The Oakland Raiders had one of the best drafts in the history of their franchise last week, adding immense talent and players for the future. Top NFL analysts raved about Oakland’s picks, especially their second round draftee, quarterback Derek Carr from Fresno State.
Oakland’s quarterback situation has been rather sad since Rich Gannon retired. The team never found a franchise quarterback after Gannon, but this season, they’ll have just that on their roster.
Last time the Raiders drafted a quarterback with a top pick, his name was Jamarcus Russell, whose name now makes Raiders fans cringe. The pick just didn’t work out. Russell had little guidance, but most importantly he had a bad attitude that ruined his career.
Unlike Russell, Carr has a great attitude with the will to not only win, but get better in the process.
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Carr as he was considered by some to be the best quarterback in the draft. He has a good arm, is accurate with his throws, and throws the ball hard. However, Raider Nation and NFL fans alike will have to wait awhile to see Carr’s regular season debut.
The addition of Matt Schaub allowed the Raiders to develop a quarterback rather than throw him into the fire right away. Schaub was traded to Oakland to be a veteran to a young, developing team. Schaub will act as Carr’s mentor for at least a couple of seasons. The Raiders never had an established quarterback be able to show a rookie the ropes and help him develop to be a franchise player.
As a team that still has some holes to fill, the guidance of a quarterback with playoff experience will greatly help Carr with the transition from college ball to the NFL.
Some of the top quarterbacks in the league started out on the bench, and well, their numbers speak for themselves. Such quarterbacks include: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Colin Kaepernick, and even Schaub himself.
That being said, Carr is a competitor, he will enter training camp ready to compete and earn his spot on the Oakland roster. Can he surpass the veteran Schaub and start for the silver and black in 2014? No, Schaub will be the Raiders starting quarterback this season. However, there could be an interesting competition when it comes to the back up position, between Carr and Matt McGloin, who showed some promise last season.
For the first time, Raider Nation has something to truly look forward to. They finally have a legitimate quarterback of the future. That is what Derek Carr brings to the Raiders, a vision for the future. When the Raiders are able to put the pieces together as a whole, get some established receivers, and a solid offensive line for Carr; the possibilities are endless.