Ex-Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's Raiders ranked among NFL's most improved teams

Pete Carroll is returning to NFL sidelines this Fall after one year away, and the legendary Seattle Seahawks coach already has his Las Vegas Raiders squad on the rise. The biggest reason for that is the deal that reunited him with Geno Smith, his former starting quarterback in Seattle.

The improvements don't stop there, though, as the Raiders used their No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Ashton Jeanty, college football's most dynamic running back from a season ago. Las Vegas was in desperate need of a quarterback and running back, and it now has two very formidable players at those spots.

Around the NFL writer Nick Shook listed the Raiders as one of the league's most improved teams this offseason, in addition to six other teams. Those two moves headlined Shook's reasoning, but he likes their entire stable of offseason additions.

Aug 18, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) participates in early pregame warmups against the Chicago Bears while head coach Pete Carroll (background) watches at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"The March trade for quarterback Geno Smith improved the Raiders drastically and would have been enough by itself to earn them consideration for this piece," Shook wrote. "But they didn't stop there, going on to draft a much-needed replacement for (whose departure via free agency last offseason left a void at running back in 2024) with the sixth overall pick (Ashton Jeanty) and adding receiver Jack Bech in Round 2 (No. 58 overall)."

"Guard Alex Cappa brings high-level experience from his time with the Buccaneers and Bengals, while DL Leki Fotu, LB Elandon Roberts, S Jeremy Chinn and CB Eric Stokes should bolster a defense that lost S Tre'Von Moehrg in free agency. The jury is out on the overall outlook on that side of the ball, but frankly, again, Smith's arrival alone will make me want to watch the Raiders in 2025."

The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Washington Commanders made up the rest of the list. Las Vegas also has a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Carroll, which should be part of the equation and argument to top the list.

Carroll, now 73, still has a lot of work to do in training camp to get his new team ready, but his track record speaks for itself. The Seahawks will get an immediate taste of how the Raiders are coming along when they meet in Week 1 of the preseason at Lumen Field on Aug. 7.

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