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Las Vegas Raiders' Pete Carroll Addresses Quarterback Expectations At NFL Combine

Former USC Trojans' National Championship coach Pete Carroll is back in the NFL after a year off, this time as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. At the NFL Combine, Carroll detailed the process of building around the next quarterback.
Kyron Samuels|
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Former USC Trojans National Championship coach Pete Carroll is back in the NFL after a year off, this time as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Carroll is known for his team-building prowess and leadership ability and now takes over for a team desperately in need of both attributes. 

Player evaluation and roster building are as important to the process of forming a playoff-caliber roster as any schematics or game plan, and the NFL Combine is arguably the biggest box-checking event for all 32 NFL teams. Carroll caught up with the press and assessed the elephant in the room, who would be quarterback for the Raiders, but did it in the most Carroll-like fashion, centering it around the makeup of the team. 

"The quarterback position needs to be supported in every way possible so they can be as effective as they're able to be. And that takes a combination of elements to make up the support of a quarterback.” Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. 

“The running game is a huge element of that. Not just so you can run the football. It ain’t three yards and a cloud of dust. You have to be able to run the football so that you can control your aspects of the game and take care of the ball…[Quarterback] is the hardest position in professional sports to play. We need to do everything we can to facilitate it and make it as easy as possible for that guy. That's why the running game is so fundamental to it." continued Carroll. 

Interestingly enough, ESPN’s NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. shockingly slotted superstar Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty to the Raiders at number six overall. It would be shocking to see a running back selected that high, but with recent cases like Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs both being selected in the top twelve picks and immediately producing, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. 

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“I thought about [Shedeur] Sanders here, especially given the link between him and minority owner Tom Brady. It's absolutely plausible. Give it another month, and Las Vegas might even be considering trading up for him. But free agency still has to play out, and any number of available signal-callers could fit into this offense. Sam Darnold might be the answer. Justin Fields could bring upside. Russell Wilson has the Pete Carroll connection from Seattle. So right now, I'm looking at other positions here.” Kiper Jr said.

“Plus, look at what happened when the Raiders missed out on the quarterbacks last year. They landed Brock Bowers, who looks like a star at tight end. Now they have the chance to add another one in Jeanty and clean up the league's worst run game (3.6 yards per carry in 2024). And speaking of Carroll, remember his background. He leaned on the run game in Seattle for years, and he even used a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny in 2018. Jeanty brings it all. Speed, power, elusiveness, contact balance, and vision. He ran for 2,601 yards this past season, and he can make a dent as a pass catcher on top of that. Las Vegas can advance the offense by getting yet another elite playmaker into the fold and looking elsewhere for a more stable quarterback solution.” Kiper closed.

So, as Carroll and the Raiders continue to search for their quarterback, which could end up being former USC Trojan Sam Darnold or former Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford, the focus between the Raiders brass and analyst community alike seems to be in sync, build the best roster possible around whoever it is taking snaps under center and go from there. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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