Pete Carroll does not want his first year as coach of Las Vegas Raiders to be a reconstruction process. He wants the ball to be launched as soon as possible, and that became clearer on Friday when the Raiders sent a third round of 2025 to the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith, gathering the veteran field marshal with his former coach.
Smith was a selection of twice in Pro Bowl under Carroll and recorded 8,641 air yards, 55 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 37 games.
The raiders had plans to evaluate each path to find a quarterback. But the key was to find someone who will help the franchise to be competitive in 2025. The Raiders tried to attract Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams last week, but they were not successful.
As for Seahawks, they will save $ 31 million in cash and space on the limit while acquiring $ 13.5 million in dead money. Seattle will also have another opportunity to find a long -term response in quarterback.
Looking more closely at ESPN Ryan McFadden and Brady Henderson’s reports, four major questions about the trade answer, including what comes next. National journalist Jeremy Fowler folds in adjustments in the quartback for Seattle, analyst Ben Sok intervenes and Draft analyst Matt Miller awaits the draft for both teams.
Do Seahawks go to full reconstruction?
No, but they will have to fill some large holes, starting in quarterback and the potentially wide receiver depending on what happens with the commercial application of DK Metcalf. The Seahawks are exchanging Smith not because they want to embrace a complete reconstruction but because they have been skeptical of their viability as their long -term headline given their age and their game above and down. And with both parties not being face to face in their courage while trying to negotiate an extension, the team is obtaining what it can for Smith now instead of making him play the last year of his agreement.
The Seahawks thought when they changed for Sam Howell 12 months ago that he had the potential to happen to Smith as his headline, but nothing he showed last season suggests that he is ready to take charge, much less take Seattle to the playoffs. They will need a quarterback, but when they leave a 10-7 season, they should present a solid list around any veteran: Sam Darnold? Aaron Rodgers? Justin Fields? – Take to replace Smith. As for Tyler Lockett’s releases and four other veterans this week, those were logical decisions, with contracts that do not justify production, that Seahawks would have taken in any year. – Henderson
How does Smith fit the offensive that Raiders are building with the new Chip Kelly coordinator?
The Raiders fought to score in 2024, finishing 29º at points per game (18.2). Smith and Kelly should improve that in 2025. Smith launched more than 4,000 yards for the second time in three seasons. The closed wing Brock Bowers was one of the main passing receptors in the league last season despite the trial of the trembling field of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Matching it with Smith could do wonders for Kelly’s offensive.
Kelly is known for running UPT-tempo offenses, but changed her focus to help Ohio State win a national title. It should be able to design a creative career game that balances the offensive and provides less pressure on quarterback, which has been the objective of the new regime. – McFadden
What other needs are left for Raiders to be viable contenders in the AFC West?
The acquisition of Smith answered the most important question in the Raiders list, but there is still a job. The Raiders have a handful of needs, especially in the offensive if they want to compete in a division that had three teams that made the postseason in 2024 and the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. Las Vegas will need to improve in the corridor after finishing the last in yards by land (79.8) by game in 2024. With selection No. 6 in the draft, Las Vegas could address that need when taking Ashton Jeanty of Boise State.
Las Vegas also has to add another game creator. Bowers and the open receptor Jakobi Meyers are solid options. However, Raiders still need an open receiver No. 1. But the possibility of trade by an open receiver should not be ruled out either. – McFadden
Will Seahawks still consider exchange Metcalf?
The best question could be this: Metcalf will reconsider your commercial application with Smith Gone? The money tends to speak stronger than anything else, but if any part of Metcalf’s discontent in recent seasons has been rooted in his desire to catch passes from a quarterback other than Smith, then perhaps his posture will change. Regardless of what Metcalf wants, General Manager John Schneider has made it clear that he will do the best for Seahawks. That means exchanging Metcalf to the team that gives Seattle the best offer, or not exchanging it and making the last year of your agreement play in the absence of an extension.
Before accepting the exchange of Smith, the Seahawks and the Raiders also discussed an agreement that involves Metcalf, so the Vegas could be a team to see. That would not satisfy his desire reported to play for a contender, but it will not be Schneider’s concern. From a financial point of view, the $ 31 million that Seahawks save in cash and space in space with the Smith trade theoretically facilitates Metcalf’s extension to its budget. They should be north of $ 60 million in capitalization space that is directed to free agency. – Henderson
What field marshals could Seahawks seek to sign in free agency?
The Seahawks now have a blank canvas to update their quarters. The options are abundant, but they all carry risks. A natural adjustment would be Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons, who was with the offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in Minnesota. But Atlanta has not shown the will to move cousins. Darnold will be the main free agent pin and is also familiar with that system. Seattle would be wise at least evaluate your market.
A Rodgers experiment would be intriguing, but it might not fit with the culture that Macdonald is trying to build. After that, Seattle would be looking for more profitable options such as Fields or Daniel Jones. A Russell Wilson meeting seems unlikely. And it is worth noting that Schneider has not given a great swing in a first -round field marshal. There is no better time than now, despite what is perceived as a weak field of field marshal. – Fowler
How does this change the draft plan of each team?
The Raiders exchanged a third round for Smith effectively take them out of the quarterback mixture, at least early in this draft. In number 6 in general, Las Vegas can now be a true “best available player” team as it was when Bowers took Bowers at number 13 last year. Jeanty, the Wemar Stewart defensive wing (Texas A&M) and even an offensive liner like Will Campbell (LSU) are suddenly at stake.
For Seattle … well, everything is on the table for a team that was a playoff contender last season, but now it seems to be restoring. But going to the field marshal at number 18 is not likely unless Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) is still on the board. However, Seattle has been linked to Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) and Quinn Eweers (Texas) as second round options. The Seahawks choose at number 50 in Round 2. In Round 1, I think Seahawks could consider writing an offensive Tackle as Armand Membou (Missouri). Membou is incredible in motion thanks to its strength and speed, and it is versatile enough to play anywhere. That would be a dream for sleep. – Miller
That ought Do Seahawks do in QB for 2025?
Seahawks must sign a bridge field and write a speculative QB2 in intermediate rounds. Remember, Schneider wrote Wilson in the third round in 2012 and He obtained a great value of Smith as a free agent signed in 2019. Darnold is the ideal bridge candidate because he has the highest ceiling and some familiarity with Kubiak of his shared year in San Francisco. But that only applies if you have signed an agreement with only one or two years of real money. That would give Seattle if Darnold is surpassed by an option in ruins in a rookie agreement such as Jalen Milroe (Alabama) or Tyler Shough (Louisville). Jones would also fit as an adequate bridge option if Seattle cannot pay Darnold.
Of course, neither a bridge nor a rookie have many possibilities to become more until the offensive line of Seahawks is fixed. That is still the highest priority of the low season of Seattle. – Sok
