With so much unknown at the position, the Raiders used a fourth-round draft pick last April to select Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson to see if they could catch lightning in a bottle. A lot of people liked Wilson’s potential and some even believed he could win the starting job over Flynn. Instead, Wilson is losing third-string snaps to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin.
It’s now worth wondering if the Raiders are mishandling their rookie quarterback. Practice reps are precious for any young player, so it’s curious the Raiders would take them away from a player who head coach Dennis Allen acknowledged has all the physical tools.
The reason Wilson is losing ground is simple enough; Allen said he’s behind in the mental aspect of the game, which is vital for any quarterback. The Raiders feel like Wilson would be better off watching than participating, which is an odd strategy for multiple reasons.
The Confidence Factor
A good quarterback has confidence. Quarterbacks that play scared because they aren’t confident in the offense or themselves are typically not very successful. The Raiders should be doing everything possible to get Wilson prepared while building up his confidence level.
What’s the worst thing that can happen to a quarterback? He loses his confidence. - Terry Bradshaw
Players that are naturally overconfident sometimes need to get knocked down a peg, but that doesn’t appear to be Wilson’s issue—at least as it pertains to the mental aspect of the game. In fact, it’s q...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
