Derek Carr is the Oakland Raiders quarterback, and rightfully so

The Oakland Raiders have been surrounded by rumors that they may move on from Derek Carr, but Jon Gruden put that noise to rest on Monday.

The Oakland Raiders hold an early pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, so it would make sense that they are interviewing, and working out the top quarterbacks in the class. However, despite the fact that Jon Gruden likes what he sees in Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins, he has stayed consistent when it comes to who the Raiders starting quarterback will be in 2019.

That man is Derek Carr, who will re-write the entire Raiders record book with another solid season in 2019. Last season, Carr threw for over 4,000 yards and nearly completed 70 percent of his passes, all the while doing it behind two rookie tackles, and very little options on the outside.

Heading into 2019, Oakland has done a nice job building pieces around Carr, bringing in weapons like Tyrell Williams, Antonio Brown, and J.J. Nelson, while adding a veteran offensive tackle in Trent Brown. While they need some help in the interior of their offensive line, and have to figure out the running back and tight end position, Carr and the Raiders are in a much better position heading into this season than they were a year ago.

While both Murray and Haskins have the talent to be solid quarterbacks at the NFL level, they did start only one year in college, and may have a long way to go until they can handle an NFL offense like Carr can. With the team making moves to improve the roster immediately, Gruden is making the smart move to stick with Carr, and he let the world know that is the plan on Monday.

Speaking with Jim Trotter of the NFL Network, Gruden stood behind his signal-caller, who he said played extremely well in a dire situation in 2018. Carr is the right choice for the job in 2019, and beyond, and with this kind of talent around him, his best football is likely still in front of him.

Carr is only 27-years old, and has a ton of good football left in him. He has been a starter in the NFL for the Raiders since Day 1 of his career, and has led them to  their only winning season since 2002.

While the Raiders will do their due diligence on the quarterbacks in the draft, the fact that Gruden continues to commit to Carr is a great sign. Holding the No. 4 overall pick, teams are going to be calling Oakland to try and trade up for a quarterback, which is the perfect situation for a team who already has their franchise guy.