The Matt Schaub offseason hype train continues to barrel through the northern Californian countryside.
Raiders coach Dennis Allen got it rolling in March by telling reporters that the team's new veteran passer was on par with Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers in the AFC West. Defensive lineman Antonio Smith -- who followed Schaub from Houston to Oakland -- only added to the fervor on Saturday.
"Schaubby's getting his mojo back," Smith said, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "He's getting his confidence back. He's starting to believe in himself again. He is starting to throw with confidence. You would be surprised just how much your mindset is important in this league."
Schaub told the newspaper that Oakland is "still trying to mold what our offense is going to be," but it won't matter what the scheme is unless the 33-year-old passer lifts himself out of the abyss in which he frolicked last season.
Fronting a cataclysmic meltdown in Houston in 2013, Schaub went 2-6 for the Texans and threw a fatal 14 interceptions -- including an outrageous four pick sixes -- before the team finally pulled the plug in favor of young Case Keenum.
Not everyone is buying a ticket for The Schaub Express. In fact, we still believe rookie Derek Carr has a genuine opportunity to seize the job away if he develops quickly enough between now and the team's Week 1 encounter with the New York Jets.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" offers up team-by-team training camp previews of the NFC East and NFC West.
