The Raiders opened their OTAs to the media Wednesday in Henderson, Nev., and Kirk Cousins took all of the first-team reps while the club continued sorting through its quarterback race. Aidan O'Connell followed Cousins in the rotation, and Fernando Mendoza worked third, mostly with rookies during competitive periods.
Each quarterback appeared to get equal snaps during team drills, but the order at the top was hard to miss. Cousins made a series of strong throws, then showed how much command he already has in the huddle when he told a misaligned receiver to move into the right spot before a play could go sideways. Late in the session, he celebrated exuberantly after a first-down conversion, a small flash of the edge the Raiders say they want from their room.
General manager John Spytek has already said the best guy will play, and head coach Klint Kubiak said Wednesday the decision will sort itself out in training camp and during the next eight OTAs and minicamp practices. The Raiders would like to name a starter, Kubiak said, but they plan to let the players settle it with their tape rather than force a quick answer before the competition is ready.
That process matters because the team has not laid out a timetable for naming a starter, even though it has said every quarterback will get an equal shot. The club also has been cautious about putting a young quarterback on the field too soon, and that has made Mendoza part of a slower build. He admitted during rookie minicamp that he has a lot of learning to do when it comes to playing under center in a West Coast scheme, and Kubiak said Wednesday that Mendoza has not disappointed. The coach called him as advertised and very coachable, adding that the young passer attacks whatever is put in front of him and fixes problems from one day to the next.
Cousins, meanwhile, was doing the work expected of a veteran who has played a lot of football. Kubiak said the quarterback is a professional and a leader the team is counting on right now, and that his competitive side shows up when the practice script comes off the rails. Wednesday’s open workout also gave the Raiders their first look at Crosby on the field since his trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart in March, another reminder that the roster and the quarterback room are both still taking shape. For now, the safest read is that Cousins has the clearest early grip on the job, but the Raiders are still far from a final answer and may not need one until training camp puts the pressure on for real.
