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Oakland Raiders trade sixth-round pick for Houston Texans' Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub will get another chance to lead a franchise after being traded to Oakland.  (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

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(Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The Oakland Raiders put on a big push to trade for Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, and that deal came to fruition Friday afternoon. The Raiders gave up a sixth-round draft pick for Schaub and make him their starting quarterback.

Of course, the main issue is not the low pick Oakland gave up -- it's the five-year, $66.15 million contract Schaub signed in September 2012. That contract goes with Schaub, and it guarantees him a $10 million base salary, plus $1 million total in per-game-roster bonuses. That would be an acceptable compensation package for a quarterback who wasn't on the decline, but as we saw last season, Schaub has some major issues that need work.

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He began the 2013 season as the team's starter but was pulled after setting an NFL record by throwing a pick-six in four straight games and five of seven overall. Backup T.J. Yates replaced Schaub in October after he suffered a lower leg injury against the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 13, and Yates promptly threw a pick-six of his own. It was part of a dismal stretch in which the Texans threw five touchdown passes to their own receivers and five to opposing defenses.

Schaub played in four more games for the Texans last season, including a 12-for-25 performance against the Raiders on Nov. 17 in which he couldn't manage a touchdown pass. He finished the season with 10 touchdowns and 14 picks. The Texans, who lost their last 14 games after starting 2-0, were eager to push Schaub off their roster and had interest from the Raiders and Browns. Houston signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal Thursday.

Grade: F. Unless the Raiders have a deal in place to renegotiate with Schaub, they're going to lose millions in cap room in 2014 for a quarterback who clearly has major mechanical issues, they're going to do it when Michael Vick and Josh Freeman are on the open market and they're giving up a draft pick for the "honor." This is the kind of move that gets people fired.

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