Matt Schaub Benched, Derek Carr to Start

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Matt Schaub has been benched.

This was an easy prediction a half-year ago. Schaub went Full-Delhomme over his final 16 games with Houston, posting a 13:19 TD-to-INT ratio with a mind-blowing five pick-sixes. Apparently, the only people on the planet who didn't realize he was finished work in the Raiders' front office -- which also traded for Matt Flynn last offseason. Oakland will move forward with second-round pick Derek Carr as its starter. All of Schaub's $8 million guaranteed base salary for 2014 is guaranteed, so he remains a roster lock. Raiders officials are now trying to spin that Schaub's benching was due to an elbow injury.

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports the Raiders will start Derek Carr in Week 1 against the Jets, and have sent Matt Schaub to the bench.

The coaches informed the players on Monday. It's the right call after Schaub had a dumpster fire of a preseason, and Carr sizzled with a 105.2 passer rating on 45 throws. With Schaub nursing a sore elbow in the preseason finale, Carr carved up the Seahawks for 143 yards and three scores on 13 passes. The current regime in Oakland needs to win football games now, and Carr gives the Raiders their best chance at that. It's a tough first test for Carr on the road against a ferocious defensive line. But he should find windows to throw into against what is arguably the worst cornerback group in the league.

Excited to see Derek Carr start but the Raiders front office is thoroughly clueless. 8 million for a shitty backup? And to think in the off-season they were saying they thought he could be their starter for multiple years to come. Reggie McKenzie needs to go. He is as clueless as they come.

He has Matt Schaub, Matt Flynn, and Tyler Wilson under his resume of QBs signed as a FA or drafted. Not to mention the Raiders have the oldest roster in the league and are far from being an established contender.

 

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Maybe I can turn this into a thread dedicated to all the Raiders front office mistakes.

The Raiders have benched RT Menelik Watson.

They're turning back to 32-year-old Khalif Barnes after GM Reggie McKenzie's 2013 second-round pick, Watson, couldn't hold off the veteran journeyman. McKenzie's top-two picks in last year's draft were Watson and CB D.J. Hayden, the latter of whom entered the NFL with major injury concerns, and has stayed injured in the NFL. In 2013, Barnes graded out as PFF's No. 59 tackle among 76 qualifiers. This is a huge disappointment for the Raiders.