UPDATE (4:27 p.m. PT): The Raiders have signed free-agent quarterback Christian Ponder, the club announced Friday. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.
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The Raiders have three quarterbacks on the current roster. Derek Carr, Matt Schaub and Matt McGloin won’t be together much longer.
Christian Ponder is going to upend last year’s group. The former Minnesota Viking made a visit to the Raiders practice facility on Friday and is expected to sign a one-year deal with the team, ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports.
Ponder would come in as Carr’s backup. Ponder, selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, spent his first three seasons with new Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave when he manned the OC post in Minnesota.
[RELATED: Raiders free-agency tracker]
That would provide an upgrade over Matt Schaub, who struggled in limited action last year. He carries a $5.5 million salary cap number, and his release has been long expected.
Ponder’s acquisition also says something about McGloin, now entering his third season. He started six games as an undrafted rookie and was the No. 3 man in 2014. Many believed McGloin would be the primary backup after Schaub left, but Ponder’s presence suggests that’s no longer the case.
Ponder started his first three seasons, all under Musgrave, with lackluster results. He sat behind Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater last year forecasting this offseason’s departure from Minnesota in free agency.
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