With Derek Carr done for the season, the Oakland Raiders need a new quarterback. They’ve already locked up a playoff spot, but even the seeding seems frivolous when the team will be without their best offensive player. But as the saying goes, it’s next man up, and the Oakland Raiders have two choices: Matt McGloin and rookie Connor Cook.
The Case for Connor Cook
Matt McGloin
The Oakland Raiders know what they have in Matt McGloin. McGloin started six games for the Raiders as an undrafted rookie back in 2013, and he wasn’t terrible. That’s the thing about Matt McGloin. He’s not good, he’s not bad, he’s just perfectly acceptable.
Compared to Carr, McGloin is hardly a franchise quarterback. Carr has better instincts, is a better athlete, and has better intangibles. Even in limited play against Indianapolis, McGloin threw a couple of really ugly passes. Even the game’s clinching play, a pass to Amari Cooper, was basically intercepted before the second-year wideout ripped the ball away.
McGloin is not going to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl. The team is talented, but not talented enough to carry a quarterback like McGloin to victories over teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. So if you don’t believe in the devil you know…
Connor Cook
When the Oakland Raiders selected Connor Cook with their fourth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, people were shocked. With Carr and McGloin on the roster, quarterback wasn’t really a need. Many believed Oakland took Cook as trade bait, or as the eventual successor to McGloin.
Cook is not a perfect prospect. In college, he had some issues with accuracy, and suffered from some injuries of his own. He has a reputation of being somewhat arrogant, and has been known to force some passes downfield, but he does some things really well.
He’s built like a NFL quarterback, and can make all of the throws with impressive touch. He’s a decent athlete, but more importantly, he’s been learning the system all year. Nobody in the NFL knows what Cook brings to the table. Every team in the AFC has a library of Carr film, and an idea of what McGloin brings to the table, but Cook is a mystery.
The Dak Prescott of It All
Believe it or not, Cook was actually drafted 35 picks before Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. It’s crazy to say now, but at one point, Connor Cook was receiving second, and even first round draft grades from experts.
If the Dallas Cowboys are willing to put their faith in a rookie, maybe the Raiders should as well. After all, the Raiders are the only team that has an offensive line in the same league as the Cowboys. With Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington, and Jalen Richard in the backfield, the Raiders could rely on the run, and see what the physically gifted Cook can do.
Even with Carr, people believed the Raiders were a year or two from the Super Bowl, so without him, they can’t be taken seriously anymore. You can’t go out there with either quarterback and throw it 40 times a game like Carr can, so if you’re choosing between mediocrity and the unknown, why not let the unknown take a shot?
Worst case scenario, he’s not very good, and you know what you’ve got. Matt McGloin isn’t going to deliver the Raiders a Super Bowl, but now you’ve given Cook a chance to prove himself and get some experience. Best case scenario? He leads your team to the Super Bowl and you’ve got either an amazing back-up or exceptional trade bait.
If not in the playoffs, perhaps next week against the Denver Broncos. Give Cook a watered down gameplan, and see what he can do. If he’s absolutely miserable, then McGloin can take over. But, if he shows signs of life, let him lead this team in the playoffs. People forget, but nobody expected the Raiders to be as good as they have been in 2016. They’re playing with house money already, so they might as well gamble, and they might as well gamble on Connor Cook.
