Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast discusses the state of the Silver and Black from the fans perspective.
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00:00 Hey everybody welcome back to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:07 I'm your host Hondo Carpenter.
00:08 Good Tuesday to you as you know I'm in San Antonio tonight.
00:12 Obviously not.
00:13 I'm taping this before San Antonio but I'll be in San Antonio tonight meeting with the
00:17 fans from 6 to 7 30.
00:19 It's still not too late but you got to RSVP go to the black hole chapter of San Antonio.
00:24 If you look at my social media there's a place to RSVP 100 percent free.
00:29 Still got a chance to get in if it's before 6 central.
00:32 I've been promising to do this for a long time and I wanted to and just the way the
00:38 season progressed and everything it took a while but I wanted to bring in a couple of
00:42 fans because I want you guys to have your voice heard.
00:47 I have often said one of the things that's most irritating to me as a member of the media
00:52 is when media talk down to fans.
00:55 We don't have a job without you guys.
00:58 And I can also tell you that just because someone isn't in the media doesn't mean they're
01:02 stupid.
01:03 Doesn't mean they're talking about.
01:05 So I invited two gentlemen and only going to use their first name but first of all me
01:08 do you Thomas Thomas I appreciate you taking the time to join us today my friend and I
01:14 don't you don't have to tell me where you're at now although I'm jealous.
01:18 Tell everybody where you from where do you live.
01:22 Well currently I live in New Marizona.
01:24 Currently I'm from upstate New York about an hour and a half away from Buffalo.
01:30 You married those last days I was stationed.
01:33 So if you have time for a short story I guess that I grew up about an hour and a half away
01:38 from Buffalo.
01:39 I was a Bills fan as a kid about six seven years old.
01:43 I was watching a football game where the Bills were playing.
01:47 They weren't doing so well and the fans were booing Jim Kelly.
01:51 So he kind of not quite gave him the finger but you know the little arm and you know stuff
01:56 like that.
01:57 And from that like you know as a child that broke my heart.
02:01 So immediately I went to the biggest rival of the Bills at the time which was Raiders
02:06 and ever since die hard.
02:10 Awesome now I didn't know that you were in the military.
02:13 Thank you for your service.
02:14 What branch did you serve my friend.
02:16 The Marine Corps.
02:17 Well man thank you so much for serving our country.
02:20 It's people like you that let us celebrate free speech every day.
02:24 Now Justin where are you from.
02:27 I'm in Spokane Washington.
02:30 Oh man.
02:31 OK that's a beautiful part of the country.
02:32 I like going up there for NCAA tournament games.
02:35 How long you been a Raiders fan Justin.
02:39 Since my mom turned on the TV and we used to watch the games I would say 83 I remember
02:44 Super Bowl time.
02:47 Awesome well thank you both for being here.
02:49 We're going to talk about a couple subjects that I want to talk to you about as fans and
02:53 then I'm going to give each of you both of you an opportunity to kind of share your thoughts
02:58 your perspective of where you think the Raiders are today.
03:02 Thomas I'm going to start with you.
03:04 Your thoughts.
03:05 I was an advocate and again I told you guys before the show this is not a you have to
03:10 agree with me.
03:11 I don't have a problem with dissenting opinions.
03:13 I'm not God.
03:14 I was an advocate for AP getting the job.
03:18 I am never a fan for a coach with no experience getting a job like the Raiders.
03:24 You don't come here to learn because there's too much of a learning curve.
03:27 But because he got that interim I was very much an advocate of it.
03:33 I think it was a great move.
03:35 What was your opinion of it Thomas.
03:38 I loved it.
03:39 You know just even talking about it now hearing you say AP just gives me chills.
03:44 You know listen to his speeches listen to him talk reading what he has to say.
03:49 You know even just as a fan makes you want to run through a brick wall for him do whatever
03:53 you can for him.
03:54 Let's black out the stadium every game type of thing.
03:57 So I can only imagine what it does for the for the players in the locker room.
04:01 So he yeah.
04:03 And you know even when there was all the Jim Harbaugh rumors and stuff like that going
04:08 around I said you know even if he doesn't get the Raiders head job I thought he deserved
04:13 to be a coach somewhere.
