What the Raiders Need in Addition to Fernando Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders need much more than just a new quarterback.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) hands the ball to Roman Hemby (1) as Miami's Rueban Bain Jr. (4) closes in during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders' roster is set for a significant facelift this offseason, as it is in dire need of change.

Pivotal Offseason

The Raiders have a lot of work to do on its roster. However, a few correct additions at positions of significant need could help Las Vegas expedite their turnaround. Wide receiver is one of the many glaring needs on Las Vegas' roster.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Jared Dubin of CBS Sports believes the Raiders should pursue veteran wide receiver Rashid Shaheed of the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. The connection to Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak are obvious and could help Las Vegas' offense improve in several ways.

"The Raiders similarly need to get explosive -- especially at receiver. Shaheed brings elite speed to the position and could be a really nice fit in Klint Kubiak's offense if he becomes a more featured piece in Las Vegas than he has been in Seattle. Fernando Mendoza could use someone to stretch the field for Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty," Dubin said.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) gets loose before the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After being introduced as the Raiders' head coach, Kubiak shared his thoughts on Jeanty. Las Vegas is likely to draft Mendoza, but it will be critical to get Jeanty going more often next season, to help Mendoza. Las Vegas must improve the league's worst ground game, starting with its offensive line.

Adding a player like Shaheed, a player Kubiak is already familiar with, would help open things up for Jeanty and Mendoza. Kubiak knows how important Jeanty is to the team's success, as Jeanty's presence on the roster undoubtedly impacted Kubiak's decision to become Las Vegas' head coach.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) enters the field before the game against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Very excited about his skill set and what he brings. I've got a lot of tape to catch up on, dude, but I saw you play a lot of snaps at Boise. Very excited about his talent. But the thing I would tell him and all his teammates is that it's not just about one guy,” Kubiak said.

“We've got to get the line on the same page, we've got to get our quarterback to get the right run checks. We've got to get our receivers to go block for him so that we can get the play action going. But as soon as our players can realize that it's a team thing, it's not an individual thing, we're going to be successful. I know we have those type of guys in our building right now."

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak (left) and general manager John Spytek at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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