Many figured that Geno Smith would be the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback for at least a few years when they traded for him. The team even recently gave him a two-year contract extension.
However, the Raiders appear to be keeping their options open. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Las Vegas is only really committed to Smith for two years at most and could even get off his contract after one season.
Smith is a good quarterback but if the Raiders think they can find an upgrade at the position in the draft, the new contract isn't going to stop them.
Florio believes that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders still makes a lot of sense in Las Vegas.
"There’s a chance Sanders won’t be on the board at No. 6," Florio wrote. "If he is, and if the Raiders believe he can be the long-term answer, the Smith contract doesn’t keep them from doing it.
"Bottom line? It doesn’t rule Sanders out. It doesn’t rule Sanders in. Ultimately, the Smith contract shouldn’t affect the decision, one way or the other."
If the Raiders did draft Sanders, they could sit him behind Smith for a season and either explore trading him next offseason or cutting him outright.
That said, it's still an unlikely scenario. First, Sanders needs to fall to No. 6, which isn't a guarantee. Secondly, the Raiders may be more inclined to use a later-round pick on a quarterback prospect with more athletic upside than Sanders like Alabama's Jalen Milroe.
