Oakland Raiders provide more laughs with Nathan Peterman signing
Need more proof that the Oakland Raiders are the laughingstock of the NFL? Look no further than their decision to sign Nathan Peterman to the practice squad.
The Oakland Raiders franchise has quickly become Jon Gruden’s personal playground. Instead of bringing in players capable of making a difference, he prefers trying to find treasure in other teams’ trash. The recent signing of quarterback Nathan Peterman is a prime example of this.
Yes, Peterman has only played in eight games (four starts) during his brief NFL career. You could try to make the case he’s still got untapped potential, even for a former fifth-round pick. And yet, based on what we’ve seen through those eight games, it’s safe to say he’s not quite NFL material. What the heck does Gruden see in the failed Buffalo Bills quarterback?
Let’s look at his stats for a second. So far, Peterman has completed 52.3 percent of his 130 throws for 548 yards, three touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In his first career start, he threw five interceptions in only 14 attempts. By most standards, that’s about as laughable as it gets for an NFL quarterback.
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So what gives?
The #Raiders have signed QB Nathan Peterman to the practice squad, source said, not the 53-man roster. Jon Gruden has said in the past he loves him and now he gets him (updating an earlier tweet).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2018
Ah, yes. Another one of Gruden’s man crushes.
It does make some sense, though, when you remember that this isn’t the first time Gruden has pulled a stunt like this. Earlier in the season, the Raiders signed New York Jets castoff Christian Hackenberg. The former second-round pick had quickly proven himself to be a wasted selection, but Gruden actually traded a conditional seventh-round pick for him.
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How did that turn out? Hackenberg lasted exactly three weeks in Oakland. At least his waiving allowed the Raiders to retain their pick, but it was yet another example of Gruden going out on a limb to get subpar quarterbacks he loved during the pre-draft process.
It’s that type of playing favorites that’s going to bury this Raiders team in a deep hole.
To an extent, it already has. While not quite the same, Gruden has already “played favorites” by getting rid of players he apparently wasn’t fond of. Exceptional starters Marquette King, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper have all been sent packing since the old ball coach’s arrival, further evidencing the fact that Gruden isn’t afraid to part with talent he doesn’t like.
Let’s be honest — this feels like a troll job. It’s as if Gruden just gets his giggles by doing inexplicable things and watching the madness ensue as we attempt to decipher his plan. Does it make him a mastermind, or the ultimate troll? We may never know.
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For the time being, Peterman is a Raider. As ridiculous as it may seem that this guy has an NFL job and Colin Kaepernick doesn’t, we really can’t put it past Gruden to pull yet another stunt like this — signing a reclamation project who probably won’t last more than a month.