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Raiders Mailbag: Geno Smith's Silver and Black debut, potential roster additions and more questions answered

Sep 03, 2025 at 04:40 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

Micah Carbajal from Arizona asks:

"For Geno, in your opinion what makes the Raiders fan base standout amongst all the other ones?"

Geno Smith has had a few opportunities to play in front of Raider Nation with training camp practices open to the public, the mock game at Allegiant Stadium and the preseason contest against the San Francisco 49ers.

As Smith prepares to play in his regular season debut as a Raider, he wants to live up to the standard that's been set by the franchise.

"You think about the Raider logo, the Silver and Black, Raider Nation – you think about history," Smith said Wednesday. "The history of the NFL is not there without the Raiders. And it's a big part of the international fanbase. The people who don't live in America, they see that logo, they recognize it. To me it's about history, but it's also about going out there and playing with pride. There's a lot of great players, a lot of great coaches who've also worn silver and black and so I take great pride in that. I want to make sure I go out there and put the right things on tape so they can all be proud of me."

While the Raiders start their season on the road, The Nation will certainly travel well to New England to show their support for Smith and the rest of the team.

Iconic. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/1I4gikhFPW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 3, 2025

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Ray Johnson from California asks:

"How different has this offseason been from previous years?"

Going into my sixth season covering this team, every offseason and training camp has a different vibe.

This one in particular was distinctive in how much of a pulse it seems Pete Carroll has on the team.

It feels like there's no question that players want to play for him, as Carroll seemingly does a great job of toeing the line between being serious yet also keeping things light. While the X's and O's on the football field are vital, there's been an huge emphasis on building the right culture in the locker room.

"We don't ever want that chip on the shoulder to leave," Smith said. "I'll always have that for the remainder of my life. I was born with it, and we've got a lot of guys on this team exactly like that. We want to be that team with something to prove, and I think we have a lot of reasons to have something to prove. So, looking forward to, like I said, going out and competing, and we've got the right guys, so we'll be ready."

On the last episode of #LVvsNE...#RaiderNation | 📺 NFL+ pic.twitter.com/STN33qHHy2
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 3, 2025

Larry Meza from Texas asks:

"Is there a possibility we sign Jabrill Peppers?"

Safety Jabrill Peppers was released from the New England Patriots last Friday. It was a surprising decision after he made the initial 53-man roster and started for the team the last three seasons.

As for any possibility Peppers signs with the Raiders, there's always a possibility. He played under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for two seasons with the New York Giants and in that span, Peppers totaled 12 pass deflections, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

However, the Raiders also invested in the position recently by claiming Tristin McCollum off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles. They also have two veteran safeties on their practice squad in Terrell Edmunds and JT Woods. Nevertheless, a 29-year-old Peppers could still bring value to a young, rising secondary.