04:16 Totally agree with you.
04:17 You Justin what are your thoughts on it.
04:21 Yeah I'm I'm stoked excited just like the teammates are.
04:24 I mean yeah I'm with you on like you know someone who doesn't have that experience as
04:30 head coach.
04:32 But I think he has the pieces around him to you know build a good roster and start winning
04:40 football games.
04:41 I you know the Patrick Graham thing was a huge thing there.
04:46 Wanted to keep him.
04:47 I thought with him and AP they can build something you know solidify something that's you know
04:55 going to be for years and years to come.
04:56 Hopefully I mean we never know but.
05:00 All right Thomas I'm going to ask you the second question and Justin I'll ask it of
05:03 you as well but Aiden O'Connell had a terrific rookie campaign.
05:10 Now I throw out the first game in L.A. you know I'm there every day I'm covering the
05:14 team Josh McDaniels did not alter the system.
05:18 He didn't have.
05:20 So to me it was first of all he outplayed Herbert and but you know didn't look good
05:27 but his coach didn't help him.
05:29 But when you look at when he was given those nine games he goes three and one to finish
05:32 five and four overall eight touchdowns no interceptions coming down.
05:38 Now I have said they need to draft a quarterback because they're not bringing Jimmy and Brian
05:43 back.
05:44 I've been saying that since the season before the season was even over.
05:49 So I'm not saying he's Kenny Stabler.
05:51 We haven't seen enough but I haven't seen enough to say he isn't.
05:55 I think you go draft a guy and you tell Aiden which I'll talk about a little bit here in
06:01 a minute.
06:02 You've got to go work on more mobility whether it's sliding away or running.
06:06 But you have an open competition and go again.
06:11 I think you keep Aiden in the competition.
06:13 Let somebody win it.
06:15 I like competition.
06:16 I think competition is good.
06:18 Thomas can you give me your opinion please.
06:20 I love Aiden.
06:23 Everything that he did you know with the exception of mobility of course but the fact that he
06:28 had the heart to stand in there and take the take the hits and you know.
06:33 So I I really appreciate everything he did for the team.
06:36 I think that you know if we can't get the quarterback that like the Jaden Daniels and
06:45 or whoever that the team is really focused on then sign of I say sign a veteran let Aiden
06:52 compete and get keep him protected and get him some opportunities to throw the ball.
06:59 I think he's done a fantastic job finding open receivers.
07:02 I mean just looking at what he was able to do against the Chargers that I mean that tells
07:07 you that shows you what he's able to do.
07:10 I think the Chargers at that time kind of gave up in order to get their coach fired
07:16 similar to what the Raiders seem to have done in the beginning of the season get rid of
07:19 Josh McDaniels.
07:20 So yeah maybe you can't take too much of what happened that game but I think very much Aiden
07:29 showed what he can do when he's being protected.
07:33 How about you Justin?
07:34 What what what are your thoughts on Aiden?
07:36 What are your thoughts on drafting a quarterback?
07:37 What do you think?
07:39 Well first off I think Aiden was a fourth round pick.
07:42 He outplayed that pick number.
07:45 He came in there.
07:47 He's got control of the huddle.
07:48 You know Tay said that.
07:50 Other receivers offensive line told you know after game said that they like what they see
07:56 out of the kid.
07:57 He's a gunslinger.
08:00 He's calm cool collective playing the game.
08:05 I mean I remember Russell Wilson his first year he had it.
08:08 He had to go against some guys in the training camp with the Hawks and you know he lit it
08:14 up that year but he worked on footwork all offseason.
08:17 So I wouldn't be surprised.
08:18 Aiden's in there you know doing those things that he needs to do to be an even better quarterback.
08:26 When it comes to this year though we are starving for quarterback competition.
08:30 He needs he needs a veteran's presence in there.
08:35 Drafting a quarterback it looks like this is the year to do it.
08:39 But you know in previous drafts you don't know what you're getting.
08:42 You know you know talk about like Stroud what he did this year.
08:48 But it's all about you know the salary cap and whatnot.
