When the Oakland Raiders signed Cal State Fullerton hoopster turned tight end Andre Hardy just over a month ago the best case scenario was that they unearthed the next Antonio Gates. If that is going to happen it won’t be in silver and black for Hardy.

Today the Raiders parted ways with Hardy, waiving the former baller along with quarterback Rhett Bomar. Hardy is reported to have been dealing with an injury that prevented him from fully participating in the team’s rookie mini-camp over the weekend.

Hardy’s odds of making the practice squad, let alone the 53-man, were long to say the least. But his fate was all but sealed once the Raiders announced the signings of seven players that participated in their rookie camp. Among those seven is Kyle Efaw, a tight end from Boise State. That would have made five tight ends on the Raider roster if you count Hardy.

Clearly the Raiders would rather focus their efforts on a project player like David Ausberry has played football has entire life and is just learning a new position. On the other hand Hardy is trying to learn the entire game, not just the position, at the highest level. Hardy’s quick departure is not only a reminder of how difficult it is to make an NFL roster but also shows how truly unique a talent Gates is. Turning hoopsters into tight ends might be a trend but that doesn’t make it easy.

The Raiders and Leinart seemed destined to cross paths at some point. Al Davis’ longtime love affair with USC made Leinart speculation a constant every time he was mentioned in trade rumors or was available via free agency.

Of course even without Davis running the silver and black show Greg Knapp’s experience coaching Leinart combined with Oakland’s necessity for a veteran backup made the union all but inevitable.

Naturally the irony is that Leinart will be playing behind another former Trojan Heisman trophy winner in Carson Palmer. That is if he can make the roster as the team’s backup. As of now that would seem very likely considering the only other QBs on the roster are Rhett Bomar and Terrelle Pryor. Pryor’s roster spot is a lock which leaves just Bomar to beat out for a job. That shouldn’t be a problem for Leninart but you never know what will happen in camp.

For Leinart this latest stop in his career reassures what he’s become – a journeyman.

Hard to believe there was once a point in time when Matt Leinart was valued as a potential number one overall selection in the NFL draft. Unable to win the job in Arizona, Leinart passed up the chance to compete for a starting gig in Seattle opting instead to remain a clipboard carrier in Houston. Sadly once he did get his shot as a starter in Houston Leinart didn’t even make it through one half of football suffering a season-ending injury.

If Leinart does start now it will only be a result of something unfortunate happening to Palmer. Even though he’s been a draft bust there is no doubt the Raiders will be in better shape with Leinart under center than Kyle Boller. That much is painfully obvious after last season.