Raiderstation

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.

Corleone wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 1:01 pm

Good watch if you want some Mendoza kool aid.

Kiper compares Fernando to Peyton Manning and says FM would be in the running to go #1 in any draft year.

Yeah that's gushing. Went to Peyton a lot. Who was that top prospect before Peyton, like John Elroy?

Raidernation1979 wrote: Sun Feb 15, 2026 2:57 pm I know a lot of people love Caleb but I don’t see it.

He’s good but incredibly overrated at this point. Where he deserves credit is in the clutch… he seemed to come through when he needed to.

Where he’s overrated is that he’s still not particularly good beyond the backyard ball stuff. The bears did a great job mitigating his efficiency issues with a great running game and great o-line. You can get away with a 58% completion when you’re running for 5 yards a carry. You can get away with a 3+ second average time to throw when you’ve got a really good line.

Obviously every QB is going to be better with a ground game and blocking. I think Caleb’s ability to run a functional offence is still very much dependant on a great line and ground game. The time to throw and completion percentage quickly become sacks and punts absent that supporting cast

Southshield wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 8:09 pm

Legit had no idea Jim Rome was still around.

Corleone wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 1:01 pm

Good watch if you want some Mendoza kool aid.

Kiper compares Fernando to Peyton Manning and says FM would be in the running to go #1 in any draft year.

I love hearing positive assessments of Mendoza, but a positive assessment from Kiper didn’t work out so well last time we had the first overall pick. Most draft mediots had doubts on Jamarcus but kiper was calling him a future HOFer.

chucker wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 8:51 pm I love hearing positive assessments of Mendoza, but a positive assessment from Kiper didn’t work out so well last time we had the first overall pick. Most draft mediots had doubts on Jamarcus but kiper was calling him a future HOFer.

I try to stomach his podcast every draft season so I was able to hear how he felt a few weeks ago. He didn’t become a big Mendoza guy until Moore decided not to declare and Mendo became the obvious #1 QB.

People within the Raiders organization were far from unamimous with taking JaMarcus Russell 1st overall. In fact Kiffin didn't want him at all. Nineteen years later I am pretty sure everyone wants Fernando across the board from the goofy owner to the guy emptying the garbage cans at night.

It inspires a lot of confidence in the kid when he is the consensus the pick.

Sorry to highjack the Mendoza post, but I read a couple of takes on Williams. Let me preface this by saying I think he is a douche bag (at least when he was in college). He played behind one of the worst OL's in recent memory in college. He still made it work. He improved dramatically from year one to year 2 despite the Bears not having a ton of skill players (please do not trade Max for Moore who blows). The kid is very clutch. The play he made in the playoffs was one of the top highlights in the NFL in a long time. I really think this kid has a chance to be a top QB in the league (actually 2nd behind Mendoza). He is a STUD and can do anything on the field.

One thing I like about Fernando is you don't just get Indiana tape. He has a resume at Cal also. A team not as good, not as well coached etc. He played Caleb Williams in 2023 and nearly got the win. He threw a pick and had a fumble on a read option exchange, but otherwise played very well. Cal had another fumble on a punt return, their RB fumbled & they got stuffed on a 4th and short. They lost in a high scoring game by one point. Mendoza led a game tying drive, scoring a touchdown. Instead of kicking the extra point they decided to go for two for the win with 45-50 seconds left. Nobody was open on the play with pressure closing in, Mendoza throws up a prayer but it falls incomplete. Great game

USC 50 Cal 49 2023
Miami 39 Cal 38 2024

Mendoza played the 2024 #1 pick & the 2025 #1 pick and lost both games by a point on a California team that was pretty meh. Interesting bit of info

RI RAIDER wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 11:37 pm Sorry to highjack the Mendoza post, but I read a couple of takes on Williams. Let me preface this by saying I think he is a douche bag (at least when he was in college). He played behind one of the worst OL's in recent memory in college. He still made it work. He improved dramatically from year one to year 2 despite the Bears not having a ton of skill players (please do not trade Max for Moore who blows). The kid is very clutch. The play he made in the playoffs was one of the top highlights in the NFL in a long time. I really think this kid has a chance to be a top QB in the league (actually 2nd behind Mendoza). He is a STUD and can do anything on the field.

Are you talking about a Hail Mary heave that somehow had zero coverage around it?

Raidernation1979 wrote: Thu Feb 19, 2026 4:12 am Are you talking about a Hail Mary heave that somehow had zero coverage around it?

I am talking about running for 10 seconds while being hunted in the backfield and throwing a 40 plus yard pass in the playoffs with the season on the line.

RI RAIDER wrote: Thu Feb 19, 2026 4:18 am I am talking about running for 10 seconds while being hunted in the backfield and throwing a 40 plus yard pass in the playoffs with the season on the line.

Ok. Yes the Hail Mary throw that left a guy completely uncovered. Running away and retreating then heaving a Hail Mary style pass is pure luck. Not skill

Raidernation1979 wrote: Thu Feb 19, 2026 4:28 am Ok. Yes the Hail Mary throw that left a guy completely uncovered. Running away and retreating then heaving a Hail Mary style pass is pure luck. Not skill

You be you.

Raidernation1979 wrote: Thu Feb 19, 2026 4:28 am Ok. Yes the Hail Mary throw that left a guy completely uncovered. Running away and retreating then heaving a Hail Mary style pass is pure luck. Not skill

I'm not a huge Caleb fan yet but there's not many QBs that have that ability to escape like that and make that throw. That he deserves credit for and is absolutely skill based. Calling that play pure luck is a lazy argument.

BoKnows81 wrote: Thu Feb 19, 2026 5:03 am I'm not a huge Caleb fan yet but there's not many QBs that have that ability to escape like that though and make that throw. . That he deserves credit for and is absolutely skill. Calling that play pure luck is a lazy argument.

We can disagree. He ran backwards and then heaved a Hail Mary pass. The lack of coverage was the skill? That ball should have never been competed and if it was against us everyone would be blaming the coverage. The dude is not a good quarterback. He will make some highlight reel plays but he can’t sit in the pocket and beat the defense routinely.

Anyway this thread is about Mendoza who thankfully is the anti Caleb. Back to our regularly scheduled programming