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.

We ain’t gotta worry about FM, not signed 2 weeks before camp is an embarrassment

Same with the CB, money should have been discussed before drafting an injury risk

^^^As far as I know, rookie contracts are strictly fixed and unalterable so the hold up is likely language related. The projected #1 pick has some special rules before the draft.

Can't believe the unnecessary hand wringing...the season can't start quick enough.

pfish57 wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2026 7:44 pm All this babble about throwing Mendoza to the wolves because we suck will ruin him for life is absolute BS if he is half what most of you say he is he will be okay & overcome...it's been done numerous times before lol

It's the injury part I'm concerned of and there are past NFL examples. The last thing I want to see on the football field is Mendoza taking the beating Geno did last year. There's a lot of factors to make it that bad and I like to think we are past those, but we'd have to see.

rich72 wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2026 8:04 pm We dont even know if he will be any good yet, im going to wait until I at least see how he plays in preseason before I get too hyped up. A lot of 1st qb picks bust out, so ill wait and see for now.

Same here. Given his college career, intangibles, work ethic, and the offense-minded coaching staff around him, I'm really hopeful, but you never know what you're going to get in the long run.

We've been so disappointed and embarrassed for so long, it seems only prudent to play the wait and see game.

SkullCrusher wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 7:21 am It's the injury part I'm concerned of and there are past NFL examples. The last thing I want to see on the football field is Mendoza taking the beating Geno did last year. There's a lot of factors to make it that bad and I like to think we are past those, but we'd have to see.

We have an indirect history of that too, DC's bro David took such a beating he was through.

raider_kin wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 6:20 pm We have an indirect history of that too, DC's bro David took such a beating he was through.

David took a huge beating that is true. But he was mentally weak, and he never recovered from that. His brother is equally mentally weak

Lets put some numbers to this:

I don't want to see Mendoza take more than 30 sacks and 60 hits playing 17 games, this is NFL average.

Geno basically took double that at 55 sacks and 112 hits in 15 games.

That exactly how much better the oline, coaching and play-calling needs to be. (And QB'ing to)

Then I want to see -5 and -10 to that in the coming years as we become an elite oline.

SkullCrusher wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 7:58 am Lets put some numbers to this:

I don't want to see Mendoza take more than 30 sacks and 60 hits playing 17 games, this is NFL average.

Geno basically took double that at 55 sacks and 112 hits in 15 games.

That exactly how much better the oline, coaching and play-calling needs to be. (And QB'ing to)

Yup...the success/failure of fixing our OL is paramount, mainly because if the OL is markedly better than last year it will greatly elevate the running game and if the running game excels, the passing game should follow suit.

And not to be ignored, if all of the above improves as we hope, it will in turn, take a lot of pressure off of our new look defense because they won't be on the field as much and won't be gassed midway through the 3rd quarter.

raidersince63 wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 8:10 am Yup...the success/failure of fixing our OL is paramount, mainly because if the OL is markedly better than last year it will greatly elevate the running game and if the running game excels, the passing game should follow suit.

And not to be ignored, if all of the above improves as we hope, it will in turn, take a lot of pressure off of our new look defense because they won't be on the field as much and won't be gassed midway through the 3rd quarter.

Exactly this and Kubiak stated exactly this in one of his interviews. On the other side of the ball he wants the defense first and foremost to shut down the run and make the opponent one dimensional...

16 to 88 wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 7:53 pm Exactly this and Kubiak stated exactly this in one of his interviews. On the other side of the ball he wants the defense first and foremost to shut down the run and make the opponent one dimensional...

Yeah, and I'm curious as to how well this new 3-4 defense will fair vs the run and how Max and Kwitty perform as well as the nose guard, whoever wins that spot ...could be a very exciting season, but I still expect some struggles, at least early on from both sides of the ball.

CBS has an interesting take on should Mendoza start or not. A former NFL head coach says he should and Tom Brady is saying within the article that he should not. Then they cover how rookie quarterbacks have done in the past. It’s a good read:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/supe ... a-starter/

Caleb Williams in one season went from 68 sack to 24.

This is gm'ing and coaching since Ben was super outgoing fixing their line as priority one.
Play calling and QB maturity.

From 5-12 to 11-6 and close divisional round loser.

So Pederson is using his treatment of Carson Wentz as his reasoning for starting Mendoza lol.

DanKD wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2026 1:58 pm So Pederson is using his treatment of Carson Wentz as his reasoning for starting Mendoza lol.

worked for josh allen whom is now probably the best qb in football...plus kubiaks system is very qb friendly ask sam darnold...im for fernando starting the yr game 1

^^^Luckily for the Raiders, you're not the GM or HC.