Fernando Mendoza Welcome To Las Vegas

[Sold My Soul]

Call your shot....or add your own.

Dante Moore:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Dante-Moore-QB-UCLA

Fernando Mendoza:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Fer ... California

May the football godz look kindly down upon the feeble and inept.

[16 to 88]

I don't believe there is a set agenda regarding Fernando's accession other than it is contingent on the progress of the OL. Even if Mendoza has a phenomenal training camp and pre-season I doubt he would start if the line doesn't gel.

This will sound callous, but AOC's greatest value to the team is that it really doesn't matter if he gets injured. Obviously no one wants that but he adds serviceable depth until he doesn't.

The OL, it's seems a little tricky to me. If the OL is middle of the pack and Mendoza is moved up to #2 to start the season and Cousins goes down right away now you can't bring in AO and it has to be Mendoza. If someone gets hurt on the OL and the shuffling begins now you have your #1 overall and hopeful "guy" under center playing behind a shaky OL. If our OL was already in place I wouldn't be surprised if they let a game or two or five play out and then bring him in. There are just so many questions surrounding it. I cannot state this enough, we need to be formidable at running the ball.

[chucker]

The OL, it's seems a little tricky to me. If the OL is middle of the pack and Mendoza is moved up to #2 to start the season and Cousins goes down right away now you can't bring in AO and it has to be Mendoza. If someone gets hurt on the OL and the shuffling begins now you have your #1 overall and hopeful "guy" under center playing behind a shaky OL. If our OL was already in place I wouldn't be surprised if they let a game or two or five play out and then bring him in. There are just so many questions surrounding it. I cannot state this enough, we need to be formidable at running the ball.

Promoting Mendoza is easy, demoting him is hard. There's nothing wrong with having the strategy that he's low on the depth chart until the team decides that they are ready for him to play every snap, every game.

[chucker]

It's pretty funny at this point seeing the OP on every page asking whether it should be Moore or Mendoza.

[Raiders Baby]

^I also like speculating about pairing Micah Parsons with Maxx every time I open the “around the NFL” thread

[Hellbound]

Promoting Mendoza is easy, demoting him is hard. There's nothing wrong with having the strategy that he's low on the depth chart until the team decides that they are ready for him to play every snap, every game.

It's always fun to play with the shiny new toy but now is not the time to be impatient with him. Im not saying everything has to be perfectly set up for him, but we've seen what happens when qbs are thrown in there before they're ready or the oline completely sucks

[raidersince63]

It's always fun to play with the shiny new toy but now is not the time to be impatient with him. Im not saying everything has to be perfectly set up for him, but we've seen what happens when qbs are thrown in there before they're ready or the oline completely sucks

Agreed, and most people also agree...including management.

[Opoponax50]

It's always fun to play with the shiny new toy but now is not the time to be impatient with him. Im not saying everything has to be perfectly set up for him, but we've seen what happens when qbs are thrown in there before they're ready or the oline completely sucks

My opinion on this has always been that Cousins should start and that Mendoza should be brought along until the coaching staff thinks he'll be okay enough to get on the field. It was when people here started saying that our first round, first pick QB should sit behind O'Connell that it became silly. If Cousins goes down or is just mediocre-to-bad, then Mendoza needs to be put out there.

Under no circumstance should O'Connell be put in before Mendoza. I agree that throwing a rookie into the fire is a bad idea, but you can't bubblewrap the kid either.

[raidersince63]

My opinion on this has always been that Cousins should start and that Mendoza should be brought along until the coaching staff thinks he'll be okay enough to get on the field. It was when people here started saying that our first round, first pick QB should sit behind O'Connell that it became silly. If Cousins goes down or is just mediocre-to-bad, then Mendoza needs to be put out there.

Under no circumstance should O'Connell be put in before Mendoza. I agree that throwing a rookie into the fire is a bad idea, but you can't bubblewrap the kid either.

So if the Raiders OL has not jelled and Cousins keeps getting the shit kicked out of him and goes down with an injury, you think the best move is to hastily throw Mendo, to the dogs and into a chaotic situation instead of letting AOC take the licks instead?

Sounds very irresponsible to me and I can't believe management would agree with you either.

[Attyla]

My opinion on this has always been that Cousins should start and that Mendoza should be brought along until the coaching staff thinks he'll be okay enough to get on the field. It was when people here started saying that our first round, first pick QB should sit behind O'Connell that it became silly. If Cousins goes down or is just mediocre-to-bad, then Mendoza needs to be put out there.

Under no circumstance should O'Connell be put in before Mendoza. I agree that throwing a rookie into the fire is a bad idea, but you can't bubblewrap the kid either.

There is a path for O'Connell to start over Mendoza but it would be because the line has not gelled. But then again, you cannot protect these guys from injury and Mendoza was pretty tough at Cal with a line that was horrible. I do want to see him successful and that only happens once he starts. And learning under some duress has some merit.

And we got to take into consideration that while Mendoza is a brilliant mind, learning the book and executing the book are two different things so that could be a factor, as unlikely as I think.

[BoKnows81]

If there is ZERO improvement in the OL, then management has failed miserably. Simple n plain. People also seem to forget that the QB affects the line play too. I have no faith that a 37 year old washed up Kirk Cousins or cement footed 3rd stringer Aidan O'Connell will do the line any favors. At least we know Mendoza is mobile, can and will get the ball out quickly and accurately. That matters.

Mendoza starts over O'Connell in every imagineable universe. Stop overthinking it.

[raider_kin]

My opinion on this has always been that Cousins should start and that Mendoza should be brought along until the coaching staff thinks he'll be okay enough to get on the field. It was when people here started saying that our first round, first pick QB should sit behind O'Connell that it became silly. If Cousins goes down or is just mediocre-to-bad, then Mendoza needs to be put out there.

Under no circumstance should O'Connell be put in before Mendoza. I agree that throwing a rookie into the fire is a bad idea, but you can't bubblewrap the kid either.

thank the old gods and the new that you are not in charge

[mranquales]

The longer we wait to play him, the worst it's going to be. The OL argument has SOME merit, but that's only due to perception of skill based on him not having time to do anything. Same as Jeanty, give him space to do ANYTHING and he looks like a completely different player.

[rich72]

So if the Raiders OL has not jelled and Cousins keeps getting the shit kicked out of him and goes down with an injury, you think the best move is to hastily throw Mendo, to the dogs and into a chaotic situation instead of letting AOC take the licks instead?

Sounds very irresponsible to me and I can't believe management would agree with you either.

Our O-line was shit last year because Pete Carrols incompetent son was in charge of it. He isnt even a real coach. Our O-line will be great this season.

[raidersince63]

Our O-line was shit last year because Pete Carrols incompetent son was in charge of it. He isnt even a real coach. Our O-line will be great this season.

I hope you are right. But until that becomes reality, we can't know that for sure.

[Opoponax50]

So if the Raiders OL has not jelled and Cousins keeps getting the shit kicked out of him and goes down with an injury, you think the best move is to hastily throw Mendo, to the dogs and into a chaotic situation instead of letting AOC take the licks instead?

Sounds very irresponsible to me and I can't believe management would agree with you either.

Yes, he needs to get in the game and take his lumps just like everyone else has to when a starter goes down. He's a football player, not a hunting dog who won first prize at the Westminster Dog Show but will never be taken hunting because he has more value as a trophy dog.

I've said it before but it bears repeating. If the kid is third on the depth chart, it'll likely mean that O'Connell handily beat him out for the backup spot, which in turn means that something's very wrong with our #1 pick.

I think Cousins should start for an indeterminate amount of time, but how long that'll be will depend on how he's playing. He's looked pretty washed and he's immobile, but maybe that's because of coaching, the players around him, injury recovery, etc. He may come out and play very well. OTOH, maybe he comes out and is clearly not up to the job. If that's the case then we need to see what we have in Mendoza so that he begin developing.

Things are never going to be ideal for any No. 1 pick in the draft. They get picked there for a reason.