Aug 26, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (right) congratulates quarterback Geno Smith (7) as he comes off the field in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

NFL Analyst Believes Raiders Are Most Improved Team

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback situation has arguably been the most pressing issue since moving on from Derek Carr. The Raiders have shuffled through multiple quarterbacks and have yet to come up with a consistently dependable signal caller. It has been the team's downfall.

Las Vegas' inability to find a legitimate starting quarterback in free agency or the NFL Draft has had costly consequences for many. The Raiders' lack of a dependable starting quarterback has cost multiple head coaches their jobs and has kept the Raiders spinning their wheels in the mud.

However, after consecutive disappointing seasons, a new general manager and head coach, the Raiders appear ready to finally address the issue that has plagued them for multiple seasons. One of the first things new Raiders GM John Spytek did was address Las Vegas' quarterback situation.

After hiring former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, the Raiders traded for his former quarterback, Geno Smith. Although Smith is not one of the league's top quarterbacks, he is an upgrade for the Raiders. The move added instant credibility to the Raiders quarterback room.

Seth Walder of ESPN considers the Raiders the most improved team after all of the early offseason moves made around the league. Walder believes the Raiders significantly improved at the most critical position on the field, making them the most improved team so far this offseason.

"The Las Vegas Raiders [are the most improved team after early free agency moves]. This is very close between a few teams, but I'll go with Vegas. It speaks to the leverage of the quarterback position, since upgrading from Aidan O'Connell to Geno Smith just makes that large of a difference. Also, the team is in better shape with Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler coming back after both were potential departures a week ago," Walder said.

The Raiders appear to be on the right track with Smith under center. However, he has yet to take a snap for the Silver and Black. Until he does, the Raiders cannot be entirely sure what they have in Smith or their new-look roster.

Hopefully, the addition of Smith is the first of many quality additions for the Raiders.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: