Silver Minings: Raiders listed as NFL’s most-improved team by ESPN

Media is taking notice of the new and improved Raiders heading into the 2025 season

The Las Vegas Raiders have undergone some significant changes this offseason, most notably hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and trading for quarterback Geno Smith. Now, the mainstream media is taking notice as ESPN’s Ben Solak recently listed the Raiders as his most improved team in the NFL, citing Carroll and Smith as the primary reasons.

“No team made bigger strides at the two most important positions than the Raiders,” Solak wrote. “Geno Smith is multiple tiers better than Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, which should provide weekly above-average quarterback play. Pete Carroll is multiple tiers better at head coach than Antonio Pierce, who struggled with in-game and locker room management. Those changes alone should massively raise the Raiders’ floor, and the presence of potential offensive stars such as Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty elevate the ceiling.

“I expect the Raiders to be around .500 this season, so long as they endure the defensive departures.”

Las Vegas doubling its win total from the previous campaign to finish “around .500” would be a good accomplishment in year one of the Carroll and Smith era. That will be no easy feat in the tough AFC West, which projects to be one of the best divisions in football, again. But there’s plenty of reason to believe the Raiders can get the job done with the shakeups to the coaching staff and roster.

In Other Raiders’ Links:

• Jeanty’s projected stat line: Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay thinks the No. 6 overall pick will run for 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
• John Spytek urged to extend Kolton Miller: “Securing Kolton Miller with a new contract should be a top priority for the Raiders, as retaining a franchise left tackle is crucial for team performance and stability,” via BVM Sports. “Failing to address this could lead to disruptions during training camp and increased contract costs in the future.”
• Jeanty vs Penn State film breakdown: Silver and Black Pride dives into the running back’s worst performance in the box score last season to see if it was as bad as what meets the naked eye.
• Darien Porter, classic Raiders’ cornerback: “At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds with 4.3-flat speed in the 40-yard dash, his athletic profile makes him a classic Silver & Black cornerback,” Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria wrote. “Add in the 33 1/8 inch arms he boasts along with being a wide receiver initially in his first three years at Iowa State, Porter also is a classic Carroll corner.”