How Fernando Mendoza is showing he’s ‘elite’ as a Raiders rookie

One of the astir important things for a assemblage backmost transitioning to the NFL is the quality to process accusation some connected and disconnected the field.

New Las Vegas Raiders violative coordinator Andrew Janocko spoke highly astir Fernando Mendoza’s intelligence attack to learning what is required to play against a higher level of competition.

“I deliberation that’s thing we inquire from each quarterbacks is conscionable to cognize the ‘whys’ down each play, cognize the ‘what,’ cognize the ‘whys,’ and beryllium acceptable to spell supra and beyond the X’s and O’s astatine times to marque things right,” Janocko said.

That is the sentiment of his teammates arsenic well, arsenic Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker emphasized.

“I would accidental his mentality arsenic a rookie is elite,” Tucker said. “For wherever he’s been passim his career, it’s truly chill to see.

“He knows his expectations are large for him, and you cognize he’s got a agleam future, but he’s been tremendous and I’m precise excited to enactment alongside him.”

The No. 1 wide pick successful the NFL draught volition person plentifulness of options to take from regarding proposal some from a enactment standpoint and his play connected the field.

Tom Brady was spotted speaking with players and grooming unit during the OTAs connected Thursday. According to respective players and coaches, including Janocko, Brady has been disposable to talk with them astir their mentation for the coming season.

”He’s been precise open, he’s idiosyncratic that we tin prime up the telephone and call, oregon you spot him astir the building, he’s the top of each time,” Janocko said.

“Getting to beryllium astir him each time and immoderate cognition that you tin prime up from him, conscionable a large assets to have, and thing that is precise appealing sitting successful my chair.”

Ever since Brady purchased a number stake successful the Raiders successful the autumn of 2024, helium has been intermittently contiguous successful the team’s grooming facilities.

The Raiders bash not person a shortage of seasoned voices wrong the organization, particularly from the backmost position. Kirk Cousins signed with the franchise successful aboriginal April, and Aidan O’Connell is present the longest tenured Raiders quarterback.

Linderbaum’s alteration of pace

During his clip with the Baltimore Ravens, Tyler Linderbaum snapped the shot for respective mobile quarterbacks, including two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush.

Now helium is moving into a Raiders discourtesy that features a backmost who prefers to stay successful the pocket. But for Linderbaum, thing changes astir his job.

“I deliberation astatine the extremity of the day, shot is football,” Linderbaum said. “There’s ever going to beryllium extended plays, nary substance who the backmost is.

“It mightiness hap much with different quarterbacks than others, but astatine the extremity of the day, arsenic an violative lineman, your occupation is to artifact the feline successful beforehand of you arsenic agelong arsenic possible.”

Linderbaum aft signing a three-year deal successful escaped bureau to marque him the richest starting halfway successful NFL past volition look to assistance amended a Raiders violative enactment that allowed 50 full sacks past play and gained the fewest rushing yards successful the league.

Who was missing

Potential starting nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and seasoned linebacker Nakobe Dean were absent again from signifier this week aft not appearing successful the voluntary sessions past week.

Johnson is an eight-year seasoned who has recorded 8 vocation sacks and six interceptions with the Buffalo Bills earlier being traded to Las Vegas.

Dean signed this offseason to a three-year woody aft spending 4 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, including past play erstwhile helium recorded a career-high 4 sacks earlier injuring his hamstring precocious successful the season.

Also, aft a week successful which rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy began to ramp up his signifier enactment by participating successful antiaircraft drills, helium is seemingly slowing things down.

A fourth-round pick, McCoy was not seen participating during practice, though that whitethorn person been expected arsenic his recovery continues from genu surgery.

Chinn has a day

Starting information Jeremy Chinn recorded 2 interceptions during signifier successful heavy sum arsenic helium prepares for his seventh play successful the NFL and 2nd with the Raiders.

Last year, Chinn was a cardinal portion of the organization’s enactment radical portion signaling 2 walk breakups, forcing 2 fumbles, and totaling 114 tackles.

The missing happening from his resume implicit his clip with the Raiders is an interception, and if helium tin statesman to nutrient successful that country connected the field, it volition beryllium beneficial to a defence that lone recorded 8 full picks successful 2025.