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The Las Vegas Raiders made a host of changes during the 2025 offseason, including bringing in Pete Carroll as coach. With Carroll in the fold, the veteran coach traded for quarterback Geno Smith, whom he coached for five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. Considering the shift in culture, Smith is  confident about his new team's chances to silence some of its doubters.

"I'm always the guy that I believe the game gets settled between the white lines on game day," Smith said on NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live on Monday. "But from my vantage point, we've got a really, really good team. I don't know if we'll shock anyone inside of this building, but maybe shock some outsiders. But it's good, like let them sleep. I don't want them to see us coming. We're just working in the shadows right now, getting our game right, and when it's time to go in those bright lights, I think we'll be ready."

Smith brings a veteran presence to the Raiders locker room and could be a breath of fresh air for a team that has struggled to find its franchise signal caller since Derek Carr left town following the 2022 season.

The Raiders made several alterations to their roster, including addressing a running back position that was in need of an upgrade. The team selected former Boise State star Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which should provide a huge boost to a ground attack that ranked dead last in the NFL with just 79.8 yards per contest.

Along with Smith and Jeanty, star tight end Brock Bowers figures to be a massive factor into a playoff pursuit. After all, Bowers broke an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end, while also setting a franchise record for the most receptions (112) by a Raider in his rookie campaign.

The Raiders have only one playoff appearance since moving to Las Vegas in 2019. In fact, the Raiders look to win their first playoff game since 2002, which won't be an easy task in a very competitive AFC West.