The Las Vegas Raiders made the most notable deal of NFL trade deadline day on Tuesday. General manager John Spytek traded starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. No. 1 overall rookie Fernando Mendoza is now the Raiders' starting QB.

The Raiders signed Cousins in the offseason partially because they developed a plan to slow-play Mendoza's introduction to the lineup. Cousins also previously worked with new head coach Klint Kubiak, making him an excellent fit to run the offense and help Mendoza learn the scheme. Spyek didn't appear intent on abandoning this plan, but everything changed when the Vikings made an offer he couldn't refuse.

The Raiders are still a rebuilding roster. They are obviously committed to Mendoza as the future face of the franchise. Despite the plan playing out as intended, a rebuilding organization simply can't reject another top-100 pick for a 38-year-old stopgap quarterback.

So, the Raiders called an audible, traded Cousins and insert Mendoza into the lineup probably a little sooner than originally planned. They'll also have another top-100 NFL draft pick to better build around Mendoza this coming offseason. Spytek made a sound decision that should help accelerate the Raiders' rebuild.