The Raiders Made One of 2025's Most Impactful Moves

It is hard not to like the moves the Las Vegas Raiders have made this offseason.

Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; (L-R) Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek during a news conference introducing Ashton Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time making the necessary changes to their roster this offseason, but one of these changes could have a significant impact on the entire league.

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports recently ranked the moves around the National Football League that will impact the upcoming season the most. The Raiders' decision to upgrade at quarterback could affect several aspects of many things.

Of all the moves made this offseason, Sullivan believes the Raiders' addition of Smith will be the sixth-most impactful on the upcoming season. The Raiders have struggled mightily at quarterback over the past two seasons. However, Smith should help right the ship in Las Vegas.

The Raiders are unquestionably better with Smith as their quarterback as opposed to the combination of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell last year," Sullivan said.

Following Organized Team Activities, Raiders Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly praised Smith for his perseverance over the years. His perseverance and overall experience will do wonders for the Raiders' quarterback room.

"Geno can be a blessing to coaches. And I can attest to you to that. I think Geno is special. So yeah, I think you're spot on with that. I think he's got great leadership qualities. I think everybody is a byproduct of their environment, and I think how Geno came through his career - you look at the arcs of his career, being a high draft pick and going to New York, and then headed to San Diego, and then kind of almost restarting his career when he got with Pete [Carroll], but Pete brought him in as a backup, Russell [Wilson] was there. And then all of a sudden, earning the starting job, Russell gets traded, and now Geno gets to show what he can do," Kelly said.

"There's not a lot of guys that would have shown that resiliency. There's not a lot of guys that would have persevered through all of that. But I think you can look at him as a younger player, or you could look at him as an older coach and admire the journey that he's been on. Because it's hard to talk the talk if you have never walked the walk, and Geno has been in all those shoes, and I think that's one thing that really he can be - he's so relatable to everybody in this program because he's kind of lived that life.

"He's been a high draft pick, but he's also been a guy that has been told that a team doesn't want him. And so, I think until you actually go through that situation, it's hard to kind of fathom. But the fact that he's done it and come out and to be the way he is now is really a testament to him. He's special, and we're really, really excited that we have him." 

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