Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders have veteran QB Kirk Cousins in the fold, and the Silver and Black are expected to draft former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza.As a result, the QB roomfor the Raiders will be set with thosetwo andAidan O’Connell.
Nonetheless, the battle would likely come down to Cousins and Mendoza. If Mendoza isn’t quite ready and Cousins shows to be the better QB, new head coach Klint Kubiak will go with the veteran. However, Mendoza could force Las Vegas to play him if he displays a firm grasp of Kubiak’s offense and outperforms Cousins.
Ahead of this potential QB battle, The Volume’s John Middlekauff sent a clear message about how he sees this competition playing out.
“I think it’s a tricky situation for Klint because he said, ideally, a quarterback sits behind a veteran player,”Middlekauff said in an April 10 video from “3 & OUT with John Middlekauff.“ “But more than likely, Fernando Mendoza is going to be better than Kirk Cousins. He’s just more physically gifted, especially this version.
“I just don’t see it as a true competition because one of Fernando Mendoza’s defining attributes is his mind and understanding of football. He’s going to pick it up relatively fast, even though it can be a confusing system, and getting comfortable with your back to the center.
“So there’s no guarantee that he starts, but if he’s able to pick up the offense, and even if he named Cousins the starting quarterback, if Fernando Mendoza was better in training camp, there’s no way you could go with Cousins.”
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins Gets Blunt on Fernando Mendoza
During an appearance on “Good Morning Football,“ Cousins spoke about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and kind of let the cat out of the bag that he and Mendoza will be teammates.
“Honestly, I don’t want to start unless I’m the best option,“Cousins said on the April 8 edition of “Good Morning Football.”“I told Klint the best players should play. As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out.Ido think Fernandois going to be a great addition to our team.
“He’s going to have a great future in the league. I have no problem being a voice in the room to help him to the degree that I can. He’s going to have great support all around him from the coaching staff. Being able to watch a veteran quarterback go through his habits, routines, and process can be a great asset for him.”
Mel Kiper Jr. Gives QB Comp for Fernando Mendoza
Moreover, ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. gave an NFL quarterback comparison for Mendoza, and if he is accurate, it would allow Las Vegas to have a guy who can help them challenge for Super Bowls in the future. Nonetheless, in the short term, it could mean winning the starting job should the Raiders draft him.
“I think what you look at with Fernando is a cross between Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan,“Kiper said during an April 7 appearance on ESPN Radio. “I’m not a comp guy, because we always comp them to the great guys, but yeah, I see a little Peyton in him. I see a little Matt Ryan in him.
“And keep in mind, people think he’s a one-year wonder. He’s not. At Cal, he was a really good quarterback behind a bad offensive line. That’s why he was sacked 41 times. He knew he had to get the ball out quicker, and he improved on that number dramatically at Indiana when he got a little bit more help.”