Geno Smith Trade and Other Notable Moves Made by the Raiders Since Tom Brady Became a Part Owner

The Las Vegas Raiders have been very active this offseason. The team began by hiring Pete Carroll as their new head coach, a legend with rings in both the NFL and college. Then, they offered Maxx Crosby an extension. And the cherry on top? They traded for Geno Smith to fill the void at quarterback and reunite him with Carroll. With all these moves, it’s hard to ignore the influence of the Tom Brady effect in Sin City.

Many believe the Raiders’ trade for Geno was a steal. They only had to part with a third-round pick to secure him and managed to talk Seattle down from their original offer, which included targeting Crosby. While Geno is coming off a down 2024 campaign, he’s still regarded as a solid starter, more than capable of getting the job done.

Speaking of Crosby, the Raiders made the decision to lock him up this past week. They signed him to a three-year, $106.5 million deal, with $91.5 million in guaranteed money. The deal makes Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. That’s probably why the Raiders laughed when Seattle asked for him in a trade — they always had a plan to make him a massive part of their future.

Following the Crosby deal, many may have missed another essential deal that the Raiders made the same day. For instance, they signed the former Bengals offensive lineman Alex Cappa to a two-year deal. Cappa won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay back in 2020. He’ll provide stability for Geno on the line.

The litany of moves has Las Vegas fans excited for the first time in a long time. Over the past three seasons, the Raiders have posted a record of 18-33, marking a disappointing stretch, to say the least.

Since moving to Vegas in 2020, the team has only made the playoffs once, and that was a one-and-done appearance. So, the excitement is palpable, and praise for Brady is pouring in as well. Some are even calling him the “GM.”

It’s hard to imagine that Brady doesn’t have his fingerprints on some of the recent moves. Though he’s only a partial owner, the sudden string of moves in the first offseason with him as part of the team is noteworthy. That said, it’s not like these signings guarantee a Super Bowl run. If anything, they make the Raiders formidable in the AFC West, but they’re still very beatable.

Crosby has been in-house for quite some time now and they haven’t been able to do much with him in terms of winning. And Geno could end up being another one-and-done journeyman quarterback like they’ve had at the helm the past few seasons.

Nobody is saying the Raiders are contenders now. But the moves are respectable, and they’re a good start for a rebuild.

It’ll be interesting to see what Carroll can get out of this Raiders squad in his first season. He’s 73 now; it’s a legitimate question if he has enough in the tank to rebuild another franchise like he did in Seattle. But the vibes right now are high in Vegas. Let’s see if they can ride that and surprise us in 2025.