08:51 I mean we get we release let's say we release Garoppolo we release Renfro that leaves about
08:57 25 million right there.
09:00 I think the future is bright but this year we're going to be quarterback focused.
09:03 Last year we were defensively focused and it showed that during the season.
09:08 It's going to actually be more than 25 because releasing Jimmy is going to release 22.5 million
09:14 alone.
09:15 You go guys.
09:17 Yeah.
09:18 So guys I want to get to a different subject.
09:22 Everybody says let's just go to the top of the draft and pick one of those guys.
09:27 But here's the problem.
09:29 60 percent of quarterbacks who are drafted in the first round fail.
09:35 And so it's not just going up.
09:39 That's no guarantee that you're going to get a generational franchise quarterback.
09:46 And so here's my question to you.
09:49 If the Raiders think that Drake May and Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels are all generational
09:57 picks then you try to move to three.
10:01 But if they're only convinced two are then at least you've got to get to two.
10:05 But the problem is the commanders are probably not going to move off of their number two
10:09 pick according to what I'm hearing.
10:12 So that means if you don't think there are three you've got to get to one.
10:18 Now a lot of people are talking about a couple of years ago that the 49ers moved from 12
10:27 to three and it cost them three first rounders in a second.
10:32 The Raiders are at 13 not at 12.
10:36 And oh by the way they want to move to number one.
10:39 I mean allegedly I'm saying if they want to go get number one where there's a lot of people
10:44 vying.
10:45 I was told now we're airing this on Tuesday.
10:48 Today we're taping it is Saturday morning.
10:51 But I was told I don't remember now if it's Thursday night or Friday forgive me I haven't
10:55 slept much.
10:56 But I was told to move up right now they think it would take three ones and three twos which
11:05 is a humongous cost.
11:09 And because so this is my question to you as a Raider fan is there somebody up there
11:18 that you think is such a generational talent that you're willing to throw away two ones
11:25 because the one you'd be giving up is this year and you'd be trading it two ones and
11:30 three twos to go get that player.
11:35 Or would you rather sit back maybe get somebody else in the first round JJ McCarthy someone
11:40 else or somebody in the second and sign a veteran.
11:42 But keep all that draft talent because your team is not that far and clearly you're not
11:48 rebuilding.
11:49 Thomas I'd like your answer first please.
11:53 You know I think it's too I think it's too costly.
11:55 I think there's all I won't say that there's a lot of holes to fill but there's a lot of
12:02 opportunity to create competition throughout the team.
12:05 I don't think we need to trade up to the top three spots.
12:09 I think there's opportunity to like you said bring in a veteran somebody that can kind
12:15 of teach Aiden how to how to scramble.
12:17 Like if he has everything else all the other tools in a sense necessary and he just needs
12:23 to learn how to scramble.
12:25 Let him cook let him let him get back there and and show us what he can do.
12:30 But bring in somebody that can you know we also have to account for injuries and stuff
12:35 like that.
12:36 So yeah I don't think it's I think it's too much to trade up that much especially with
12:43 you know the Raiders are known for bringing in you know talented players that have been
12:51 in the league for a few years and they've been real successful.
12:55 Rich Gannon one of my favorite players you know look what he's done when he was with
12:59 the Raiders.
13:00 So something like that I don't like I said I don't think we need to trade up that far.
13:06 What do you think Justin?
13:08 I agree with Thomas there.
13:10 Yeah just and what you said I mean look at you just explained the draft capital we have
13:15 to give up.
13:16 I mean it's just too much.
13:18 We have too many holes this and that.
13:20 I think a guy that has been on my mind I'm just going to say it that could be possible
13:27 you know aspect for us is Gardner Minshew.
13:31 You know depending on what his cost is and whatnot I mean he's growing as a quarterback.
13:37 It's not being talked a lot about.
13:40 So someone like that then maybe you know see where we're at in the board.
13:46 We're doing a lot of reach picks lately.
13:48 I understand we're looking at a quarterback position but the drafts that I you know I
13:52 sit down and get excited for.
13:55 You know it's a lot of them in the last say five six years been reach picks.
