Oakland Raiders: Examining strengths, concerns going into 2018 season
Strength: Derek Carr‘s First Full-Time Offensive Head Coach
Quarterback Derek Carr won his first NFL game under the late Tony Sparano in Week 12 of the 2014 season. The former interim Raiders coach was the only offensive mind to hold the head-coaching position with Carr under center.
Dennis Allen, a former defensive coordinator, held the job before Sparano and Del Rio, another former play-caller with a background in defense, accepted the Raiders head-coaching vacancy in 2015. Now, Gruden takes over as the first full-time offensive-minded lead skipper to pair with Carr, which brings great expectations.
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Carr performed at a high level between the 2015-16 seasons, showing much promise, which led to his five-year, $125 million deal during the 2017 offseason. Before breaking his leg in Week 16 of the 2016 campaign, many viewed him as an MVP-caliber player. He led seven game-winning drives that season but landed on injured reserve with one regular-season game left to play on a 12-3 team.
During the 2017 offseason, the Raiders allowed former offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave‘s contract expire and promoted former quarterbacks coach Todd Downing. He called plays for the first time in his coaching career, and the offense significantly regressed last year. In addition, Carr broke a few bones in his back in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos.
Coming off a lackluster season, Carr needs someone like Gruden to help him reach his 2016 form and the next level. The 55-year-old has always enjoyed coaching quarterbacks, look no further than the ESPN QB Camp episodes during his stint as a Monday Night Football commentator.
Although many people see Gruden as a flashy hire, he’s still an offensive mind who understands quarterbacks and how to optimize talent at the position. He elevated Rich Gannon to peak performance at 34 years old, won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson, who was 34 years old at the time, and helped Jeff Garcia earn Pro Bowl honors at 37 years old.
Gruden has experienced success with older quarterbacks. Now he’ll have an opportunity to mold a young signal-caller who’s already shown high potential and produced with an experienced play-caller (Musgrave) in his ear.
It’s a prove-it year (again) for Carr as the franchise quarterback. Despite the changes and the failed trades to upgrade the wide receiver position, there’s enough talent and quality coaching for the three-time Pro Bowler to flourish under center.