Raiders choose the wrong QB

Last month I stated that the Raiders needed to clean house and get rid of their quarterback, Kerry Collins and their kicker Sebastian Janikowski. While Janikowski is going nowhere, to my surprise Oakland recently took a step in the right direction by releasing Collins.

For three days I was anxiously waiting to find out whom the Raiders were going to name as their starting quarterback. Then a startling image entered my mind, the awful, disturbing image of Aaron Brooks in an Oakland Raiders’ uniform. But surely Oakland would not decide that the dreadful quarterback for the New Orleans Saints would be the QB of Oakland’s future.

There were so many options for the Raiders as far as quarterbacks go. First there was Drew Brees. He was on the market and in my mind was a perfect fit. The man could throw and has proved himself to be a true winner many. Sure, he recently had surgery, but these days what QB isn’t going under the knife? Then there was Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper is the one and only quarterback that has been successful when it came to throwing to Randy Moss. I know that Moss and Culpepper didn’t part the best of friends, but they could have made it work.

Maybe the Raiders could have selected a young blood in this year’s draft. With many good quarterbacks entering the draft this year, Oakland had a great chance to trade up and snag one. I could just see it now, Matt Leinart in the silver and black. Even Vince Young would make a great addition. Young and Moss could have been a one-two punch that would have knock the lights out of any team in the AFC defense.

Another great move the Raiders could have made was not making a move at all. That’s right, they could have let Marques Tuiasosopo and Andrew Walters fight it out for the starting spot. Both quarterbacks have been warming the bench, waiting for their chance to shine. There is so much talent sitting on the Raiders’ bench wasting away, and if Oakland doesn’t use it, soon someone will come along and take it away. Tuiasosopo did not execute well in his one start last season but under the circumstances that can’t be held against him.

So with all of these options what did the Raiders choose to do? Let’s just say my nightmare came true. After Culpepper was picked up by the Miami Dolphins and Brees went to the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders panicked and took the only free agent QB on the market before anyone else could. Unfortunately, that QB turned out to be none other than Aaron Brooks. Yes, the same Aaron Brooks who took the New Orleans Saints to a 3 and 13 record last year. He was one of only two quarterbacks that led his team to a worse record than the Oakland Raiders last year. How that proves that he is the right man for the job is beyond me.

I still have hope that the Raiders will trade up and select a quarterback in the first round. Maybe, just maybe, there is a chance. This is how draft day should go: The Raiders trade Aaron Brooks to the Tennessee Titans and move up in the draft, then select Matt Leinart or Vince Young. Will that happen? Probably not, but one can dream.