Raiders camp: 3 things to be excited about, 3 things to be worried about

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 29: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders warms up before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on December 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 16-15. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 29: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders warms up before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on December 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 16-15. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
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Raiders edge rushers Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Raiders edge rushers Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Raiders are having a solid camp on many fronts despite COVID-19, and here are three things to be excited, or worried about heading into 2020.

Coming off a seven-win season in 2019, a year that saw the team get out to a surprisingly good start despite a tough schedule, before faltering late, the Las Vegas Raiders have ramped up expectations for 2020. The Silver and Black have upgraded nearly every position group since Mike Mayock took over as general manager, and the time has come for them to get back to being a playoff-caliber team.

This is a franchise that has seen the playoffs only once since the 2002 NFL season, and for quarterback Derek Carr, it is time for him to start putting more notches in the win column. Carr has played solid football under Jon Gruden on the stat sheet, but the season ended on a sour note in 2019, culminating with him being booed out of the Coliseum.

As he enters his seventh season, he has more talent around him than he has had in his career, and finally has some stability within the coaching staff. This summer, his leadership has gotten rave reviews from Mayock, and the team as whole has had a training camp with a lot less drama than last year.

Here, we look at three things to be excited about, and three things to worry about as camp draws to a close. We start with the things to be excited about.

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