The Las Vegas Raiders had more to report on the quarterback battle following Day 2’s practice than Day 1. The Raiders had a bland practice for their quarterbacks during Wednesday’s practice.
Things took an interesting course on Thursday afternoon.
Aidan O’Connell had a boost this spring
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Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell had the momentum for the QB1 job heading into training camp. O’Connell and a surprising pass catcher, Tre Tucker, appeared to have progressed during their second offseason in Las Vegas:
In the spring, [O’Connell] performed like a starter and carried himself that way too, showing the savvy to win over, and win the respect of, the team’s veteran core. In particular, star receiver Davante Adams has belief in O’Connell going back to last year, and that’s no small thing.
So the staff will enter camp giving both quarterbacks a fair shot at the job, with no timetable on a decision. Simply put, a decision will come as fast as one of the two distinguishes himself.
Gardner Minshew took most of the Las Vegas Raiders 1st-team reps
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While O’Connell might have had the momentum from the spring, the Raiders put the ball in Minshew’s hands on Thursday. According to Paul Guiterrez of ESPN, Minshew took the most first-team snaps. He also threw two interceptions:
Gardner Minshew took the majority of first-team snaps Thursday, the day after Aidan O’Connell did the same in the Raiders’ QB camp battle, and while Minshew looked sharper, he threw a pair of red-zone interceptions in 11-on-11 drills.
First, cornerback Jakorian Bennett tipped a pass before safety Tre’von Moehrig came down with the ball. Later, safety Marcus Epps jumped the route on a quick sideline throw.
One has to wonder how bad O’Connell was on Thursday if Minshew looked “sharper” on a day when he threw two picks. The Raiders quarterbacks had a slow start to OTAs this spring, and they’re starting out slowly during training camp, too.
Related: Raiders sign a WR amid dramatic week at position
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