Raiders head coach Jon Gruden had a hand in drafting Josh Johnson a decade ago. The agile quarterback and Oakland native was a Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick in 2008, Gruden’s last year as Buccaneers coach.
The pair will reunite in Johnson’s hometown. The well-traveled quarterback signed with the Raiders on Monday, the team announced.
Johnson will compete with Connor Cook to backup starter Derek Carr, and brings a veteran’s influence to the position group. Strong-armed former first-round pick EJ Manuel, who started one game last season as Carr's primary backup, remains a free agent after a year with the Raiders.
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This move should make Marshawn Lynch happy. He and Johnson are extremely close and together run the Family First Foundation, a charitable organization that does significant work for East Bay kids. Johnson and Lynch also played football together at Oakland Tech High.
Johnson has played 10 NFL teams prior to this Raiders stop, but hasn’t played in a regular-season game for some time.