The Oakland Raiders signed former Houston Texans’ quarterback Matt Leinart to be backup quarterback behind Carson Palmer on May 1, reuniting him with his former teammate from USC where both players were Heisman Trophy winners.
With the Raiders and new general manager Reggie McKenzie not having a lot of money to work with this year as well as having the difficult task of trying to put the pieces of the puzzle back together for a successful season in 2012, I was happy about this move. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve become even more excited about bringing Leinart on board.
What I really like is Leinart’s attitude and the fact that he seems not only appreciative at finding a new home in Oakland, but that he’s so exited to be a part of such a legendary team, and the Raider Nation.
If you haven’t followed Leinart on Twitter, his account reads, “Loving father, proud Trojan, and now fired up Raider! Oakland… Just win baby!!!”
I love it! Leinart also tweeted on Monday afternoon about his first day with the team in Oakland, writing, “Great first day! Great group of guys willing to put in the time to make the team better! Build on day 1!”
In a media conference call on Monday, Leinart said, “This is a place I could do well,” adding, “I’m here to help Carson with reads. The great thing is I’ve (repeated) a lot of these plays over the past two seasons and (Carson) is just doing it for the first time. I told him today to just stick with this route because it’s a great route. He also remarked in regard to Palmer, “We’re so comfortable with each other. I’m here to help him.”
Despite his string of bad luck that seems to have haunted him since leaving the Trojans and entering the NFL in 2006, he’s achieved a comfort level working in a West Coast system that he never had in his four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, as NFL writer Jerry McDonald noted.
In regard to his injured arm, Leinart said that he feels great, commenting, “I had a great workout, rehab program with John Meyer down in Southern California. I feel great. Like you said, this whole offseason was about getting better and just focusing on that and hoping and letting things fall out where they were. I’m grateful, very grateful, for the opportunity here in Oakland.”
I’m really rooting for Leinart to do well as a member of the Silver and Black. While I’d like to see Terrelle Pryor live up to his potential as well, it certainly can’t hurt the team to have three solid quarterbacks at their disposal.
As Leinart says, “Just win baby!” Raider fans are counting on the Silver and Black to show us they’re on the right path to become the shining example of that well known phrase, “Commitment to Excellence,” once again.
K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan for her entire life. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett. Follow her on Twitter @kcdermody or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcdermodywriter.
More from this contributor:
Oakland Raiders Sign Ed Wang: A Fan’s Perspective
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’76 Oakland Raiders Named Greatest Team of All Time Proves Strength of Raider Nation: Fan Take
Oakland Raiders’ Three Compensatory Picks Another Good Sign for 2012: Fan Reaction
