Oakland Raiders: Expectations for QB Derek Carr in 2019

It will be a huge year for quarterback Derek Carr in 2019, as the Oakland Raiders success hinges on his strong right arm.

If you were hoping for the Oakland Raiders to look elsewhere at quarterback in 2019, then I’ve got some bad news for you. Yesterday, Derek Carr’s salary for the 2019 season officially became guaranteed.

That’s $20 million for the season, so unfortunately for those who want Carr to be replaced right now, they’re going to have to wait. Regardless of his guarantees, Carr was going to be the quarterback in 2019.

The notion that he needed to be axed right now is simply an emotional take. People forget that Carr has an extraordinary stat tied to him. It’s that in his short five year career, he’s only once had a consecutive year in the same system.

2019 is going to be his sixth year in the NFL and he’s barely getting his second look at stability. The fact that he’s been able to show flashes of elite play is incredible. Not to mention the insane turnover on the roster that we constantly see year after year.

These points may be interpreted as excuses for some people, but they’re simply facts. No other quarterback has been dealt a horrible hand like Derek Carr has since entering the league. The very first time Carr was dealt a winnable hand in 2016, he turned that hand into an MVP caliber season. Which is coincidentally his first time being in the same system for a consecutive year.

Because he was able to do that in 2016 thanks to stability, what are the expectations for Derek Carr in 2019?

It’s without question that he needs to show development. He needs to display that the Raiders can win with him at quarterback. 2019 essentially is a make it or break it season for Carr, so the room for error gets significantly smaller.

If his performances are identical to 2018 or worse, then a replacement seems to be in order. However, this is what makes this offseason so crucial for the Raiders. The 2018 roster was the least talented team that Carr has been around since 2014. Carr has to play better this season without a doubt, but the team also needs to support him. The Raiders offense in 2016 and even 2015 was loaded.

The offensive line was elite and the skill positions were consistently talented.

That’s the upside about Derek Carr. The Raiders don’t need to load up the skill positions with top of the line elite talent (Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, etc.). Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray were not top 10 talents at their position in 2015 and 2016. They were essentially second and third tier players.

In a way, Carr is reliant on the players around him, but only to a certain extent. Because of that fact, some fans believe that if Carr is reliant on the players around him, why not just acquire another quarterback that doesn’t need to be built around?

Simple. This isn’t fantasy football or madden. Every quarterback in the league needs to built around, even those who are viewed as a top five quarterback. Drew Brees has a plethora of talent around him. It’s why the New Orleans Saints almost made it to the Super Bowl this season and even in 2017.

Aaron Rodgers couldn’t even sniff the playoffs this past season because the talent on offense outside of Devante Adams was nonexistent. Even if that notion were true, the quarterbacks that don’t need significant help are outliers. They are not the standard, they’re the exception. It’s why the Raiders shouldn’t be too quick to cut their losses with Derek Carr. Let’s not forget the incredibly long list of quarterbacks who have come and gone since Rich Gannon.

Other than the Cleveland Browns, no other team has been so piss poor at finding a solid quarterback. Yet for some reason, critics want Carr gone so quickly as if he hasn’t had to fight adversity.

Once again, Carr needs to make a leap this season. Whether that’s an enormous leap or even just a hop. There just needs to be signs that he’s getting better and the way to expedite it is by giving him weapons.

Those weapons don’t have to be solely on offense because defensive help allows Carr to have a longer interval of rest and favorable field position. Free agency and the draft in the coming months will be a pivotal factor in ensuring Carr’s success because if the quarterback is succeeding, so is the Oakland Raiders franchise.