It took 3 preseason games for Fernando Mendoza to prove the Raiders right

It's a little too easy to be frustrated at the process of NFL teams when it comes to the way they handle quarterback situations.

Not that NFL teams are right all the time (they aren't), but neither are the fans and pundits. It can be easy to look at a situation like the one facing the Las Vegas Raiders and 1st overall pick Fernando Mendoza, and think: Just let the kid play. What do they have to lose?

After just three preseason games, the Raiders might be onto something with their strategy. All offseason, they've been preaching patience with Mendoza, stating that Kirk Cousins will enter the season as the starter and that their hope is to have him play that role all year. Even if there is urgency to see the #1 overall pick in this year's draft play, the Raiders might be a bit more self-aware of their situation than perceived.

Mendoza has struggled (badly) in the preseason, and clearly is not ready to be thrown to the wolves at the NFL level.

Raiders' #1 pick Fernando Mendoza proved in the preseason that he's simply not ready (yet)

It's one thing to not pass the box score test, and it's another to not pass the eye test. It's clear that Mendoza is still in need of some additional development.

And frankly, the Raiders' situation is in need of some more devleopment.

This is not a team that is expected to quickly ascend in the AFC West this year. The Raiders have a rookie head coach in Klint Kubiak. They have a very young roster, and a couple of the key veterans on the team might not be around for long (Kirk Cousins, Maxx Crosby).

This is still very much a rebuilding franchise, and while it's not unheard of for top draft picks to come in and take their lumps on rebuilding teams, the Raiders have the luxury of a veteran like Cousins to simultaneously take those lumps for Mendoza, while also showing him the ropes.

And Mendoza clearly needs that.

There's more to being a pro than just graduating from one level to the next. It hasn't been a seamless transition to the NFL level for a lot of recent #1 overall picks at the quarterback position. Cam Ward struggled last year. Caleb Williams struggled as a rookie. Bryce Young struggled. Trevor Lawrence struggled.

It's taken time, but almost everyone on that list has gotten better with time, and none of them had the benefit of sitting and learning. The Raiders are seeing some examples from around the league of quarterbacks that have excelled after taking time to learn, including Kubiak's most recent success story: Sam Darnold.

Darnold was thought to be a #1 overall pick candidate, was thrown to the wolves with the Jets, and it nearly ruined his career. After taking some time on the sidelines both in Carolina and San Francisco, he rebounded in Minnesota and became a Super Bowl champion in Seattle. There is value to sitting, and not enough teams are willing to afford their coaches the patience to execute that sort of long-term plan.

As rough as Mendoza's preseason was, all he did was give the Raiders confirmation as an organization taht they're making the right call.

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