14:01 But at the end of the day yeah we we need the right people around us the right right
14:05 scouting.
14:07 I mean I don't know who that guy would be.
14:10 It just I don't want to waste that draft capital.
14:13 All right gentlemen I want your your opinion on this.
14:16 I was talking to an NFL executive this past week who told me that the Raiders are in a
14:22 very prime spot.
14:26 This person said to me that it seems to be because they don't draft.
14:36 Because there's going to be a run on quarterbacks and this person only believes in his team
14:42 has no issues at quarterback.
14:44 They draft very well so I trust their opinion more than others.
14:48 Just like if you want to know what it's like to be in the Marines you're not going to ask
14:51 me we're going to ask you Thomas but this person's team has drafted quarterback very
14:55 well.
14:56 They only have two quarterbacks for the first round grade.
15:00 They think at 13 if the Raiders just let it flow to them.
15:05 They said they're going to get a great immediate starter.
15:09 There's two starting corners and Terry and Arnold and Kool Aid from Alabama.
15:15 There's Latham.
15:16 Many believe they're from Alabama the best right tackle and many others.
15:20 They're not the only ones.
15:21 They just said there's a plethora of talent.
15:23 They're going to get they can get a starting lineman whatever if they stay there.
15:29 And I found that to be very fascinating.
15:32 So I'm going to ask the two of you now as the Raiders approach this draft and they're
15:39 looking at this draft what is it that you want to see them come away the most with and
15:45 let's start with you Justin.
15:49 Well I want our mind still to be on our focus to still be on the quarterback for the right
15:55 deal.
15:56 But if it goes if it's a reach or whatever it is or we got to give up too much cap draft
16:01 capital then I'm I'm saying with the corner position I think that or you know linebacker
16:11 just to build that core up a little bit and you know right tackle somewhere in there.
16:17 So all right.
16:18 How about you Thomas.
16:19 What would you like to see.
16:21 What's the narrative of this draft that you want to see sir.
16:25 I'd say best player available when it comes to the first in the first round.
16:29 You know do we need to whether it's somebody that could get after the quarterback or somebody
16:34 to protect the quarterback.
16:36 I think our secondary is looks pretty good.
16:39 Absolutely I would be willing to take a take a chance on a on a cool laid like I mean you
16:47 take the best player available essentially regardless of position because getting more
16:54 competition in those spots is exactly what you know Raiders football is all about getting
16:59 in there and just grinding it out every Sunday and through the week.
17:03 You know the you know they say you know so I can't even think of a sharp steel sharpened
17:10 steel.
17:11 But when you're when you got that defender going like Max Crosby you know with that motor
17:17 going up against his offense alignment every week in practice they're just going to get
17:22 better.
17:23 So the better players are going to help the other players get better.
17:26 So I say take the best player available.
17:29 All right now I want to talk to you guys about Luke Getzey.
17:34 You both are aware I'm assuming because you you follow me on Twitter that when the Raiders
17:39 got him I talked about this is a guy that should be a head coach in the NFL and I got
17:44 mocked a lot because of what happened with the Giants.
17:47 But the problem is we've all worked jobs where we had bosses that probably shouldn't have
17:53 been in that spot.
17:55 But if you looked at what he did before the Giants and then last year I talked about it
17:59 was great that Patrick Graham was back.
18:01 I got a lot of mocking there.
18:04 But now people have gotten to see and so in comes a Luke Getzey who prior to Chicago was
18:11 considered one of the best up and coming offensive coordinators in the game of football helped
18:17 develop Devontae was very big with Matt LaFleur and Mike McCarthy in the Green Bay Packers
18:24 and Luke Getzey was talking yesterday on a call I was a part of about he'd never met
18:32 AP before but he goes into the interview and AP puts the game film up of the Chicago game
18:37 and says what did you see in us that with a UDFA quarterback you were able to beat us.
18:42 He won AP's heart.
18:45 He he's a guy that again if you look at his last stop it's not good but that doesn't make
18:51 him a bad coach.
18:52 I like the hire of Getzey.
18:55 I'm not saying he would have been my first choice.
