Oakland Raiders: Examining Pieces in Place for 2015

Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes the ball to fullback Marcel Reece (45) between San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99) and defensive end Ray McDonald (91) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Future Franchise Quarterback

Quarterback Derek Carr showed everything you want from a rookie to say he’s going to be a franchise quarterback. We knew about the big arm, accuracy and athleticism before the season started. What I was impressed with was his poise, physical and mental toughness, leadership as a rookie and ability to adapt and learn.

The sky is the limit for this kid that was sacked only 10 percent of the time he was pressured to lead the NFL. That shows you that he always knows where everyone on the field is or should be and and gets rid of the ball quickly when he has to. I actually thought he could have been the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year if he had a decent cast to play with.

That just goes to show you that even individual awards are team awards as you need teammates to play well. In his second year coming up, I plan on seeing Carr make a big jump as he is more comfortable and knows what to expect. Murray will be back to run the ball so all he needs now is a couple of receivers to go with Streater and tight end that can catch consistently.

I’m expecting Carr with the improvements around him to pick that quarterback rating up into the upper 80s too. And if he threw 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie with the cast he had this past season, I’m looking for 28 touchdowns and the same amount of interceptions this coming season.

Next: Raiders Reconstruction: The Defense