The Las Vegas Raiders have made a lot of moves this offseason, including bringing in a high-profile quarterback in Marcus Mariota to back up Derek Carr.
Mariota joined the Raiders on a two-year deal after losing his long-time starting job with the Tennessee Titans last season. Although Mariota could potentially be competition for the Raiders franchise quarterback, Carr has already reached out to his new teammate.
During former Raiders player Will Compton’s podcast, Carr shared that he has already begun establishing a relationship with Mariota, via Raiders.com:
“We’ve talked already,” Carr said. “He is by far one of the coolest, nicest, professional people I’ve ever been around. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him. He’s amazing.”
While it is extremely difficult to find Carr speaking negatively about any of his teammates, it is reassuring to hear that he is amicable with Mariota. Of course, developing a relationship on the field this offseason will still be difficult due to complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Raiders have had a few reliable backups for Carr in seasons past, but few will be able to provide the same level of talent as Mariota, who is a former No. 2 overall pick. Carr has rarely had injury troubles throughout his time with the Raiders, but should that become an issue then Mariota is a solid backup to have.
While bringing in a player like Mariota as a backup gives the Raiders depth, it also potentially creates competition for the starting spot. There is the chance Carr could lose his job, but Mariota and the team have indicated that he is comfortable in a backup role.
Carr stated that he appreciates Mariota’s support and believes having him in the quarterback room should help create a strong season:
I think the most important thing is to have a united quarterback room,” Carr said. “I’ve always thought that. When you have a strong united quarterback, we can all go lead the football team. … Our depth of the offense that we know, we have to correct guys, things like that — I think it’s only good things for our team.”
With a confident group of quarterbacks, the Raiders should have a very focused offense. Of course, the team has extensive firepower at other positions as well. Darren Waller earned his way into the conversation for the best tight end in the league, while Josh Jacobs broke numerous rookie records and shows signs of an all-time great. Additionally, the team added some speed at wide receiver by drafting Henry Ruggs III in the first round.
