Raiders QB Derek Carr named one of the biggest ‘losers’ of the offseason
Derek Carr is coming off the best season of his career. During the 2020 season, Carr threw 27 touchdowns to just nine interceptions and set a career-high of 4,103 passing yards. Most importantly, he saw his adjusted yards per attempt rise to 8.2, by far the highest of his career.
However, you can make a strong case that this offseason did not do him any favors. With all of the other contenders in the AFC getting better and more explosive on offense, the Raiders lost their leading receiver and three veteran offensive linemen.
In a recent article by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, he named Carr one of the biggest losers of the offseason for all of the reasons previously mentioned. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the offseason for the Raiders and Carr:
“Derek Carr will play behind a younger but much less experienced offensive line in comparison to the starting five from last season.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded center Rodney Hudson, guard Gabe Jackson and tackle Trent Brown. That veteran trio played a combined 2,426 offensive snaps in 2020. From the pivot to the perimeter, Andre James, Denzelle Good or John Simpson, and rookie first-rounder Alex Leatherwood will have opportunities to start.
On top of all that, Carr won’t have his lead wide receiver from the previous campaign in Nelson Agholor, who signed with the New England Patriots.”
While it’s true the Raiders revamped their offensive line, the unit did get considerably younger and more athletic. While it may take them some time to gel, it’s not unreasonable to think they could be better in time.
As for Nelson Agholor, the Raiders are hoping that second-year receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards improve. But if they struggle to take the next step, the team can lean on veterans John Brown, Willie Snead and Hunter Renfrow to carry the passing game.
Heading into the 2021 season, the Raiders will certainly be asking even more of Carr than usual. But considering how much he has improved each year under Jon Gruden, that shouldn’t be a big issue. Look for Carr to have another career year in 2021 in Las Vegas.
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