The offseason is winding down and the 2019 season is quickly approaching for the Oakland Raiders. Coming away with only four wins a season ago left a lot to be desired from the Silver and Black and improvements are a must. After a myriad of changes and a roster overhaul, the team appears to be trending in the right direction.Â
Most importantly, in order for the Raiders to get back to their winning ways, quarterback Derek Carr will have to be at the forefront of the charge. My best case scenario for Carr is that he reinserts himself back into MVP consideration. The 2018 season was a mixed bag for DC. He threw for a career-high 4,049 passing yards but his touchdown to interception ratio wasn’t anything spectacular at 19-10.Â
2019 Raiders Best Case Scenario: Quarterbacks
Carr is widely criticized for throwing to many check down passes and with running back Jalen Richard tied for the lead in receptions on the team with 68 in 2018, there are viable claims here. However, on the flip side, Carr didn’t exactly have a full arsenal at his disposal to target or an adequate offensive line to protect him. Even with the Amari Cooper trade and multiple injuries across the offense, Carr still led the NFL in deep ball completion percentage per Pro Football Focus.Â
With a new look offense surrounding Carr, my main concern is how long it will take for them to operate as a cohesive unit. Given the success from the 2015 season when Michael Crabtree signed with Oakland and Cooper was a rookie, it didn’t take long for Carr to light up defenses with new teammates. This time around, Carr will have newcomers once again on the outside with arguably the most talented wide receiver in Antonio Brown along with Tyrell Williams who came over in free agency.
My “best case scenario prediction” for Carr: 3,987 yards, 33 touchdowns, 14 interceptions.Â
As far as backup quarterbacks Mike Glennon, Landry Jones, and Nathan Peterman are concerned, I think the team will keep two of them. Unfortunately, Raider Nation knows all too well just how important the role of the backup quarterback is. And to take it a step further, even the importance of the third string QB is known as not only did Carr go down in 2016, but so did Matt McGloin in a divisional game in Denver to close out that season.Â
While it won’t be an attention-grabbing storyline, training camp and preseason will be an intriguing battleground for who backs up Derek Carr. Based off of what I have seen in the careers of this trio thus far, I believe the best case scenario is Glennon serves as the immediate backup with Jones as the emergency guy. Unless Peterman plays his way onto the roster (similar to what Matt McGloin had done) with an exceptional preseason, I think he gets cut.Â
While he’s no pro bowler by any means, Glennon has shown in previous seasons he can successfully operate an offense. The thing I like about having Jones on the roster is the experience he has with Antonio Brown. Not only will AB have a familiar face around, Jones can also help Carr in his development with the star receiver.Â
Raider Nation, let me know your thoughts via the comments, Twitter or our Facebook page!Â
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