Raiders get Matt Schaub in trade

ByAdam Schefter ESPN logo
Friday, March 21, 2014

The Oakland Raiders will trade a late-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft to the Houston Texans in exchange for quarterback Matt Schaub, a league source told ESPN.

Schaub, who has a $14.5 million salary-cap figure and a $10 million base salary for 2014, became expendable when the Texans signed former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal Thursday night.

Not long after Houston acquired Fitzpatrick, Oakland made its final move on Schaub.

The Cleveland Browns had expressed some interest in Schaub, who could have been reunited with former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. But the Raiders wanted Schaub even more, according to a source.

The trade between Oakland and Houston, two teams scheduled to pick in the top five, could impact the 2014 draft and how high quarterbacks will be selected.

Oakland will have Schaub, the veteran quarterback atop its offseason wish list and someone who reduces the Raiders' pressure to use their first-round pick -- No. 5 overall -- on a signal-caller.

Houston, which owns the No. 1 overall pick, likely will have an even greater need at the quarterback position by trading Schaub.

The Raiders currently have three quarterbacks on their roster in Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin and Trent Edwards. Coach Dennis Allen recently said he was not sure whether the team's quarterback of the future is in the locker room at this time.

After leading the Texans to back-to-back AFC South Division titles in 2011 and 2012, Schaub struggled early last season before being benched in favor of rookie Case Keenum in October. The 10-year veteran regained the starting job in late December but could not help the Texans avoid finishing the season with a 14-game losing streak, the longest skid in franchise history.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Schaub has eclipsed 4,000 passing yards three times in his career. The 32-year-old spent the past seven seasons as the Texans' starting quarterback.

ESPN.com Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.