Even with Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas Raiders are Derek Carr’s team

Through all the free agency, and even the with the signing of Marcus Mariota, the Las Vegas Raiders are still Derek Carr’s team.

The Las Vegas Raiders have made a bunch of moves to improve their roster, including bringing in talent at linebacker, and adding to all three levels of the defense. Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski make the linebacker group better immediately, and veterans like Eli Apple and Maliek Collins make the entire defense better as a whole.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Raiders did sign veteran Nelson Agholor to the wide receiver group, bringing in a former first round pick who dominated in the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win over New England. He makes the wide receiver room better, but they still need to add a legitimate WR1 to the roster.

Throughout the winter, and leading into the new league year, much was said about the team moving on from veteran starting quarterback Derek Carr. Whether it was his overall record, his unwillingness to make plays with his legs, or just the overall lack of playoff appearances, there are many Raiders fans out there tired of seeing No. 4 under center.

Well, as we inch closer to the 2020 NFL Draft, one thing appears clear, and that is that Derek Carr will be running Jon Gruden’s offense for a third season in 2020. The organization has steadily stated they are building around him, and based on the fact Gruden does not play rookies at the quarterback position, it appears Carr’s spot is safe for now.

Of course, they did bring in a veteran backup in Marcus Mariota, who is a former No. 2 overall pick, and has had no problems making plays with his legs during his career. However, even Mariota has stated that this is “Derek’s team,” and his contract is loaded with performance money, making it a very team-friendly deal if he stays behind Carr in 2020.

Gruden and Mike Mayock have repeatedly stated that they love Carr, and love what he did last season. Remember, he threw for over 4,000 yards for the second straight season, despite not having a true WR1, and had a 21-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, as well as completed over 70 percent of his passes.

Of course, it is only March, and with the 2020 NFL Draft coming up, there is no telling what Gruden has up his sleeve. The bottom line is, the Raiders look to be planning on going into their new building with Carr under center, and after revamping both sides of the ball, the time has come for him to lead this team back to the playoffs.