Playing the quarterback position means you’re a team leader, whether or not that’s your natural disposition. As the only player to touch the ball on every play, a quarterback must, by definition, lead the offense. Some guys are unable to transition into the NFL simply because they have a hard time leading others. In fact, some of the more common compliments paid to NFL quarterbacks relate to how the run the huddle. The offense looks for their quarterback to lead them on the field and one of the best ways to build that relationship is by leading them off the field as well.
When Matt Schaub was acquired by the Raiders through a trade with the Houston Texans, one of the first things he did was contact quarterback Matt McGloin in order to begin working on a relationship with the young quarterback. Schaub understands that helping develop McGloin is one of his tasks, along with all the leadership stuff (and on-field production).
Now, with the Raiders a full week into voluntary workouts, it appears that Schaub is doing his best to build a relationship with the rest of his offensive teammates. One good way to curry favor: pay for a few hundred pounds of steak and sides.
S/O to Matt Schaub for taking the offense out to Ruth’s Chris tonight…can’t imagine what that bill looked like
— Jack Cornell (@JackCornell73) May 1, 2014
It’s not uncommon to hear about a quarterback treating his offensive linemen to dinner. But that usually happens during the season or at the very end. By doing it now, Shaub is building a rapport with his teammates before the season even starts. It should also be noted that by doing it now, Schaub is also likely treating many more mouths than he normally would. This is evidenced by the fact that the tweet came from a practice squad player who will likely not make the team this year.
It is not a huge deal, especially since his base salary this season is $4.5 million and he’s been paid many more millions in previous seasons, but little things like big dinners allow a new face like Schaub to begin earning the respect and trust of his teammates. With so many new players on the Raiders this season, informal dinners like this could go a long way toward building chemistry.
