Raiders losing QB Wilson a blow
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:24 pm
Raiders losing QB Wilson a blow
By Paul Gutierrez | December 17, 2013 5:00:02 PM PST
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Sure, the Oakland Raiders losing quarterback Tyler Wilson to the Tennessee Titans is a blow… on the surface.
But it’s not all that embarrassing, or unexpected.
Not when the Raiders gave up on the fourth-round draft pick from Arkansas so soon and cut him not once, at the end of training camp, but again on Nov. 27 and not a single team took a chance on him. Either time.
Until Tuesday afternoon, when the Titans made the move official.
It was obvious the Raiders did not see a future with Wilson, who was active twice this season but never got into a game. So the Titans signing him to their active 53-man roster off the Raiders’ practice squad actually spares Oakland the indignity of having to cut him a third time.
General manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen have obviously already admitted they erred in selecting Wilson with the No. 112 overall draft pick by cutting him a couple of times.
Remember, the Raiders initially targeted USC quarterback Matt Barkley at the start of the fourth round. But when the Philadelphia Eagles traded two spots in front of Oakland to draft Barkley, the Raiders traded back 12 slots and took Wilson.
And with Wilson drafted, he was the second new Raiders quarterback in four weeks, after Matt Flynn was acquired earlier in the month. Neither is in Oakland now.
Wilson appeared in two exhibition games after falling behind undrafted rookie Matt McGloin and completed 11 of 18 passes for 93 yards.
Obviously, McKenzie’s skill as a QB evaluator has come under scrutiny.
“Hey, listen, sometimes things don’t work out,” Allen said Monday, before Wilson was claimed by the Titans. “Sometimes mistakes are made. But I don’t think that’s, listen, I’m confident in Reggie McKenzie and the personnel staff in being able to evaluate football players, quarterbacks, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, I’m very confident in his ability to do that, I’m very confident in our ability as a coaching staff to be able to do that.”
Now we’ll see if the Titans’ staff can develop Wilson.