It has been reported by Steve Corkran that, according to two people within the organization and within Gradkowski’s camp, Bruce Gradkowsi and not Jason Campbell will be the Raiders starting Quarterback for the Raiders on Sunday. Cable has said, during the week, that Campbell was going to be the starter.
ProFootballtalk.com was the first to report that it was Gradkowski had took the majority of the first team snaps. If the reports are true, I have to wonder what was the reason was for the Raiders secrecy.
Was it intentional? Were the Raiders hoping to have the Dolphins preparing for the wrong QB? If this is true, then the Raiders’ efforts were matched by the Dolphins’. Chad Henne, practiced all week, but the Dolphins haven’t committed to a starting QB. Sounds to me like this became a game of Coaches Quarterback poker. Tom Cable saw Tony Sprano’s vagueness and then raised him a misdirection.
The second reason is that the Raiders coaches needed to get Al Davis’s approval first. It could be Hue Jackson and Cable spent the week convincing Davis that they have a much better chance to win with Gradkowski.
Whatever path taken by this move to come into reality, it is pretty clear that it happened because the coaches feel Gradkowski is better equipped to handle a pressure defense. The Dolphins bring in the AFC leader in sacks, Linebacker Cameron Wake and this may be all the pressure the Dolphins need to bring. He will likely spend a lot of time over Left Tackle, Jared Veldheer. Veldheer has given up four sacks in two weeks to similarly dominant players.