FanPost

What I see: QB

For what it's worth, this will be an ongoing series of what I think needs to happen, or what I think will happen. For what I think needs to happen, I will obviously put out who, what and when I see as the best moves that are available at the time; for what I think will happen, it will be what I see as the moves that the Raiders will make, although I may or may not agree with them. Now to get to the heart of the offense, the QB position. There has been an awful lot of talk about who should start, who the future is, who sucks, who doesn't, etc. here is what I see, and what I think will happen.

Pryor: Here is a player that has shown promise, but has also been in the league for three seasons without a lot to show for it numbers-wisse, like it or not. There is no denying his athletic ability, but the question is whether he can translate his potential into production. This is the problem , how long will it take, if it happens at all? He showed great improvement at the beginning of the season, but regressed badly over the next five games; this is not a good thing regarding how the team will look at him as a potential starter. Can that be fixed? Yes, but until/unless he can show that his previous regression was the anomaly rather than the norm, he will likely not be considered to be a serious option at QB. He needs to continue his offseason work with reading defenses, following progressions, and improving his mechanics. He will need to concentrate on staying in the pocket longer, and when leaving it not to fall into the same predictable pattern that allow the defense to wait for him to do the same thing over and again, making the job of the opposing DC that much easier. I wonder if he will be available during the offseason for trades; not saying that he would be let go, but since I believe he will be the third string guy, I can see offers being considered.

McGloin: Not a great season, but he showed that he can at least be a competent backup. More? Time will tell, and I think he will likely be in the mix, at least initially, to start next season. However, he will need to do plenty of offseason work before he can really make a legitimate move to that position. Although he played well enough, he did not play so well that there are not questions about him; he is no less a work in progress than Pryor, although it seems he is more advanced at some of the core traits than Pryor is. Basically, while his ceiling may not be as high as Pryor's, his base level of play is currently higher; that makes him better at this time, but it may not make him better in the long run.

What I think will happen is that the team looks at McGloin as a backup with the potential to be a starter, and he goes into the offseason on top of the depth chart. Pryor will be given the opportunity to continue to develop in the offseason, and will be under McGloin on the depth chart, as it stands now. I do believe that the Raiders will make a move for a veteran, although not one that will command a lot of money, because there really aren't any that really look like they will earn that kind of contract. I do think that they will kick the tires on Freeman, due to his having some success with Olson, and that he won't cost much. They might also look at some others, but will likely be cautious. I do think that they will take another QB in the draft; I just don't see the value being there at the #5 slot in the first round. (As a matter of fact, I hope that we should take a look at Pachall from TCU as a flyer in the later rounds, around 6 or 7, as a 'developmental pick' that may not take much developing.) If a vet is brought in, they will probably be competing with McGloin to start, with Pryor as a dark horse. Good chance that the depth chart turns out to be 'veteran', McGloin, Pryor, with the possibility that a draft pick is able to supplant Pryor, or that he may be traded; in this scenario, the key will be whether McGloin can develop into a starter within a few years.

The trade of Pryor is not what I am calling for, but I don't know that the coaches and front office will be willing to continue to wait for him to reach his potential while there are so many other needs. Yes, a top QB is generally who leads teams to the Super Bowl, but unless they believe that Pryor can reach that status within a few years, they may decide to look for another guy that can be developed sooner.

Of course, there is always the chance that Pryor is able to move past McGloin on the depth chart; if that happens, then Pryor will obviously not be traded, and McGloin will probably not be either, so that a veteran being brought in will give the Raiders three working options. It would probably be best if the veteran is able to seize the starting role for at least a year or two, so that Pryor would be able to step in with McGloin as the backup, giving the team a solid abase to work with, and the ability to use the third slot to truly groom a young player.

Sorry if this is a bit garbled, bit it is New Year's Eve, and the champagne has been flowing freely... lol