Oakland Raiders: Five Camp Battles That Will Be Worth Watching

Quarterback Duties

The world – or at least, the Internet – was abuzz with word that rookie Connor Cook had been taking reps with the second unit. The Internet, being what it is, automatically jumped to the conclusion that Cook had replaced veteran Matt McGloin on the depth chart and that the scrappy kid from Penn State’s days were officially numbered.

That very well may end up being the case – but it’s far too early to make that assessment just yet. HC Jack Del Rio has said on numerous occasions that he will be putting people into different situations with different teams to give everybody a good feel for the team’s dynamics.

So if you happen to see McGloin or Cook taking snaps with the first team, take a breath and don’t freak out. It doesn’t mean that Derek Carr is suddenly out as the starter. It simply means that Del Rio wanted to give the other guys some work with the first unit.

That being said, there is a battle for the backup quarterback job. After all, they didn’t draft Cook just to be a camp arm. It’s never been a secret that Del Rio and his staff have never been particularly high on McGloin.

He’s done a good job for fill in duty when needed, but even Carr jumped him on the depth chart as the Matt Schaub debacle played out, starting all sixteen games as a rookie.

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Cook comes in with a lot of talent and upside – not to mention with a highly productive career at Michigan State under his belt. And by all accounts, Cook has been doing a terrific job for the Raiders so far, doing everything asked of him and more. And the coaching staff hasn’t exactly been shy about doling out the praise for Cook thus far.

So, even thought it seems like there is a battle for the backup slot and we obviously shouldn’t read too much into reps during camp, it almost feels like it’s Cook’s job to lose at this point.

Next: Has The Cavalry Arrived?