The Oakland Raiders have found their presumptive starting quarterback. And the Houston Texans have been rewarded for their patience in handling Matt Schaub's situation.
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Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said this week he had a "really good idea" who his quarterback would be next season, and now we know he meant Schaub.
Rapoport added Sunday that Schaub re-did his deal with the Raiders, lowering his base salary, per a source informed of the deal. Schaub can still earn between $13 and $21 million over the next two seasons.
Coach Dennis Allen said Schaub comes in as the clear starter after Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin were inconsistent last year in Oakland's second straight four-win season.
"He was our No. 1 target from Day 1, and it was just a matter of getting the deal done," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said.
McKenzie traded for Schaub because he badly wanted him. Both Rapoport and NFL Media columnist Michael Silver have reported that Oakland was targeting Schaub for weeks. The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets also had interest, according to Rapoport. The Raiders made sure that Schaub didn't have a choice of where he would go.
Oakland still could draft a quarterback with the No. 5 overall selection, but there won't be as big a rush to play the rookie with Schaub on board. Schaub's arrival should have no impact on Oakland's decision with the pick, but this move is a little different than Houston signing Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jacksonville bringing back Chad Henne. Those guys are getting paid like high-level backups. Schaub, assuming he doesn't adjust his salary too much, is getting paid like a clear starter.
It's hard to imagine Schaub excelling in Oakland considering the team's offensive line and mediocre skill-position talent. But we don't think he's as cooked as most NFL analysts believe. His arm never was strong, and it looked worse than ever last year. But his string of pick sixes had a lot to do with bad luck, and he was more competent than given credit for in a lot of games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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