Battle for Raiders QB2 behind Derek Carr is taking shape

Why did the Raiders trade for Jarrett Stidham?

A depth chart that includes Carr as the starter, Mullens as the backup, and Garbers as the third, developmental quarterback, makes sense for the Raiders. However, McDaniels and Ziegler looked to their New England Patriots pipeline, trading away a sixth-round pick for Stidham and a seventh-round selection.

Stidham’s connection with McDaniels is an obvious one, the latter being his offensive coordinator the last two seasons. During that time, the former Patriot saw action in eight games, throwing for two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Stidham is a mobile quarterback, or at least he was in college, displaying respectable mechanics and good on-field awareness. For what it’s worth, Stidham does have a strong arm and sufficient size (six-foot-three, 214 pounds) to be an NFL quarterback. Stidham showed in college that he wasn’t afraid of running when needed while displaying a willingness to stay in the pocket and deliver a nice back-shoulder throw.

The advantage for him in coming to Vegas will be his relationship with McDaniels. He’ll look to continue developing and, who knows, maybe he’ll see some snaps at some point, albeit in garbage time.