McCown is a quiet key to Raiders
ALAMEDA-Josh McCown needs the Raiders.
He was stuck behind Jon Kitna on the depth chart in Detroit going into the last year of his contract, and it's hard for a quarterback to score a big payday when he's wearing a cap and headset.
The Raiders need McCown.
Until trading a fourth-round draft pick for McCown and receiver Mike Williams during last month's NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders' quarterback options were Andrew Walter and rookie JaMarcus Russell.
Thus the union of a quarterback wanting a chance to play and a team not wanting to throw its prized draft choice into a figurative black hole.
McCown's arrival in Oakland wasn't met with the fanfare of JaMarcus Russell, the first pick in the draft. But his presence might be the Oakland Raiders' most important offseason acquisition on offense.
If the team deems JaMarcus Russell unready or Walter unfit, McCown will be under center this season. If he plays well, the Oakland Raiders don't have to rush JaMarcus Russell -- and McCown could earn a lucrative contract in the offseason.
"Guys in free agency are choosing to come to a place they want to stay at for a while," McCown said of why Oakland was a desirable trade destination. "Whereas for me, it was a good fit ... because I have one year left on my deal, so if I can go compete and have a chance to play, it helps me."
McCown was a free agent last offseason after four years with Arizona, and the Oakland Raiders were interested, but he opted to sign with Detroit and play for renowned offensive mind Mike Martz, the Lions' offensive coordinator.
But much like the Oakland Raiders' offense last season, McCown's playing chances in Detroit were stuck in neutral. Kitna was named the starter, and McCown appeared in two games without throwing a pass.
"It was tough because you want to compete," McCown said. " ... When the opportunity wasn't there, it was disappointing."
McCown said he used last season to learn from Martz, but knew his only chance to compete for a starting job was to leave Detroit. New coach Lane Kiffin's declaration that all starting jobs were open made Oakland a desirable destination.
As free-agent quarterbacks began to sign elsewhere, rumors of McCown going to the Oakland Raiders started to percolate. He had to wait most of the offseason, however, for the trade to happen. Once it did on April 28, he went to work trying to absorb the West Coast offense in his bid to win the job.
McCown was at team headquarters the day after the trade. It didn't take long for Kiffin to see he had found a quarterback he would need to remove from the facility to ensure he was rested.
"The guy wasn't even sleeping," Kiffin said. "He was in there watching film, asking questions, trying to learn everything.
"He's exactly what we hoped we were getting with the research we had done. Here's a guy who had been here two days basically before the camp. We had to kick him out finally."
Their research showed McCown was a tireless worker who, despite being 10-12 as a starter, was a player Kiffin said did the right things on the field to try to help the Cardinals win games.
McCown completed 57.8 percent of his passes for the Cardinals with 25 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Kiffin, however, said statistics aren't accurate in assessing how McCown did in Arizona.
Then again, McCown was playing for the Cardinals -- habitual losers.
"Josh was always a big-time player," said tight end Fred Wakefield, who played with McCown in Arizona.
He recalled McCown's first start last season, against the 49ers in a game in Mexico City, in which McCown was 32 of 46 for 385 yards and two touchdowns.
"Some of the things he can do with the ball are just really impressive," Wakefield said.
If McCown's tireless film study pays off, he will get all he needs out of the Oakland Raiders this season and likely move on to a bigger paycheck and a starting job next year.
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