The Oakland Raiders have built up the offense around Derek Carr heading into 2019, and he was ranked one of the top-5 pivotal players for the upcoming season in the NFL.
Derek Carr is the most important member of the 2019 Oakland Raiders, as this team is only going to go as far as he can lead them. Last season, despite him putting up solid numbers, the Raiders failed to give him any real time to throw the ball, and that led to a four-win season.
In addition to the injuries on the offensive line, Carr also lacked the weapons he needed in the passing game, as the team finished the year with Jordy Nelson atop the depth chart at the wide receiver position. This offseason, new general manager Mike Mayock has made it his purpose to surround Carr with talent, making this a very interesting year for the sixth-year stater.
On his Good Morning Football Show on Monday, NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt ranked his top-5 most pivotal players for the upcoming season. This list was made up of guys who were going to “swing the league for better or worse,” and Carr was ranked among those players.
Carr came in at No. 5 on the list, and Brandt spoke about how he was entering his second season under Jon Gruden, and how he has the second-most wins of any quarterback not to start a playoff game since 2016. In addition, Brandt speaks about all the weapons the Raiders brought in this season, and how he will need to impress if he is going to continue to be the face of the franchise.
I do agree that Carr is going into a crucial season for not only him, but also the franchise, as they look to bounce from a four-win season in 2018. For Carr, he has shown what he can do with the right cast around him, as well as what he can do when he is entering his second season in the same offense.
Oakland, as a team, will be looking to have a special season, not only for some positive movement heading to Las Vegas, but also for the City of Oakland itself. The schedule is tough, especially early on, so if the Raiders can get it going early in the season, there is no reason why they do not fight for a Wild Card spot in 2019.