As Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen continue to build for the future, they are finding pieces to help the Raiders be a competitive team next season. Now the Raiders are addressing their need for a veteran quarterback, trading for Matt Schaub.

When fans hear the name Schaub, many will automatically think of a terrible quarterback who lost his starting job on the worst team in the league last season. But while the former Houston Texans quarterback was abysmal in 2013 with just 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 10 games, Schaub is a better quarterback than what his performance showed.

The 32-year-old quarterback was very productive in four seasons prior to the forgettable 2013 season. In 2012, Schaub started all 16 games while throwing for 4,008 yards, 22 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. Schaub missed six games in 2011, but combined to throw 53 touchdowns to just 27 interceptions in 2009 and 2010.

Now Schaub’s big decline last season is worth noting and a big part of Houston’s struggles was because of Schaub’s horrendous play. While Schaub’s completion percentage (61.2) dropped three points from his career mark (64), it really wasn’t the problem. The biggest problem was his confidence and playing behind an offensive line that allowed 113 quarterback hits last season, second most in the league.

Confidence is everything for a quarterback and after all of the hits, pressure and pick-sixes; Schaub’s confidence was shot. He didn’t trust his reads anymore, causing his reactions and instincts to slow down. Eventually he lost his starting job and it was clear he needed a change of scenery.

The Texans were trying to find a way to dump $11 million salary for the upcoming season, but couldn’t cut him because of the massive cap hit. Schaub was never going to be a part of Bill O’Brien’s plan at quarterback, so Houston found the perfect trade partner with the Raiders.

Now the Texans pick up $4 million in cap space and late-round pick in a very deep 2014 NFL Draft. While it’s been an uneventful opening to free agency for Houston, this was a great move by the front office.

The Raiders have been seeking a veteran quarterback who can hold down the position successfully while coaches develop a rookie quarterback. The Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin experiments failed, and while the team had shown interest in Michael Vick there are more durability concerns with him.

This is a smart move by the Raiders especially after building their offensive line in free agency. The team signed Donald Penn and Austin Howard, and already a top center with Stefen Wisniewski. If they can draft a starting-caliber offensive guard, this group could be just what Schaub needs.

A new enviornment, coaching staff and an improved offensive line should help Schaub get that confidence back. Once he does, he can once again be the reliable quarterback who makes good decisions and put the ball on target. While there are still questions about the Raiders' wide receiver corps, James Jones, Mychal Rivera and Rod Streater can be reliable weapons. Schaub could put together another 20-plus touchdown season and provide stability to this offense.

After winning just four games games for the second year in a row, McKenzie and Allen need this team to show major improvement in order to keep their jobs. If Schaub can play well enough to win seven games next season, it should be enough to help Allen and McKenzie see this rebuild all the way through.