It’s easy to look at this situation and expect the worst. An undrafted rookie free agent making his first career start on the road against a good defense is a recipe for disaster—at least it is for a team desperate to win games.
For the 3-6 Raiders, evaluating the young players on their roster is almost as important as winning. From that perspective, McGloin getting the start for the Raiders is more an opportunity to get a look at him in live action.
Expectations should be realistic considering the deck is stacked against McGloin, just as they were for Pryor at the start of this season. It’s time to start evaluating for the future, so McGloin getting the start is every bit as much about next year as it is about Week 11 of the 2013 season.
Who is this guy?
McGloin went undrafted out of Penn State, so that should tell you everything you need to know about what the NFL thought about him coming out of college. The Raiders brought him in as a camp arm and he ended up beating out fourth-round pick Tyler Wilson for a roster spot in training camp. The Raiders also felt comfortable making him the backup when Matt Flynn was released earlier this year.
McGloin was also in a very similar situation his freshman year of college as a walk-on at Penn State. When injuries provided McGloin an opportunity to play, he forced his way into the conversation as the starting quarterback and won the job a couple weeks later.
“Any time you get reps with the first team, you have to make the most of them,” McGloin said after practice on Friday via Vic T...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
