By Raider Wil
The season is over, but for the Las Vegas Raiders, the real battle has just begun. On a recent Tuesday night edition of the Most Notorious Podcast, hosts Raider Jeff, ChidoLinus, and Raider Will (from the Silver and Black Podcast) convened to dissect the state of the franchise.
With the Raiders holding the number one overall draft pick and a head coaching vacancy to fill, the fanbase is a powder keg of opinions. The crew didn’t hold back, diving into the rumors, the “Mendoza delusion,” and the definition of toughness in the modern NFL.
The Coaching Carousel: Kubiak on the Radar
The immediate order of business is the man on the headset. The buzz surrounds Clint Kubiak, with reports confirming a scheduled Zoom call with the Raiders. While the “Rooney Rule” requirements have been cleared, opening the door for a hire at any moment, the crew debated the implications of the coaching landscape.
The conversation took a sharp turn toward the Chargers, where rumors swirled about Mike McDaniel taking the Offensive Coordinator job. The crew agreed this would be a nightmare scenario for the AFC West.
The Herbert Factor: “I think that’s huge for Herbert… You’re going to see a better version of him going forward,” noted the hosts, fearing a revitalized Chargers offense.
The Scheme: Moving from a run-heavy offense to McDaniel’s motion-heavy, RPO schemes could spell trouble for the Raiders’ defense.
However, for the Raiders’ own vacancy, the consensus remains that whoever takes the helm—whether Kubiak or a dark horse candidate—will dictate the future of the franchise’s most controversial asset: the number one pick.
The “Mendoza Line”: To Draft or Not to Draft?
The heart of the episode was a fiery debate regarding Fernando Mendoza, the college quarterback many fans are clamoring for at pick #1. The Most Notorious crew, however, refused to drink the Kool-Aid.
The “Best Player Available” Dilemma Jeff and Chido argued that drafting Mendoza at #1 is a reach born of desperation rather than value.
“The reason that people are so enamored with him right now, it’s because it’s such a high position of need, and we are in a quarterback-depleted draft,” Wil argued.
Jeff doubled down, stating, “To me, that’s not value with your number one pick… strictly because we’ve been lacking for a quarterback and everybody thinks that this is the right choice”.
The Counter-Strategy Instead of forcing a QB pick, the crew suggested alternative paths:
Draft True Talent: The hosts identified players like Reese or Reuben Bain as the actual “best players available” who could start day one and transform the defense.
Trade Back: Leveraging the #1 pick to accumulate assets and fill the roster’s many holes (O-line, receivers, defense) was presented as the smarter, albeit less popular, option.
The “Glazing” Problem: The hosts called out social media creators for “glazing” (over-hyping) Mendoza for views, arguing that many fans haven’t actually watched his film beyond highlight reels.
The “Toughness” Tiff
Tensions flared when discussing Mendoza’s recent performance against Miami. While Cheeto praised Mendoza for his “toughness” and ability to withstand a beating, Jeff launched into a passionate tirade against the overuse of the term “tough” in football.
“It’s a violent sport… Of course, they’re all tough,” Jeff argued. “If they catch one in the eye, it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s a tough son of a bitch.’ … It’s football”.
The debate spiraled into the elusive “intangibles” and having “that dog in him”—terms Jeff dismissed as meaningless media buzzwords. “You have to be aggressive to play football in the first place… What the fuck does that even mean?”.
The Lamar Jackson Rumor Mill
Amidst the draft talk, the crew addressed the “pipe dream” rumor of trading for Lamar Jackson. The verdict was a resounding “No.”
The Cost: Jackson’s massive contract would cripple the Raiders’ ability to fill other roster holes, leaving them with about $40 million to sign 21 free agents and draft picks.
The Risk: Concerns over Jackson’s injury history and playing style were paramount. “I don’t like the way he plays… another guy that’s severely injury prone,” Jeff stated.
The Logistics: Baltimore lacks a first-round pick to swap, making the trade logistics nonsensical for a Raiders team that needs draft capital.
The Bottom Line: Just Win
Despite the arguments, the insults, and the disagreement over “game managers” vs. “game changers”, the crew united on one front: The Shield comes first.
“At the end of the day… no matter who we pick and who we sign, it’s just win, baby,” the crew agreed. Whether it’s Mendoza, a trade-back, or a veteran bridge, Raider Nation is ready for the next chapter—even if they have to fight each other about it first
