The transition to becoming the Las Vegas Raiders is now officially underway. And quarterback Derek Carr is looking forward to a fresh start in the desert oasis after literally being booed out of Oakland.
It’s Over For Carr In 2019 At Least
The 2019 season wasn’t kind to Carr despite putting up good numbers. However, the conclusion in Oakland left Carr with boos as his last memory of the Coliseum and he for one is looking forward to Vegas.
Very much,” Carr said Monday during locker room clean-out day, when asked if he was looking forward to the move. “It’s exciting. I think it’s time for some fresh air. -Carr on the transition to Las Vegas via ESPN
It’s not a shot at Oakland or the Bay Area by any means but the quarterback has been beset by so much criticism and scrutiny culminating with him getting booed. Who can blame him wanting some “fresh air”?
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Fact is that no matter what Carr does or doesn’t do, he’s gonna be criticized by Raider Nation, a truly impossible position to be in. Pat Graham of the Denver Post shared an interesting tidbit from Carr after the season finale.
“We are close,” said Carr, who threw for 391 yards and a late score. “This is the first time, if I’m being honest, in my career, where I can sit there and look at the future and be like, ‘We can really be good for eight to 10 years.’ … We did some things that, let’s just be real, no one thought we were going to do.”
Maybe it’s not what fans want to hear but it sounds like Carr is excited about the future in Vegas and there’s certainly some truth to his statement. The team did finish 7-9, which was an improvement over last year and the 2019 rookie class was one of the best in recent memory for the Raiders.
The Future in the Oasis
While many believe the playoffs should’ve been the end result for this team this year, it just didn’t pan out and for now, we’ll have to wait another nine months to continue seeing this experiment go into Year 3 under head coach Jon Gruden.
“There’s no doubt that since coach Gruden got here, we’ve changed the culture of this thing, how he wants it to be,” Carr said. “Trust me, in our building we know the way we’re headed.”
You can’t expect Carr to say anything else besides what he had to say about Gruden, I mean what’s he supposed to say? Interestingly enough, only Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock know what the future truly holds for the Raiders and in particular, whether Carr is the “guy” or not. Will they bring in a veteran to compete or will they scrap all this and go quarterback at next year’s draft? Will have to stay tuned.
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