It was a wild and exciting offseason for the Oakland Raiders. The team successfully filed for relocation to Las Vegas, acquired Marshawn Lynch despite his retirement, and acquired key players in free agency. With one more year of experience under their belts, this young Raiders team is poised to take the next step in the NFL.
Oakland was on track to compete for a Super Bowl title before quarterback Derek Carr suffered a broken leg in their game against the Indianapolis Colts. Since then, Carr has made a full recovery and has shined in preseason action. According to Jerry McDonald of Mercury News, Carr believes that preseason is useful for younger players trying to stick on a team:
It was fun when I got to play in my rookie year,” Carr said Tuesday. “That’s an opportunity for a lot of guys to make the team, make a name for themselves. Obviously it was really important for my career.”
Carr added that he sympathizes with his rookie teammates as they navigate summer football:
I try and encourage them, try to give them some peace,” Carr said. “A lot of them are stressing out right now just trying to make the team. I know the feeling because they gave me a chance to start the last game my rookie year and there was going to be a lot told based on how I played.”
During Carr’s rookie year, he used his preseason reps to prove to the Raiders he was their quarterback going forward. He dazzled in a game against the Seattle Seahawks where he threw four touchdowns, justifying the team’s decision to draft him in 2014.
With the silver and black’s franchise signal caller back under center, it will be fun to see if the Raiders can replicate their 2016 NFL season success. Early signs have been positive and should hopefully result in another postseason appearance this year.
