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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Las Vegas Raiders are in full rebuild mode in Year 2 under general manager John Spytek. After finishing with the worst record in the 2025 NFL season, it was clear the Silver and Black needed to tear it down and rebuild from scratch.

With their large amount of cap space, the Raiders didn’t hold back their spending in free agency as they landed one of the best centers in Tyler Linderbaum. Moreover, Las Vegas added Jalen Nailor on offense, along with Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on defense.

Meanwhile, in the draft, the Silver and Black selected several intriguing young pieces. However, the most important selection came with the No. 1 pick, as the Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza, whom they hope will be their franchise QB for several years.

On the June 24 edition of “The Jim Rome Show,” former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown shared his honest thoughts on the team’s offseason with training camp and the preseason on the horizon.

“I think they have a really good chance,” Brown said. “I think they had the best offseason; I told the GM there, I said, ‘Man, this is the best offseason since y’all drafted me back in the day.’ Really, I thought some of the guys they brought in, the defensive linemen and the offensive linemen, were solid pieces that will help this football team win games in critical situations.”

Tim Brown on Raiders Drafting Fernando Mendoza

The Raiders also decided to hire offense-minded coach Klint Kubiak as the team’s next head coach. While Kubiak will look to win games this upcoming 2026 season, he will also be responsible for developing Mendoza to ensure that Las Vegas has a franchise QB for the next decade.

Brown noted that he’s excited to see Mendoza, a fellow Heisman Trophy winner, out on the field for the Silver and Black.

“I hear the same thing about him that they said about me,” Brown added. “He’s not a Raider [and] he’s not that guy. He doesn’t have that kind of mentality or whatever. But the thing about this guy is, when you put him out there between those numbers, man, he turns into a dog.

“I’ll never forget that little five-yard run he made for a touchdown. That’s not something nerds do, right? That’s something dogs do. I just think this guy is a football player.”

Tim Brown Backs Kirk Cousins to Start

As for whether Mendoza should start Week 1 and move forward with him, Brown believes that it’s the right decision to go with Kirk Cousins to start the season and have the No. 1 pick learn on the sidelines, so once he gets out there, the former Indiana Hoosiers star is ready.

“Once he gets the opportunity and it is his turn, I really believe they are going to start with Kirk and ease this kid into it, which I think is a great plan because you do not have to rush him with a veteran like Kirk Cousins who is obviously able to get this thing done,” Brown said.

“But I think once he gets in there, he is going to be dynamic for this Raiders organization.”