On his radio show The Wheelhouse on 95.7 The Game, Greg Papa, who also does the play by play for the Raiders radio and television broadcasts, weighed in on what he has seen from the Raiders top two quarterbacks early in camp.
There has been a lot of talk about Matt Schaub’s confidence and whether or not his issues in 2013 were mental. Papa insists that Schaub is fine mentally, but some of his physical abilities may have diminished compared to his Pro Bowl days. While he believes Schaub still has a few years left in him, Papa expressed concern over the veteran quarterback’s health and whether or not he can really step into his throws. While not necessarily down on Schaub, Papa was also not very high on the projected starter for the 2014 season either.
Papa spoke highly of Derek Carr’s his arm strength and natural ability. He also pointed out the elephant in the room. Carr looks great in shorts and a t-shirt, but what happens when the red jersey comes off and the pressure gets turned up? After all, Carr’s big knock in college was his inability to deal with a good pass rush. Papa stated that the Raiders changed Carr’s footwork during OTAs in order to prepare him for the NFL. In college, Carr played primarily out of the shotgun and needs to get comfortable playing under center. While he struggled with it at first, Papa says Carr has learned the footwork and is very happy with the results.
Both Schaub and Carr are going to be placed under the microscope by everyone who pays any attention to the Raiders training camp and preseason. Papa didn’t give Raiders fans a reason to get overly excited about the quarterback position, but he wasn’t doom and gloom either.
