Matt McGloin could easily get overlooked this offseason.
Last year’s rookie quarterback, who worked his way into a starting role, is now No. 2 on the depth chart behind veteran Matt Schaub, and will likely also be challenged by a rookie taken in next month’s draft.
But last year’s undrafted free agent appears to have a future in the organization.
Even though general manager Reggie McKenzie said after the season he was still looking for a franchise quarterback in Oakland, McKenzie was positive about what he’d seen from McGloin. And the Raiders recently parted ways with Terrelle Pryor, clearing the way for McGloin to stay on the roster.
“I thought he came in and I thought he did a pretty good job for what he was asked to to,” McKenzie told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “He was confident in where he could throw the ball, his timing, his decision-making. Kind of sputtered a little bit, trying to throw the football when he shouldn’t have.
“I thought McGloin showed some positive things that looked like a real quarterback from a standpoint of getting the ball out of his hands and, not being the greatest of mobile, moving, running guys, he didn’ take a lot of sacks.”
McGloin completed 55.9 percent of his throws for 1,547 yards in six starts, with eight TD passes and eight interceptions.
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McKenzie said he believes McGloin has the makeup to continue improving.
“If you can build on it and get better with the throws and the timing and all that, he should be solid,” McKenzie said.
McGloin, too, is working hard this offseason to cement his spot in the Raiders’ future. It's a familiar story for McGloin. At Penn State, McGloin was lightly regarded yet became a starter. And last year, he outshined fourth-round pick Tyler Wilson and veteran Matt Flynn, then became the starter over Pryor.
Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic Tafur talked with McGloin after McGloin spent nine days at the passing academy of former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia in San Diego.
Garcia worked with McGloin on his footwork and spent time with him analyzing game film.
“He really pushed me,” McGloin told Tafur. “It felt like camp. We cleaned up some mechanics and it was a great tuneup.”
So, though McGloin will enter camp as No. 2 – and could be battling a touted rookie – he’s doing everything he can to continue improving and produce when he gets his chances.
“I can’t control what they do,” McGloin said. “I am excited about learning from (Schaub) and hopefully his experience can rub off on me. We have already had some great talks.”
