ShareThisALAMEDA, Calif. - Take it for what it's worth, but with the Oakland Raiders concluding their mandatory three-day, five practice mini-camp Sunday, coach Tom Cable insists there is a wide-open, five-man quarterback competition under way.
"I mean, I've said that now for quite some time," Cable said. "So that's what it is, and that's how we're going to do it."
Should be great news to -- in no particular order -- the recently-acquired Jason Campbell, the recently-signed Kyle Boller, former face of the franchise JaMarcus Russell, the injured folk hero Bruce Gradkowski and the gutty veteran Charlie Frye, right?
There are three former first-rounders in the bunch. They've all been unquestioned starters. Their combined record as starters, though, is an unsightly 59-103 (.364).
So how significant was this mini-camp in determining who will be the starting quarterback?
"None whatsoever," Cable said. "Zero. Zip."
So take that for what it's worth, too. Because the Raiders still have four separate three-day OTA workouts, training camp (which begins on July 28), and four exhibition games to figure this out.
KYLE BOLLER
Age on kickoff weekend: 29
Specs: 6-3, 220
Drafted: By Baltimore, first round (19th overall) in 2003 from Cal
-- 70.6 career passer rating
-- 8,745 passing yards
-- 56.8 percent completion rate
-- 48 touchdown passes, 50 interceptions
-- 20-26 record as starter
Career highlight: Performed admirably coming off the bench in five games for the injured Steve McNair in 2006, with a 104.0 passer rating. Was on injured reserve with Baltimore in 2008, but developed a relationship with then-QB coach Hue Jackson, the Raiders' new offensive coordinator.
Career lowlight: Has lost 10 consecutive starts, last winning Oct. 14, 2007, and was 0-4 with St. Louis last season.
Early prognosis: QB for United Football League team.
JASON CAMPBELL
Age on kickoff weekend: 28
Specs: 6-5, 223
Drafted: By Washington, first round (25th overall) in 2005 from Auburn
-- 82.3 career passer rating
-- 10,860 passing yards ? 61.2 percent completion rate
-- 55 touchdown passes, 38 interceptions
-- 20-32 record as starter
Career highlight: Threw 271 passes without an interception over the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Career lowlight: Despite a breakout 2009 season (20 TD passes, 3,618 yards), Washington was just 4-12, and Campbell was deemed expendable in favor of 33-year-old Donovan McNabb.
Early prognosis: Unquestioned starter, through 2011.
CHARLIE FRYE
Age on kickoff weekend: 29
Specs: 6-4, 217
Drafted: By Cleveland, third round (67th overall) in 2005 from Akron
-- 69.7 career passer rating
-- 4,154 passing yards ? 61.9 percent completion rate
- -17 touchdown passes, 29 interceptions
-- 7-16 record as starter
Career highlight: Set a Browns rookie record with 136.7 passer rating (226 yards with two touchdown passes in his first career NFL start in a 20-14 loss to Jacksonville on Dec. 4, 2005).
Career lowlight: Only QB in NFL history to be traded the week after starting a season opener, (in 2007 from Cleveland to Seattle).
Early prognosis: Painful last cut in training camp.
BRUCE GRADKOWSKI
Age on kickoff weekend: 27
Specs: 6-1, 220
Drafted: By Tampa Bay, sixth round (194th overall) in 2006 from Toledo
-- 65.9 career passer rating
-- 2,824 passing yards
-- 53.3 percent completion rate
-- 15 touchdown passes, 16 interceptions
-- 5-11 record as starter
Career highlight: Directed Raiders on a 10-play, 88-yard drive in less than two minutes to beat his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 last December.
Career lowlight: A week later, Gradkowski suffered torn ligaments in both knees. He also recently tore his (non-throwing) left pectoral muscle from the bone in a weightlifting mishap.
Early prognosis: Popular player, in the locker room and the stands, will be backup.
JaMARCUS RUSSELL
Age on kickoff weekend: 25
Specs: 6-6, 265
Drafted: By Raiders, first round (1st overall) in 2007 from LSU
-- 65.2 career passer rating
-- 4,083 passing yards
-- 52.1 percent completion rate
-- 18 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions
-- 7-18 record as starter
Career highlight: Coming off the bench to drive the Raiders 62 yards in 10 plays, culminating with a 10-yard touchdown throw with 35 seconds left to beat the Broncos in Denver last Dec. 20.
Career lowlight: The entire 2009 season, which included being fined for being overweight at training camp, and being pulled from consecutive home games.
Early prognosis: Convinced to take a pay cut and kept in mothballs for two years, holding a clipboard as No. 3 QB.
(E-mail Paul Gutierrez at pgutierrez(at)sacbee.com)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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