is probably closer to 30 than his mid-30s. His arm strength is just as good, and his mobility is fantastic, but he doesn't run enough. He should be a good quarterback for the Raiders for at least two seasons."