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    Raiders insider believes Aidan O'Connell has the edge in QB competition

    By Dharya Sharma,

    14 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3e3wjJ_0uyNwfzj00

    The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback competition between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew has been the primary storyline around the team all offseason. The duo had an inconsistent training camp in Costa Mesa but performed well during the Raiders' preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday.

    Though the competition is still far from over, we're entering the most critical weeks of the battle, as O'Connell and Minshew potentially only have a few practices and one preseason game left to prove that they're the bona fide starter heading into the regular season. Head coach Antonio Pierce has said he hopes to make a decision following the preseason Week 2 contest.

    Despite Minshew's excellent performance in the preseason opener versus the Vikings, Sports Illustrated's Hondo Carpenter stated on his podcast "Ridin' w/ Hondo and Dexter" that he believes the team will enter Week 1 with Aidan O'Connell as the starting quarterback.

    Carpenter also states that the competition is a dead heat and that things could change in the next few days or weeks.

    I think it is a dead heat. There’s some that think Aidan [O’Connell] is ahead slightly, some think Gardner Minshew is ahead. But I stand by our reporting which we have done all offseason, it is Aidan O’Connell’s job unless Gardner Minshew has beat him out clearly, and it has not been clearly. So I think they’re going to go with O’Connell.

    Naming O'Connell as the starter would be the correct decision by Antonio Pierce and the Raiders' coaching staff. Though Minshew has more experience and looked better in the preseason opener, O'Connell's potential is too high to waste on the bench. The 25-year-old put together a solid rookie campaign, tossing 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions and posting a 5-5 record.

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