So, what modified to immediate Pierce to determine that it’s time?
“We’ve received to get able to play soccer, and I feel we’ve received sufficient movie,” Pierce advised the media following the workforce’s first preseason contest. “We’ll have two video games right here (by that time) to judge each quarterbacks to see how they’ll play.”
It’s at present a two-man race between veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell began 10 video games (together with the final 9 video games of the season) for Las Vegas final yr as a fourth-round rookie out of Purdue. Taking up for a benched Jimmy Garoppolo, he went 5-5 in these begins, finishing 62.1 p.c of his passes with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Minshew’s profession as a starter has been a rollercoaster. Drafted out of Washington State as a backup for Nick Foles in Jacksonville, Minshew was instantly pushed into motion when Foles suffered an harm that might hold him out for many of the season. Minshew turned an in a single day sensation that season, going 6-6 in 12 begins and throwing 21 touchdowns to solely six interceptions. He entered the next season because the starter, however accidents and a 1-7 report pushed him out of the function.
Minshew was traded to the Eagles, the place he began 4 video games over the following two years as a backup to Jalen Hurts. His rookie contract expired, and Minshew signed with the Colts, hoping to win an open beginning job post-Matt Ryan. Indianapolis ended up drafting Anthony Richardson fourth total within the first spherical, however Richardson received damage, ultimately lacking the ultimate 12 video games of the season. Minshew took over because the Colts’ starter, and returned to his regular self, excelling as a shock starter. In 13 begins, Minshew went 7-6 final yr.
O’Connell began the Raiders’ first preseason recreation, enjoying one quarter of soccer. He went seven of 9 for 76 yards as he led the workforce on an 83-yard subject aim drive to open the scoring for Las Vegas. Minshew took over within the second quarter, enjoying 4 sequence. He accomplished six of 12 move makes an attempt for 117 yards and a landing.
The Raiders had been seen as a workforce that might have drafted a quarterback within the first spherical again in April, one that might have competed with these two unlikely beginning candidates, however they as a substitute opted to pick out the draft’s prime tight finish prospect in Georgia’s Brock Bowers. In a current interview on Scoop Metropolis, Raiders normal supervisor Tom Telesco detailed that the workforce didn’t “move” on a quarterback, he simply believes the draft didn’t shake out in a manner that allowed them to take a passer. There have been six quarterbacks taken earlier than their choice, and the following passer wasn’t chosen till the fifth spherical. If one thing fell to them, the Raiders might need had one other competitor for this job. Because it performed out, although, they as a substitute received a brand new weapon for the opponents they’ve now.
These opponents will now have every week to show their mettle. Per week of practices and a preseason recreation towards the Cowboys is all they’ve now to show they deserve the beginning job. We’ll hold an in depth eye on any developments within the coming week.
