Geno Smith aims to bring stability and firepower to Raiders’ struggling offense

HENDERSON Nev AP The Raiders have been searching at quarterback since a messy divorce late in the season ended Derek Carr s nine-year reign And even Carr s tenure came up short of expectations with the company making the playoffs just twice Now the Raiders are counting on veteran Geno Smith to provide much-needed stability and add punch to an offense among the NFL s worst last season But he isn t expected to do it by himself in Las Vegas He has two potentially dynamic offensive weapons in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty as well as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers who comes off his first -yard season All three are and younger and Smith is closing in on as he enters his th season In this league every day you got to prove yourself not only to your guys but to the rest of the league Smith noted So for me when you re coming to a new association you got to set the standard set the example and it s through hard work I demanded to make sure that my guys know that I was going to be here of the time going to put all the work in going to maximize our information and just really put our best foot forward I m not a big talker I just want guys to kind of follow me through example and I just try to push myself push the guys and let the rest handle itself It may be a new city and a new group of teammates for Smith but there is a sense of familiarity as he goes back to work for coach Pete Carroll His career was in limbo when Carroll signed him in to join Seattle He became the starter in and led the NFL that season by completing of his passes while throwing for yards and touchdowns with interceptions He was named the AP Comeback Member of the Year and the Seahawks had winning records in all three seasons with Smith at the controls Smith threw for yards and touchdowns with interceptions last season but he failed to reach an agreement to stay in Seattle The Raiders acquired him in a March bargain in which they sent back a third-round draft pick The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback then signed a two-year million extension that takes him through the season Smith revealed at his introductory news conference that he had unfinished business given the way his time ended in Seattle He s such an all-in guy that there s no question what his commitment is and his conviction and so that just helps the message get embedded even more so Carroll revealed It s why he s so valuable to us Smith is a major reason why the Raiders have genuine hope they can improve an offense that last season ranked th in scoring and th in yardage Having Bowers and Jeanty in the lineup are two other notable reasons for such optimism Bowers was second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season to Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels Bowers set an NFL rookie record with catches for a first-year mark for a tight end with yards receiving and was named to the AP All-Pro company He s one of the better tight ends in the NFL Smith stated I can t give him the ball enough I feel bad every time I don t throw him the ball So I m just trying to make sure that I m maximizing his ability his talent because that s going to help our group Jeanty is expected to be the Raiders next Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate and in fact is the favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook Las Vegas took him sixth in this year s draft after Jeanty led the nation with yards and touchdowns rushing to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting Ashton is a smooth running back out of the backfield Smith revealed We ve seen what he can do against contact and developing tackles The thing that s really impressing me is his ability to catch out of the backfield He s a real natural in that aspect The NFL in the end is a quarterback-driven league and the onus ultimately will be on Smith to make all the pieces work in Chip Kelly s offense The Raiders have been searching for such a quarterback Maybe Smith is the answer Geno is a hell of a quarterback defensive end Maxx Crosby stated He s another guy that gets slept on for selected reason but Geno can play and he s super competitive Getting to see him and go against him every single day has been an awesome experience so far AP NFL https apnews com hub nfl Source