Raiders’ Matt Schaub excited to have more control

The Houston Texans traded quarterback Matt Schaub to the Oakland Raiders ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft and he is their quarterback for at least the 2014 season. That didn’t stop them from taking Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr in the draft when he slid to them. Despite that head coach Dennis Allen is committed to Schaub as this team’s quarterback.

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“It’ll take something ‘catastrophic’ for Raiders rookie QB Derek Carr to start this year. Coach Dennis Allen is firmly committed to Schaub,” ESPN’s Jim Trotter wrote on Twitter.

The Raiders are so confident in Schaub that they’re easing up on the reigns and giving him more freedom and control in the offense. That has Schaub feeling optimistic about his “fresh start.”

“It’s exciting. It’s just like going to a new place and getting a fresh start,” Schaub told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “To come to an offense where the coach is looking to give you more freedom, and looking to give you more control of things.

“I had that in some aspects in Houston, but there are things I’m being asked to do here that I didn’t have control of in Houston. I would have loved to, but we just weren’t in control of it.”

Schaub added: It’s a work in progress, but I’m ecstatic to have that situation because it’s something I’ve wanted to try and get to.”

Still the veteran quarterback might find himself mentoring his future replacement in Carr throughout the season, and even if they won’t say it now he might still have to earn the job in training camp.