18:57 I was not a big fan on Cliff for a lot of different reasons and I don't need to get
19:04 into just other issues but I believed you know AP is going to should have the right
19:10 to pick whoever he wants.
19:11 It's his staff.
19:12 I like the hire of Getzey.
19:14 What's your thoughts Thomas.
19:17 You know my thought is like you said about you know you weren't in the Marines so somebody's
19:26 not going to ask you about what it's like to be a Marine just the same way as I'm not
19:29 head coach.
19:30 I'm not a so AP found an offensive coordinator to run his offense and I think he chose the
19:38 right person because he knows better than I do in situations like that.
19:43 I think I'm going to take what he does and I'm going to say I trust what he's I trust
19:51 his decision making.
19:53 He's a head coach for a reason.
19:55 Yeah.
19:56 Like throughout the season everybody's complaining oh he should have done this.
20:00 Yeah he's never been a head coach so he doesn't know how to make he doesn't know all those
20:03 in-game decisions that that's tough for anybody.
20:06 But now he has Marvin Lewis right there to help him out.
20:10 And so I think at the end of the day you have to trust AP.
20:15 You want him to be your coach.
20:16 Well then you're going to you're going to have to accept his decisions and I fully support
20:20 anything that AP does because like I said fans and players run willing to run through
20:26 a brick wall for that man.
20:28 How can you how can you question his decision making already.
20:31 I'll tell you I got to agree with you as a person that knows him personally and I consider
20:37 him a friend just one of the finest people you ever meet in your life.
20:42 He's just a straight up good guy.
20:46 Justin again your impressions.
20:47 What do you think of Luke Getty.
20:51 I'm OK.
20:52 I'm OK for you know I just want him to show his work on the field again.
20:56 Last year the Bears had a rocky start and then you saw when they let Justin loose out
21:03 there let him play his game you know put people in plays and packages that they do the best
21:11 on you know the Bears were competitive towards the end of the year.
21:17 I did get excited about you know Kingsbury and everything like that.
21:22 I'm a USC fan deep down so that's kind of where it's at but I don't know if the Raiders
21:29 nickel and dimed him or how that all turned out but you know I'm excited just like just
21:37 knowing that AP is excited and we'll see where it goes.
21:41 I mean you know there was huge Jackson talks in there too that very creative mind mindset
21:48 you know you got Lewis like Thomas said we put all those heads together and see what
21:54 we can accomplish on the on game day.
21:57 You know I totally agree with that.
21:59 All right I'm going to start with you Justin and I want to just know what are your thoughts
22:06 on the state of the Raider team.
22:08 And what what what are you thinking.
22:11 What do you like.
22:12 I want to hear from you.
22:14 I would love you.
22:15 I know what mine is but sometimes I'm so in the forest that I'm so looking at the trees
22:20 I miss the forest because I'm super close to it.
22:22 I'd love to just hear your perspective as a fan.
22:25 What do you think of the state of the Raiders.
22:28 Well I'm going to start back with Al Davis here.
22:32 Commitment to excellence pride and poise and just win baby.
22:36 We get back to our roots.
22:38 But I mean that's just not throwing long bombs and all that stuff.
22:42 It's the defense the swagger the toughness you know the relentlessness.
22:50 I mean just we want to scare teams again offensive defensively and special teams all three phases.
23:00 We've been really messy when it comes to building our teams and I mean we got we got talent
23:05 now remember how many years when we said well Raiders only got maybe one piece to grow on
23:10 and no talent.
23:11 We're surrounded by talent.
23:13 And it last year especially on Christmas Day.
23:17 I mean I oh man just that game against the Chiefs.
23:22 I mean the looks on the fans faces and where we're going.
23:28 That solidified me to be it.
23:29 I mean AP fan that day.
23:31 Now people will probably get mad at me.
23:34 I'm an old school Raider but like I like Gruden you know but I'm not trying to go down that
23:42 rabbit hole.
23:43 But the way his play calling was and stuff how you had to been you know you got to run
23:48 your route just precise and the precision had to be there.
23:52 But AP's got something that I haven't seen from a coach in a long time where he's got
23:57 that locker room he's got the field he's got everyone.
