Today, Adam Schefter sent out this tweet regarding the Raiders and Matt Leinart:
Free-agent QB Matt Leinart is likely to sign with Raiders this week during visit he has scheduled to Oakland. He would back up Carson Palmer
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2012
Leinart is a California guy and a former Heisman Trophy winner, just like current Raiders QB Carson Palmer, and was Palmer's successor at USC. Leinart played briefly for the Houston Texans last year filling in for the injured Matt Schaub, but suffered an injury himself and gave way to T.J. Yates, who led Houston to the playoffs. However, Leinart was performing well in the game in which he was injured, and Houston appeared to be in good hands with him at the helm.
Not long ago, the Raiders intimated that they were open to Terrelle Pryor being the primary backup quarterback, but even if Pryor is up to the task, a little competiton never hurt anyone, especially when that competition is a Heisman winner. Leinart would be a capable enough backup that the team would avoid the nightmare that ensued when Jason Campbell went down, with Kyle Boller proving that he wasn't cut out for the job. Leinart and Pryor would give the Raiders good depth at the position plus a luxury each team strives for- a franchise QB, a veteran backup, and a young developmental quarterback of the future.