Whether they have been in Oakland or Las Vegas, the Raiders have not been a very good football team for over two decades. Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, they have not won a playoff game, made just two appearances, and have the second-worst regular season record in the NFL.
The franchise has been riddled with problems, beginning with ownership and trickling down to the multiple front offices, coaching staffs, and the roster. While Mark Davis has been far less involved in football operations than his late father, Al Davis, he has not been able to right the ship.
Raider Nation has been hopeful that Tom Brady's presence could give the team the spark that it needs to turn things around. While that has yet to happen, Stephen A. Smith recently claimed, incorrectly, that the seven-time Super Bowl champion is the only good thing about the Raiders.
Stephen A. Smith's Raiders comments are brutally inaccurate
The Raiders have plenty of work to do this offseason, and everyone knows it. They are one of five teams that have yet to hire a head coach, which is the first order of business, but Las Vegas could be waiting on one of the coaches who are still in the postseason before making a decision.
Their decision at quarterback is far more clear-cut, however, as all signs point towards the franchise using the No. 1 overall pick on Fernando Mendoza. Smith discussed whether or not the Raiders are a good fit for the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner during a recent episode of First Take.
"I don't think the Raiders would be a good fit for anything," Smith said. "I'm happy for Tom Brady because I love him. I love my guy, but my guy, he's the only good thing about the Raiders. He's the only thing to celebrate. That and Las Vegas, because we all love Vegas. That's about it. There's nothing else that's good about this organization."
While Smith praised Mendoza as a quarterback, his comments on the Raiders are certainly brutal and untrue. First of all, Brady has yet to even prove his value as a minority owner, as he's failed to get any big fish to come to Las Vegas. Although many believe that he will do exactly that in the coming years.
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More importantly, however, Las Vegas does have building blocks in key areas, like Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Kolton Miller. Yes, Tom Brady is the biggest name, but these are legitimate star players in the NFL. Smith neglected to mention that.
The franchise also has an ownership group that is willing to spend big, a brand-new stadium, and state-of-the-art facilities. The Raiders also have plenty of draft capital and cap space to improve the roster around Mendoza and set him up for success this offseason.
Smith added, in a disrespectful way, that Brady should be solely in charge of deciding who plays quarterback next season.
"Mark Davis, move the hell aside. We're tired of looking at you. (John) Spytek, what the hell is his name? Spytek, whatever the hell his name is, who cares? That's the second round. That's late in the first, whatever other picks you have. Not the No. 1 pick, which is going to be a quarterback," Smith said. "There is one man that has to make that decision, and that has to be Tom Brady. If Tom Brady isn't the one that's making this decision and there's some majority, some consensus or whatever, what the hell is he there for? He doesn't need to be here. This is his call. He has to make this decision."
Brady, Davis, and Spytek were all on hand to watch the CFP National Championship Game, as Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to a win over the Miami Hurricanes. While Smith wants to see Brady have the only say regarding the No. 1 pick, there's almost no doubt it'll be Mendoza anyway.
Las Vegas certainly has far more work to do as far as building out the roster to finally become a contender. It is clear from his comments, however, that Smith has not been paying attention to the organization and all of the things that the Raiders have going for them.