AJ McCarron is no longer a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.
According to Adam Schefter late Thursday afternoon, the former Alabama star was released after only one season on the team.
Raiders released QB AJ McCarron, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2019
This is a bit surprising. The Raiders traded for him last season, and they sent him packing after one year. That’s pretty rare in the NFL when it comes to QBs. There was even a point in time where some thought he could beat out Derek Carr for the starting spot. Now, a year later, he’s not even on the team.
Do they think they’re going to find a better backup in the draft? I find that hard to believe. There are only a couple ways to read this. First, Gruden does want to overhaul the QB position, and maybe move to a guy like Kyler Murray if they can get him. (RELATED: Oakland Raiders Sound Committed To Derek Carr As The Team’s Quarterback)
If they go more mobile, then there’s no point in having McCarron as the backup. That wouldn’t make a ton of sense. However, there was also a report that the Raiders might be giving Johnny Manziel a look. Obviously, Johnny Football isn’t starting material in the NFL right now. He’d compete for a backup role, and again, there’s no need for two backups. (RELATED: NFL Executive Reportedly Thinks Johnny Manziel Will Sign With The Raiders)
It’d be more entertaining if option two was the likely outcome, but I’m guessing option one is much more likely to happen.
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As for McCarron, he won’t be unemployed long. The QB market in the league is a joke, and there will be teams throwing money his way. There’s no question about that at all.