The Las Vegas Raiders set themselves up for success next year by solving their quarterback issue in trading for Geno Smith. Smith propels this roster to possibly compete for a playoff spot in what is expected to be a brutal AFC West division.
They traded one of their third-round picks in the upcoming draft for him, and while he is better than any other quarterback they fielded last year, Smith doesn't give them a timeline for the future. I believe Pete Carroll and John Spytek are trying to build a solid foundation for the Raiders.
Smith goes along with that plan, as he comes in and elevates their offense and rejuvenates this franchise, but only for the next couple of years. He's an older quarterback and prone to injury, they cannot move forward with him being their only realistic option.
They have Aidan O'Connell as their backup, which hypothetically could be their future, but if they were confident in him, they wouldn't have traded for Smith in the first place. He's been given too many opportunities to show the front office that he's their guy, and the fact that they're not showing confidence in him means he likely isn't their future
Where does that leave the Raiders? They have a high draft pick, but talented players are needed to fill many other positions on their roster. They could use the sixth overall pick to draft a productive and young wide receiver next season for Smith and beyond.
The Raiders showed aggressiveness in securing their quarterback for next year by trading for him, why can't they do the same for the quarterback of the future? Joe Milton III is the backup for the New England Patriots, and I think they should trade for him to be their future starting quarterback.
The Patriots don't need him and could be open to trading him for draft capital. The Raiders have one more pick in the third round; I think they should use it to trade for Milton III. He has insane physical tools and had very little playing time, but he made the most of it and threw impressive throws all over the field.
He's perfect for the Raiders because he's in no rush to be their starter. Smith could mentor him while he's the backup, and Carroll could work with him to develop those traits that he has and work on his deficiencies.
