Game Notebook: Oakland Raiders 18 St. Louis Rams 3

Aug 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin (14) scrambles against the St. Louis Rams in a preseason NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Matt McGloin’s Preseason Legend Builds

Since coming to the Oakland Raiders as an Undrafted Free Agent out of Penn State, scrappy redhead Matt McGloin has been arguably one of the best preseason players the team has had in each of his two Augusts with the franchise. From putting himself on the map as a rookie to last year’s second half drama where he infamously pulled out the “Jordan Shrug” after a comeback against the Detroit Lions, McGloin has shown his skills while keeping games interesting during garbage time for Raiders fans and he did so again on Friday against the Rams.

Already working with the Raiders having a strong first half that featured a touchdown pass from Christian Ponder in the battle for the QB2 job behind Derek Carr, McGloin made his case with a flawless performance in the second half before handing over the reins to Cody Fajardo. Showing the type of precision in his throws that gave him a chance as a UDFA to start ahead of Terrelle Pryor in his rookie season, picking apart a Rams defensive unit that had no answer for a Raiders offense that was being led by a quarterback who has a handful of NFL starts under his belt.

McGloin found Brice Butler for the most of his completions, including his lone touchdown as he went 10-11 passing for 104 yards as the team’s leading passer. Showing that he arguably has more talent than the veteran Ponder as he tries to earn consideration for the backup quarterback distinction even if he has little hope of seeing the field in 2015 as Carr is entrenched in the starter’s role for now as well as the future.

Because of McGloin’s still young age and the lack of opportunity for him in Oakland with the even younger Carr annointed as the quarterback of the future, there is often rumblings from fans that the team should try to trade McGloin to a QB needy team to get a draft pick in return if the coaching staff chooses to go with the experienced Ponder in a mentorship/backup role. An unlikely scenario as teams typically tend to bring in “big” names (see Klye Orton or Rex Grossman) from their living room couches rather than try to make a trade with a team for a player like McGloin who despite having NFL experience as a starter is still a relative unknown outside of Oakland.

Performances like Friday’s only drive up that trade value as McGloin continues to prove that despite having a lack of opportunity in Oakland for obvious reasons, he still has a mix of skills that make him an inriguing prospect for any team that could use a quarterback. The preseason legend growing as McGloin continues to improve as a passer even in his current backup role, which might just put him on the radar of teams in need of a QB even if it is more likely that he stays in Oakland than goes elsewhere via a trade.

Next: Game Notes: Final Thoughts