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PITTSBURGH — The Raiders’ decades-long search to find their Super Bowl-caliber quarterback may have finally ended Thursday night when they made Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in the NFL draft.
What had been a foregone conclusion for months is official. The Heisman Trophy winner and national champion now heads to Las Vegas, where he immediately becomes the Raiders’ most important asset in years.
And presumably, the quarterback who leads one of sports’ most iconic franchises back to prominence.
The likelihood of which rests primarily on the shoulders of Mendoza but also the Raiders, who understand the valuable holding they now possess and are determined to maximize him to the fullest.
That objective has guided almost every decision the Raiders have made since securing the top pick in the draft.
Led by Tom Brady, the club’s minority owner and a prominent voice in their football operations, and general manager John Spytek, they have prepped for Mendoza’s arrival by fortifying the infrastructure he now steps into.
Knowing full well that when it comes to highly acclaimed young quarterbacks who end up busting in the NFL, it’s typically the team that fails the quarterback more than the prospect failing the team.
The Raiders want to be on the right side of that history, and their decision-making in anticipation of Mendoza’s selection proves how determined they are of ensuring that.
Nobody knows the quarterback position better than Brady, the self-made Hall of Famer who went from a sixth-round pick afterthought to a seven-time Super Bowl champion by mastering the art of quarterbacking in the NFL.
Brady has made it clear to Mendoza that he will be available to him in every way possible as he transitions to the NFL. From footwork to breaking down film to understanding all the nuances and complexities, Brady and Mendoza are now joined at the hip.
But the GOAT’s other superpower is understanding what a quarterback needs around him to be successful. And that awareness has already been put into action by the Raiders.
It drove them to fire Pete Carroll at the end of last season and zero in on Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as his replacement. Brady and Spytek envision Kubiak as the perfect fit for the highly intelligent and accurate-throwing Mendoza. It’s a partnership they believe can be sustainable for years.
Kubiak tabbed the highly respected Rick Dennison to be his offensive line coach, determined to support Mendoza with a strong running game and capable pass protection. Dennison is part of the offensive think tank Kubiak assembled that includes coordinator Andrew Janocko and longtime quarterback gurus Mike McCoy and Mike Sullivan.
In many ways, it is reminiscent of the plan the Rams executed in 2017 to develop Jared Goff, whom they selected first overall in the 2016 draft. That was the offseason they hired Sean McVay to be their head coach, and McVay doubled and tripled down on offensive support by hiring Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, Aaron Kromer and Greg Olson as his assistants.
Goff was 0-7 as a starter in his rookie season in 2016. Under McVay and his offensive brain trust, the former Cal star helped lead the Rams to an 11-5 record and a division championship in 2017. By 2018, they were in the Super Bowl.
The Rams’ turnaround wasn’t predicated solely on coaching, though; they also added tackle Andrew Whitworth, wide receiver Robert Woods and center John Sullivan in free agency and selected wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the draft.
The Raiders made similar moves this offseason by reeling in All-Pro Tyler Linderbaum with the richest contract for a center in league history and wide receiver Jalen Nailor, and adding defensive standouts in linebackers Qway Walker, Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Kwity Paye and cornerback Taron Johnson.
Finally, they brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to be everything from a bridge starter until Mendoza is deemed ready to his real-time mentor in the meeting and film rooms, locker room and practice field.
It was all done with Mendoza in mind. An acknowledgment, if you will, of the mistakes so many teams have made in the past by building weak infrastructures around their young quarterbacks, rushing them into action in spite of that and then fumbling their development as a result.
Before Mendoza even stepped foot through the door, the Raiders proactively addressed a support structure that could help him succeed rather than fail.
“Obviously, a great offensive line or run game, all the things that can limit his chances to really get killed,” Spytek said. “A great defense, too, because if he doesn’t feel like he has to go out there and score 35 points every week.”
It doesn’t guarantee that Mendoza will be successful. But by getting ahead of his development process, they not only are expediting it, they are enhancing it.
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