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Let's grade the Raiders' trade for Geno Smith: Why there's a lot of risk -- on both sides

Seth WalderMar 7, 2025, 09:05 PM ET

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Just days before free agency began, the quarterback carousel lurched in a way that almost no one expected. Geno Smith, the longtime backup who became a reliable starter for the Seattle Seahawks under then-head coach Pete Carroll, is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite with Carroll in exchange for a third-round pick. Suddenly, the Raiders have a quarterback and the Seahawks are looking for one.

To determine each grade, I am evaluating moves based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, compensation, player value/age and the context of a team's short- and long-term outlooks. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we it's a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team's chance to win the Super Bowl, either this season or in the future?

More Smith coverage:

Seven big questions on the Geno Smith trade

Grading the trade

Raiders get: QB Geno Smith

Seahawks get: 2025 third-round pick (No. 92 overall)

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