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Raiders trade up to draft QB Connor Cook at No. 100

Though Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie drafted his team's quarterback of the foreseeable future a couple of years ago in Derek Carr, McKenzie clearly learned a thing or two from his time in Green Bay. In this case: there's no harm in having extra quarterbacks.

So on Saturday, as the final four rounds of the draft began and Michigan State QB Connor Cook was still available, McKenzie swung a trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up 14 spots and take Cook at No. 100.

Connor Cook (AP)
Connor Cook (AP)

By moving into that spot, the Raiders jumped over the Dallas Cowboys; on the NFL Network broadcast, Ian Rapoport said teams in the top of the fourth round believed the Cowboys were targeting Cook at No. 101 as a backup to (and possible replacement to?) the aging Tony Romo.

It's a credit to McKenzie and the team he's building in Oakland that they are at a point where they can make luxury picks like Cook, who has the makings of a solid NFL quarterback on the field but who raised eyebrows last year when he wasn't picked as a team captain, an oddity for a senior starting quarterback.

An experienced pocket passer, Cook will likely serve as Carr's backup for a couple of years, but if he develops, the Raiders could flip him to another team in the future.

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