The Oakland Raiders continue searching for quarterback consistency for the past few seasons. Nothing has worked as both veterans and rookies have come and gone. In 2013, Matt McGloin appeared to be the player that might change all of that and while he failed to get the team wins, he showed signs of true potential. Now the Raiders are bringing in one more veteran which could signal the release of another.
The Raiders have announced the signing of journeyman Trent Edwards. The San Mercury News confirms the contract for the quarterback who was last in Oakland back in 2011 as a backup to Carson Palmer. He was released in favor of Kyle Boller.
At 30-years-old, Edwards is not the answer to the team's quarterback woes. He has not started a game since 2009. The last game he played in was in 2012 with the Philadelphia Eagles. His overall stats are not great. He has 6,033 career passing yards for 26 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
The Raiders are hoping the presence of Edwards drives up the quarterback competition when OTAs and training camp roll back around. The team is currently doing a lot of soul searching at the position which may not be a good thing for certain players already on the roster.
The incoming of Edwards could spell big trouble for Terrelle Pryor. The quarterback was named the starter for Week 1. He won three games for the team before injuring his knee during the Week 10 game against the New York Giants. He returned for the season finale. Pryor starter hot, looking like the type of mobile quarterback that could make the Raiders' offense exciting. The injury hurt his status with the team and the rise of McGloin forced Pryor back into the shadows. Now, ESPN is reporting the team may have soured on Pryor's future and could release him.
The Raiders also have the No. 5 pick in the NFL draft. The class is rich with quarterbacks and Oakland could make a run at one. Last season, they drafted Tyler Wilson late and he failed to amount to anything. Oakland cut him before the season started. The team could target a player like Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles or Brett Hundley if they want to try the rookie experiment again.
The signing of Edwards feels odd considering no one really believes Oakland looks at him as a serious option to start in 2014. However, his veteran leadership could be a huge asset going forward.
