Oakland Raiders Quarterback Competition: Complete Position Evaluation

If there's one position in any sport that has the biggest impact on a team's overall success, it's hard to argue with that position being quarterback.

Glancing around the league, guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are perfect illustrations of this. I mean, take a look at the defenses on those three teams and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

Without any semblance of a defense, all three teams have been perennial contenders. Now, obviously, there are other guys who have had something to do with their success, but most of the credit belongs to the guy behind center.

Which, in short, is why the Oakland Raiders haven't been to the playoffs since the 2002 season.

Trivia question: which quarterbacks have made the most starts for the Raiders since 2003?

Answer: Kerry Collins (28), JaMarcus Russell (24), Carson Palmer (24), Jason Campbell (18), Rich Gannon (10), Andrew Walter (9), Bruce Gradkowski (8), Aaron Brooks, Rick Mirer (7) and Daunte Culpepper (6).

That clears things up a bit, doesn't it?

Now, to be fair, I think Carson Palmer performed more than adequately last season (although the same can't be said about many other guys on that list).

Despite finishing in the top 15 in both completion percentage and touchdowns, as well as the top 10 in passing yards, Palmer and the Raiders had yet another season to forget in 2012.

So has anything changed this offseason that leads us to believe things will be better in 2013?

Well that all depends on your opinion on Oakland's newest signal caller, Matt Flynn, your opinion on rookie Tyler Wilson and on their third-year enigma, Terrelle Pryor.

 

Matt Flynn

In 2011, Matt Flynn had the NFL's highest QB rating.

Then again, Flynn only played in one game that season—the season finale for the Packers against the Lions, when he threw for an unconscious 480...

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