Projecting the Raiders 53-man roster after minicamp
By Brad Weiss
Quarterback
Derek Carr, E.J. Manuel
While the top of the depth chart is a no-brainer, as Derek Carr enters his fifth season as the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, there is a very good battle going on for the backup spot. E.J. Manuel and Connor Cook are going to battle it out all summer long, and the winner will likely be the only other quarterback on the roster in Week 1.
Cook is well-liked by head coach Jon Gruden, who loved him during Gruden’s QB Camp when he was coming out of Michigan State. He has looked shaky on the field during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, being the victim of way too many interceptions.
Manuel, on the other hand, is a steady veteran backup, who actually got a start for the Raiders last season. He is a guy you want to have in your locker room, and he gives the Raiders a proven guy backing up Carr once again in 2018.
Carr is expected to have a monster season, and if he can stay healthy, then whoever backs him up will likely just be holding a clipboard all season long. However, Carr has not been able to stay on the field for all 16 games the last two seasons, which makes this position battle one to certainly keep an eye on this summer.