The Oakland Raiders brought in elite talent at the wide receiver position in 2019, and the team’s quarterback, was recently named their X-Factor.
When it comes to the Oakland Raiders, there is no more important player than Derek Carr. Going into his sixth season as a starting quarterback for the team, Carr will be playing in the same offense for only the second time in his career, and should flourish thanks to all the new additions on this roster.
Pro Football Focus recently released a piece naming the X-Factor for all 32 NFL teams, and for the Raiders, the choice was pretty simple. Coming off a solid statistical season with very little weapons, Carr has a ton of new options in the passing game, and could be in for his best season as a pro.
In 2018, despite having Jordy Nelson as his top wideout target, and his tight end, Jared Cook leading the team in receiving yards once again, Carr eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. In addition, he completed nearly 70 percent of his throws, while going on a long stretch without tossing an interception.
Carr accomplished all of this despite the fact that he not only lacked weapons, but also had two rookie tackles, and injuries to both of his Pro Bowl caliber offensive guards. It was certainly a long season for No. 4, but he gutted it out like he always does, and was rewarded when the team passed on selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, as was rumored.
Staying with Carr was the smart choice for Oakland, who will be looking to give their fans in the Bay Area one more winning season before leaving for Las Vegas. Oakland has only one winning season since 2002, but this team is a lot stronger than the one that won four games last season, so they could surprise some people.
Of course, for all of this to work, Carr is going to need protection, as he was under pressure nearly every time he dropped back last season. The Raiders did a good job bringing in talent along the offensive line this offseason, especially at the tackle position, where they may have the best right tackle in football in 2019 in Trent Brown.
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