It’s still too early in the offseason for fans or media to have a clear idea of how No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza has looked for the Las Vegas Raiders so far. He’s had a chaotic offseason, so he’s had to play catch-up, but the early signs are promising.
The team won’t know for sure if he’s ready to play until the pads come on. He’s much more physically gifted than Kirk Cousins, but he doesn’t have a fraction of the experience. The Raiders are going to say all the right things when it comes to Mendoza, but David Carr, who is the brother of Derek Carr, was able to share some rare honest insight he was about to get from the team’s quarterbacks coach.
“I talked to Mike Sullivan. [He] is very happy and I think I can speak at this point having talked to Mike Sullivan, I feel really good about Fernando,” Carr said on the “Home Grown” podcast.
“It’s a process. … That’s basically what the conversation was like … [Sullivan] is going to be right there with Fernando every day digging into the work. I already know Sullivan digs into the tape. They’re prepared. That’s one thing they’re going to be is prepared, and he’s extremely happy with what’s happening with Fernando. But, like you said, it’s a process. Long way to go, and so that’s all I wanted to find out from him.”
Early Signs Looking Good for Mendoza
There is going to be some anxiety surrounding Mendoza until he actually plays. While he proved he can play in college, the Raiders know all too well that a No. 1 pick quarterback isn’t a guaranteed hit.
Fortunately, the early signs are very strong for Mendoza. What has to make the Raiders feel good is that he appears to be a very hard worker and humble. Pairing that with strong physical tools is typically a recipe for success.
Sullivan Talks Raiders QB Room
Mendoza is the future at quarterback for the Raiders, but it remains to be seen if he’s the present. Cousins is currently expected to start in Week 1, and there’s even talk of Aidan O’Connell getting a chance.
The Raiders currently have four quarterbacks on the roster, and Sullivan gave his thoughts on the room.
“The four of them are all pros,” Sullivan told Raiders.com. “Even though obviously Kirk [Cousins] has the most experience and has been in the most number of games, in terms of their approach, all of them are just focused on getting better. They all just want, fundamentally, no detail to be to small for them to try and master and get better at. They are all trying to help each other out, but they are all open minded and receptive to all the details, all the fundamentals, all the instruction that we have for them to try to have that position be the best it can possibly be. To see that level of commitment and that professionalism, just very gratifying. Makes it a joy to come to work every day.”
Derek Carr’s Brother Shares Rare Intel on Fernando Mendoza