It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders will not rush rookie Fernando Mendoza into action. At this point, if Kirk Cousins isn't the starter in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, it would be a huge surprise.
The question really is when Mendoza will make his first start, with a wide range of possibilities that are all in play until further notice. Lurking in the background of the Raiders' quarterback depth chart, or maybe not, if you ask head coach Klint Kubiak, is Aidan O'Connell.
All of Kubiak's words could just be a concerted effort to boost O'Connell's trade value. But if Cousins becomes a trade target for a team that loses its starting quarterback, and an offer comes that can't be refused, "AOC" would then be the QB2 behind Mendoza.
While he may not love it for his overall career prospects, O'Connell also may end up spending his entire contract year in Las Vegas serving as the No. 3 quarterback and hardly playing, that is, if he plays at all. But not everyone thinks O'Connell is doomed under center for the Raiders.
NFL insider takes idea about Las Vegas Raiders' QB situation all the way to a firm prediction
ESPN's Dan Graziano did an offseason edition of his weekly in-season "overreaction or not an overreaction" column. Among the topics he took on was "Fernando Mendoza won't start for the Raiders until November," and he tabbed it as "not an overreaction."
"The Raiders, who changed head coaches yet again this offseason, used the first pick in the draft on Mendoza. They hope and believe he'll be their quarterback of the future -- a true franchise changer. But they also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins because they don't want to start Mendoza right away."
The idea that Mendoza won't make his first NFL start until November isn't outlandish. But then, Graziano differentiated himself by taking a recent notion from a respected Raiders' analyst all the way to making a prediction along that line.
"If they stay true to their word, even if Cousins were to get injured early in the season, they'd probably rather play Aidan O'Connell over Mendoza."
Outside of the torn Achilles that ended his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins has not missed a start due to injury since he became a full-time starter. He is an older quarterback, though, and injuries don't ask for permission or come with regard for convenience.
If something happens to Cousins before Mendoza is deemed ready, O'Connell certainly could make some starts under center for the Raiders this season. It also might be interesting to see what he can do in a more functional offense, should the opportunity come.
It lands rather harshly to suggest that Mendoza could be the No. 3 quarterback for the Raiders. But that depth chart configuration could linger into the early part of the season to some extent and, if circumstances dictate it, keep a path to playing time open for O'Connell until Mendoza is ready to go.
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