24:01 And I really feel that the players are going to play their very best even if they're tired
24:06 or whatever it is for that coach.
24:10 Thomas I'd like to hear from you sir.
24:13 What do you what would you describe is your feeling on the state of the Raiders.
24:20 I would say confident.
24:21 I think everybody is confident in each other's abilities.
24:25 I think everybody is rooting for each other.
24:27 You don't have players on the sideline that aren't playing their full game like you know
24:35 I the Josh McDaniels era I think it took a toll on the team.
24:39 I think I think he was about Josh McDaniels.
24:45 He wasn't about the Raider way.
24:47 He wasn't about the Raiders.
24:51 He was just about himself and AP made the players play for themselves and for each other.
24:59 And I think that is a great foundation because once you bring somebody in whether it's a
25:06 rookie or a veteran and if they can't live up to that they won't be there.
25:11 And the players seem like they are willing to voice their opinion.
25:15 They'll let the coach know they'll let whoever they need to know that hey this guy needs
25:19 to go.
25:20 He's not a Raider.
25:22 I think that's what the Raiders are set right now to where they just need to keep bringing
25:29 in players that that play the Raider way.
25:33 All right.
25:35 Two questions and I'll be done.
25:38 Tom Telesco comes to the Raiders from the Chargers.
25:41 They were 40 million over the salary cap but the Spanos family handled contracts.
25:46 That's not fair to blame them with that.
25:49 I'm curious what are your thoughts.
25:52 I was an advocate said I thought they should have hired Champ Kelly but it doesn't.
25:57 I'm not blaming Tom for that.
25:59 He had nothing to do with that and has done a terrific job since he's got the job.
26:04 I've shared several things I've heard from the inside.
26:07 People tell me they've never seen a GM and a coach in the Raiders work that close together
26:11 that he's a great listener.
26:13 So I'm I'm not one.
26:14 OK.
26:15 The guy I thought should get it didn't.
26:17 So I'm going to automatically know it had nothing to do with him.
26:22 So I think he's done a very good job based on the little he's been able to do.
26:28 But what did you think of the hiring Thomas.
26:31 What are your thoughts.
26:34 You know leading up to it.
26:36 Mark Davis had said that you know I don't know as much about this stuff as I thought
26:41 I did.
26:42 So I'm going to listen to people that know what they're talking about.
26:46 And so I think that was great to hear.
26:49 It wasn't just oh I seen this guy do this years ago.
26:52 So let's bring him in and try to recreate that.
26:55 No we need to do what needs to be done now and not try to recreate the past.
27:00 So Tom Telesco come in and I think it was a great hire.
27:04 He drafts really well.
27:06 And like you said the salary cap stuff was out of his control.
27:09 So what he showed in signing the free agents and in the drafting of the players that he
27:14 did I think he did a fantastic job and I look forward to seeing what he does this year.
27:21 Justin how about you buddy.
27:22 Yeah I agree 100 percent with Thomas just said I think we hired the right guy.
27:27 Like I said we got to wait and see.
27:29 See what type of team he'll build here.
27:32 We still have champ you know on our roster or whatever you want to call it personnel.
27:37 So yeah let's see what he can do.
27:39 He's got the experience and let's go with it.
27:44 Awesome.
27:45 All right.
27:46 I want to thank Thomas and Justin.
27:47 Thomas is from Arizona.
27:48 Well lives in Arizona now.
27:50 He's from New York upstate New York and Justin who lives in Spokane.
27:55 Two Raider fans that joined us on the podcast today because I wanted to hear from them.
27:58 I wanted their opinions.
28:00 I love to hear from you guys and what you think.
28:02 I appreciate the two of you joining us.
28:05 Stay with me for a minute.
28:06 I want to talk to you both privately.
28:08 But again remember you can go to SI.com/NFL/Raiders to get all of our articles.
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28:26 Follow me on AG @HondoSR or on X formerly known as Twitter when you go to HondoCarpenter.com.
28:33 Again thanks to Thomas from Yuma Arizona and Justin from Spokane Washington and from
28:38 all of us to you guys have a great night.