Friday, September 24, 2010

Bruce Gradkowski Supplants Jason Campbell as Raiders' Starting QB

Filed under: Raiders, NFL Coaching, NFL QuarterbacksRemember when Raiders owner Al Davis was comparing Jason Campbell to Jim Plunkett this summer? Apparently Campbell's career resurgence had a much quicker expiration date than Plunkett's.

Plunkett, a former first-round pick considered a bust in New England, rebuilt his career in Oakland and ended up leading the Raiders to a pair of Super Bowl wins. Campbell, a former first-round pick considered a bust in Washington, lasted for a game and a half in Oakland before he was benched for Bruce Gradkowski.

Tom Cable made the move official on Wednesday, saying that Gradkowski brought the offense some much-needed energy and, more importantly, put points on the scoreboard. Campbell struggled behind a leaky offensive line and took few shots downfield (he is averaging just 5.1 yards per attempt in Oakland). In relief of Campbell in a come-from-behind win against St. Louis last Sunday, Gradkowski showed an ability to buy time with his feet and a willingness to throw more deep passes. His 7.37 yards-per-attempt average is much more in line with the vertical offense that Davis has loved ever since he was the Raiders' coach back in the 1960s.

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