PHOENIX -- Fernando Mendoza won't start right away for the Las Vegas Raiders if coach Klint Kubiak has his way.
The Raiders are expected to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft next month. Mendoza led Indiana to its first national championship and became the overwhelming favorite to go first.
"Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1," Kubiak said Tuesday. "You'd love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That's in a perfect world. It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it's our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show."
Aidan O'Connell is the only other quarterback currently on the Raiders after the team traded Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett signed with the Panthers. Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson are among the veterans who remain unsigned.
Kubiak, who was the offensive coordinator for Super Bowl champion Seattle, replaced Pete Carroll and aims to rebuild a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since the AFC Championship Game following the 2002 season.
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It starts with landing a franchise quarterback.
"He's a national champion, he's a winner," Kubiak said of Mendoza. "He's quick. He's intelligent."
On defense, the Raiders still have five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby after his trade to Baltimore was voided because he failed a physical.
Kubiak said he smiled when general manager John Spytek gave him the news about the nixed deal.
"We got Maxx back. Are you kidding me? That's great. Our team just got better," Kubiak said.
Crosby was back at the team facility rehabbing his knee the next day and Kubiak sees him quite often.
"We're happy to have Maxx back on the team. He's the best player on our defense," Kubiak said. "He's going to be a leader on our team and a guy that we're counting on to go win a lot of games with him."
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