Fresh doubt on Fernando Mendoza's NFL future as Las Vegas Raiders hint they could TRADE No 1 pick

Fernando Mendoza's NFL future might just have taken another twist with the draft just days away.

The college football championship-winning quarterback with the Indiana Hoosiers is the nailed-on No. 1 pick, which is currently held by the Las Vegas Raiders.

But speculation has been rumbling for months that the Raiders could be open to trading that top pick for the right offer and after some cryptic comments by GM John Spytek, it doesn't sound like the door is completely closed on that possibility.

Speaking at a press conference before next week's event in Pittsburgh, Spytek said teams had contacted them about the availability of the top pick.

'We've gotten a few calls, and those teams know where they stand,' Spytek told reporters, as per ESPN. 

That comment is open to interpretation for teams across the league given Spytek didn't exactly spell out that the answer would be a no.

He added: 'If there's a player that stands out that we feel it's not worth losing, it's not worth even picking up the phone, then we'll just make the pick.

'But if it's a player that we're not as excited about, or there's a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, we're certainly open to listening to that.'

If the Raiders, who are part-owned by Tom Brady, do draft the 22-year-old Mendoza, he will almost certainly start the season behind Kirk Cousins, who was recently recruited by the organization after an ill-fated spell with Atlanta Falcons. 

They have also added Aidan O'Connell to their quarterback room and moved Geno Smith on in a trade with the New York Jets.

'Ultimately, this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play,' Spytek explained. 'It's just really hard to play really well at a young age. 

'But we've seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently. We added Kirk, we have Aidan (O'Connell), and we'll see how it goes. 

'It's a hard position to play, and there's a lot to learn beyond throwing a football and being a good teammate. We all understand there's not a ton of patience in the job that we chose here, but if you can find some level of patience and put people in positions when they're ready, that's the best way forward.'