Derek Carr will be the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL Season. That’s a fact and although his strengths and weaknesses are clear, opinions about him aren’t. You can ask 10 Silver and Black fans what they think about the signal-caller and you’ll likely get 10 different takes.
Derek Carr puzzles fans and experts alike
Most of the opinions regarding Carr narrow down to “franchise quarterback” to “not good enough.” and that isn’t exclusively of fans. Analysts have different ways to evaluate players so it isn’t surprising to see them rank the Raiders quarterback differently. However, there seems to be a general agreement of where Carr stands as a player.
The Athletic has Carr at No. 20 after surveying NFL coaches and executives. Most observers don’t deny the quarterback has talent, but believe he doesn’t play well when opposing defenses rattle him. Also, they believe Raiders brass isn’t too high on Carr.
Voters are not in love with Carr. They do not think Jon Gruden is in love with Carr. They also think the Raiders could do more to support the quarterback they drafted while headquartered in a different city under a different head coach and general manager.
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It definitely isn’t just fans, analysts seem to think head coach Jon Gruden hasn’t endorsed Carr enough. When there’s a quarterback controversy brewing, most coaches put down the chatter. This hasn’t been the case with Carr. Although the coach has praised the quarterback in the past, never has he publicly stated his unquestionable support.
Carr needs to do a better job playing through adversity
It’s often said adversity reveals character and this rings true when it comes to Carr. In spite of having plenty of time to throw the ball, his passer rating drops. This doesn’t get lost on a defensive coordinator that believes disrupting Carr is key to defeating him.
When things are going well, you can see the ability Carr has, but he is a dude who when he gets hit, his whole game changes.
No quarterback can do everything alone and a bare supporting cast hasn’t help matters either. This year tough, Carr should get plenty of support from what looks to be a revamped wide receiver corps. He will have the chance to go raise up in the rankings or get stuck in neutral and be listed 20th for the third time.
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Top Photo: Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group
