Oakland Raiders building around Derek Carr for 2019 and beyond

For a while, the narrative around the Oakland Raiders was that they may move on from Derek Carr, but it looks like the team is doing the exact opposite.

On Monday, the Oakland Raiders pulled off another huge move, as it was reported that they will sign former New England Patriots left tackle Trent Brown in free agency. Brown, who helped the Pats to another Super Bowl win this past season, was the highest-rated offensive tackle in the NFL in 2018, and will solidify the tackle positions in Oakland alongside Kolton Miller.

While the loss of Kelechi Osemele on Sunday certainly hurts the offensive line, the team did sign Denzelle Good earlier in the week, and he could start on the right side at guard. That would enable the team to move Gabe Jackson to the left side, pairing him with Brown, and giving the Raiders a solid unit in front of Derek Carr.

With the trade for Antonio Brown, giving Carr a No. 1 weapon in the passing game, the Raiders appear to be all-in when it comes to their veteran quarterback. There had been whispers that the team would want to trade up and  take Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, but these move signify that the franchise will stick with the 27-year old, instead of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

That is a smart move, as Carr is coming off a season where he set career highs in yards, and completion percentage, all the while doing it with rookie tackles, injured guards, and very little weapons in the passing game.

Since taking over as general manager, Mike Mayock has said that Carr will be evaluated, and he must have liked what he saw on tape. He has repeatedly stated that Carr is “our” franchise quarterback, and he is happy with what he has at the position.

Now, Carr gets to lead a team that is improved up front on offense, and added the most elite wide receiver in the game. In addition, Oakland still has four of the top-35 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, giving them more ammunition than any other team in the league.

On Wednesday, the Raiders agreed to a deal with former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tyrell Williams as well, and now have a solid three-headed monster at wideout in Williams, Brown, and Jordy Nelson.

Obviously, there is still more work to do, and the defense will definitely be targeted early, and often during the 2019 NFL Draft. For Carr, these moves are a sign that he is the man moving forward, so it will be up to him to prove to the rest of the league that he is the player he was in 2016, when he nearly won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.