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Oakland Raiders depth chart projections: Offense

By Matthew Lorscheider

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Jun 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass as quarterback Christian Ponder (9) watches at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterbacks

After over a decade in search of a franchise quarterback to lead the team back into contention, the Raiders seemed to have hit on something last year with the 2nd round selection of former Fresno State phenom Derek Carr. Carr was the first rookie quarterback to start opening day in Raiders history, and the only quarterback of his draft class to start all 16 games. Carr finished with over 3,000 yards passing and 21 TD’s, one of only 7 rookie passers to ever post such numbers in NFL history.

But Carr did not enter training camp as the projected starter, as he does this year. Coming in, he had to fight for a role behind veteran and former Pro Bowler Matt Schaub as well as 2nd year man Matt McGloin, who had started six games for the Raiders in 2013. Neither, of course, was much competition – Schaub’s skills had greatly diminished, and McGloin is a gritty but unpolished passer.

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    • This offseason, the Raiders went out and grabbed Christian Ponder in free agency. Ponder is very familiar with the offense, having played for Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave in Minnesota, and has started more games than Carr and McGloin combined. Ponder was brought in as the backup to Carr, but has the youthful exuberance and the system experience to push Carr should the second-year QB slip a bit.

    McGloin, much to his chagrin, seems stuck as the 3rd-string QB for now, unless he is moved or released in order to perhaps compete to be a starter or a second-string guy elsewhere. McGloin also will face some competition from undrafted rookie Cody Fajardo out of Nevada, who is an athletic quarterback from a read-option system who had a lot of success in college as both a passer and a runner and could be of use in certain offensive subpackages and in goal line and 2-point scenarios.

    Projected Depth Week 1:

    1. Derek Carr

    2. Christian Ponder

    3. Cody Fajardo

    RELEASED/TRADED: Matt McGloin

    Next: Depth Chart Projection: RB's

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