For the time being, the Oakland Raiders have established their quarterback rotation. Head coach Dennis Allen is sticking with his original offensive plan. Matt Schaub will enter training camp as the starting quarterback, getting all of the first-team reps. Rookie Derek Carr will officially be his backup quarterback leaving returning start Matt McGloin to take over at third string. Could a trade be in the works as a result?
ESPN's Paul Gutierrez is reporting that Allen announced the official quarterback depth chart being Schaub then Carr with McGloin rounding out the rotation. The announcement is certainly not surprising. The Raiders made the trade for Schaub prior to the NFL Draft with the intentions that the veteran would be their starter for the 2014 season and possibly the year after. Oakland is attempting to avoid rushing a rookie in the starting job and wanted to use Schaub a stop-gap option while his replacement developed for a season.
The Raiders grabbed Carr in the second round with the hope that he will become the franchise quarterback in a season or two. The Raiders have lacked quarterback stability even since drafting JaMarcus Russell who in turn became a bust. Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, Matt Flynn and Matt McGloin have all tried their hand at the role and failed. With jobs on the line, Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie opted to take a chance on the slumping Schaub while grooming a rookie.
Early reports on Carr are extremely positive. Raiders beat writers have noted that Carr is looking strong and is developing at a rate that leaves many to believe he could take over the starting job mis-season. Allen is doing everything he can to dispel those rumors, noting that Schaub is everything the team wanted and more.
"I think he's been outstanding," Allen said, via CSNBayArea.com. "That's what you're looking for in a veteran quarterback. I don't think we've seen the best of what we're going to see out of Matt Schaub. Even though he is a veteran player, it's still a different offense for him, it's still something new. He's still learning, but I've been very pleased with what I've seen out of him so far."
So what happens to McGloin? The quarterback saw starting time last year and looked promising in his efforts. Could the Raiders seek a trade for the second-year pro before training camp? There has not been much of a market for quarterback trades so far this season, especially backups. Just ask Minnesota how a deal for Christian Ponder is going for them. The only teams that could possibly be interested are the Houston Texans or the Buffalo Bills. EJ Manuel has not looked strong so far in offseason workouts which could cause the Bills to make a move. McGloin would be ready to start immediately.
All signs point to McGloin remaining on the roster through the season. The team could easily demote him to the practice squad and then release him if Carr turns out to be the quarterback the Raiders have been wanting.
