Quarterback Nathan Peterman https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-carr-jersey , whose career to date has included historically bad performances, is performing for Raiders coach Jon Gruden in practice. So will Peterman ever perform for Gruden during games?It’s an intriguing situation, given that Peterman makes this year 3.2 percent of the salary that the Raiders will pay to starter Derek Carr. Gruden inherited Carr; the coach selected Peterman. And it’s no surprise why Gruden gravitated to Peterman.Gruden believed in Peterman, back when Gruden was an analyst and Peterman was a prospect.“Peterman is ready to walk in and be a contributor from day one,” Gruden wrote for ESPN.com in early 2017, less than a year before returning to coaching. “He just looks like a pro quarterback — coming out of the huddle, running an offense with different formations, shifting, motioning, different patterns that other colleges don’t run. Peterman will recognize route combinations and associate formations. . . . Most importantly, he will be able to get in a huddle from day one and look at 10 grown men and tell them where to go and what to do and handle a versatile snap count.”Gruden echoed those sentiments regarding Peterman in a pre-draft conference call before the last draft of Gruden’s coaching hiatus.“He is sharp,” Gruden said. “He is in the channel, I think, of success. I think he’s going to be a real good pro quarterback. I think any team in the league, you can cater your offense for Peterman. He’s a lot more athletic than people think. And he can handle an extensive amount of football, so the teams that are really ambitious with deep, thick playbooks, those are the teams that Peterman would fit in with. But I hope he gets with one of those guys that can really stretch him and challenge him.”The fact that Peterman, who played at Pitt (where Gruden once was an assistant coach), failed so badly elsewhere could make Gruden more determined to prove that he can reclaim Peterman. After all, Rich Gannon was a journeyman at best before hooking up with Gruden, who made Gannon into the league MVP the first year after Gruden left Oakland for Tampa Bay. (Yes, as hard as it may be to believe it now, but Rich Gannon won the league MVP award in 2002, at a time when Tom Brady, Peyton Manning Derek Carr Jersey White , Brett Favre, Steve McNair, Mike Vick, and Drew Brees were starting quarterbacks.) to put pressure on Carr to step up. Regardless, and as Raiders G.M. Mike Mayock admitted before the draft, the Raiders are constantly looking to upgrade at every position, including quarterback. Maybe, just maybe, Gruden can coach Peterman and career passer rating of 32.5 with three touchdown passes and 12 interceptions into an upgrade over Carr, who was an MVP candidate in 2016 but a middle-of-the-pack passer since then.First, Peterman has to beat out Mike Glennon. If Peterman does, the question then becomes whether Peterman can become the guy who can run Gruden’s complex offense more efficiently and successfully than the guy who happened to be the incumbent quarterback when Gruden showed up. The Raiders didn’t trade Bruce Irvin, but they have decreased the defensive end’s role.Oakland is paying Irvin $8 million in base salary this season, their highest-paid defender. Yet, he played only nine defensive snaps against the 49ers on Thursday night.“We’re a 4-3 team now, so in the base defense sometimes he doesn’t fit the role we need done,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Friday, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. “No disrespect to Bruce, but he’s an edge rusher. Plus, we haven’t had the lead a lot.“. . . His role has been reduced. I know he’s frustrated. I’m frustrated. He’s a good player.”Two of Irvin’s snaps came with the Raiders in their goal-line defense, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. That means of the team’s 23 snaps in nickel, Irvin played only seven.The co-captain played a previous season-low 24 defensive snaps against the Colts last week.A pectoral injury has limited him, but it sounds as if the Raiders have limited Irvin more than the injury has. Irvin has made only six tackles this season.He remains under contract next season with a $9 million base salary and $225,000 workout bonus. He will have no dead money in 2019 if the Raiders choose to cut him in the offseason, with a $9.25 million savings against their cap.