The Oakland Raiders believe they have their new starting quarterback. Over the weekend the team completed a trade for former Houston Texans veteran Matt Schaub in hopes that he helps stabilize the offense. Eager for a fresh start, Schaub is confident that he can make Oakland a contender this season. So with the veteran now penciled in as the starter Week One, what does the future hold for Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin?
Both young quarterbacks saw time as starters in 2013. Both appeared very inconsistent during their time under center, starting off strong but ending the year on a bad note. Head coach Dennis Allen said the team knew they had to make a move and wanted someone that was already proven in the NFL to step in.
"The quarterback position is the most important position on the football field," Allen said, via ESPN.com. "We feel very confident that Matt Schaub is the guy that can come in and lead this football team. And he's proven that he can do it in this league."
Of course the arrival of Schaub has many believing one if not both young quarterbacks will be sent packing either by release or trade. The idea that Pryor would be traded is nothing new. NFL sources have been reporting for months that the Raiders were dangling the quarterback in search of a potential deal. Pryor certainly has a dynamic factor to him, but poor decision making hurt his value with the team. McGloin actually showed signs of real potential towards the end of last season. With more time to develop, he could be a strong future option for Oakland.
While many believe the Raiders could part ways with both quarterbacks, Allen is denying the idea. The head coach says that the presence of Schaub is actually meant to help the young backs develop without being rushed into being a starter.
"I think it's one of those situations where both these young quarterbacks to sit back and watch and see how this guy prepares see how this goes about doing his job because I think Matt Schaub has, in the last five or six years, been a top-10 quarterback in this league," Allen said.
Even with the addition of Schaub and the likelihood that Pryor and McGloin hang around, Allen is still considering draft a quarterback with the team's No. 5 pick in the first round. While that certainly seems like a waste of a draft pick, Allen stressed that the Raiders cannot afford to rule out any options right now.
"I don't think you ever take anything off the table," Allen said. "You have your checklist. We've got these holes we need to fill. That's one that we feel like we've been able to check off the list. We filled that. But I still think when we get ready to pick (at No. 5 overall), we're going to take the best player available."
