Raiders 53-man roster projection after preseason opener

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 22: DerekCarr #4 of the Oakland Raiders calls to his team on the line of scrimmage in the second quarter while playing the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 22, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 22: DerekCarr #4 of the Oakland Raiders calls to his team on the line of scrimmage in the second quarter while playing the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 22, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Quarterbacks (2): Derek Carr, Connor Cook

Derek Carr is cemented as the starting quarterback in Oakland for the foreseeable future, and his relationship with head coach Jon Gruden seems to get better every day. Gruden is pushing Carr to be the best quarterback he can be, and it has shown in his play this summer, as he has been outstanding in practice.

On Friday, Carr played only one series, completing 2-of-4 passes for 11 yards. Those numbers are not going to jump off the page, but it was good to see him out there healthy, as the team quickly made him put the headset on for the rest of the contest.

The next man up, Connor Cook.

While most know Cook from his playoff start against the Houston Texans two years ago, he looked like a completely different player on Friday. He looked comfortable in the pocket, and when things broke down, he used his feet to buy time and put the ball on the money.

EJ Manuel is battling Cook for the No. 2 spot in the depth chart, but Cook got the first shot at the role, and excelled on Friday. Manuel is a guy who brings experience to the backup position, but Gruden seems to like Cook, and Cook responded with the best showing of his career so far.

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