Why Peach Bowl Has Major Implications for the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have a critical offseason ahead. Friday quietly marks another step in the process.

The Raiders' Decision

Las Vegas will have their attention locked in on the Peach Bowl, as quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore face off against each other. The top two quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft will have plenty of eyes on them on Friday, from scouts, Raider brass, and Raiders fans alike.

The Raiders' decision between the two is unlikely to come down to the results of the matchup, but watching both perform on the same field and in the same game will be good for the sake of competition and comparing both quarterbacks in similar situations.

The Peach Bowl will provide a glimpse of both quarterbacks in a way that their respective Pro Days and combine performances will not. It will mark a valuable opportunity for official and unofficial talent evaluators.

It is worth noting that Mendoza's season stats were better than Moore's in nearly every important statistical category. Last week, Raiders General Manager John Spytek explained his approach to the No. 1 pick. It is only the second time in franchise history the Raiders have held the pick.

"The league is littered with when you get the top pick right, those guys are franchise altering players. There's probably no more important hire in an NFL organization than the head coach. They're the daily guy. They set the vision, they set the cadence. They are what touches the players every day and demand excellence from players,” Spytek said.

“And the players are the ones that have to go out there and do it. And the more good players you have, and the better person at the helm that you have steering that ship, my experiences is, the more successful you are. And you look at, are there two more important hires in an organization than a quarterback and a head coach? I think we probably all would agree that those two men usually steer the ship, and that's out in front of us right now."

The Raiders' drafting either Mendoza or Moore with the first overall pick seems to be a foregone conclusion, unless they receive an offer they cannot refuse for the pick. It is unclear, however, what the Raiders will do with quarterback Geno Smith after the draft. Spytek elaborated on Smith's future.

"Yeah, Geno [Smith] is under contract for next year. We did that because when we traded for him, we liked him. I'm not going to get too far into the future right now, I'm day by day, but he's one of the guys that's under contract, he's a quarterback, he played some good football this year, and we'll make those decisions going forward," Spytek said.

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