Oakland Raiders: 5 Major storylines following mandatory minicamp
Watching the Carr-Brown Connection Grow
The chicken plan is in effect — eat up! That’s the message Carr and Brown sent to the fanbase. They’re going to gain yards in chunks. If that’s the case, we won’t see the same quarterback who drew criticism for his checkdown throws while trailing big in certain games. The Raiders didn’t acquire Brown for a conservative take-no-chances approach.
Of course, Carr needs time in the pocket, but when he has protection, head coach Jon Gruden will likely want him to let it fly if Brown beats his guy deep as opposed to a short pass to running back Jalen Richard.
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Apparently, Gruden would like Carr to utilize his athleticism in the pocket to create something out of nothing in the face of pressure, per NBCS Bay Area’s Scott Bair.
“When you watch Antonio play, a lot of his production is on scramble plays,” Gruden said. “Hopefully we can get Derek to create more on his own. With a little better protection, maybe he can buy more time to let Antonio make a play or two.”
Carr isn’t a statue on the field. He has to keep his eyes downfield, but the 28-year-old can gash defenses if he moves the pocket and extends the time for his receivers to break free. His connection with Brown could create highlight-reel moments every week with the two on the same page—something the wideout has worked on since the trade.
Brown literally showed up on Carr’s doorstep shortly after the trade became official. The four-time All-Pro wide receiver knows the importance of a solid rapport with the quarterback.
"“It’s extremely important to have a relationship off the field because playing football, you get mental tired, you get frustrated,” Brown said during a press conference. “You always want to have that respect for a guy to know where he’s coming from, know what he stands for and know what’s important to him, so you guys can be on the same page and do what you desire to do and desire to win.”"
Spring workouts in shorts don’t tell us much in terms of a quarterback-wide receiver tandem against live defenses. Nonetheless, Carr and Brown should return to training camp able to finish each other’s sentences in terms of football — their connection has the potential to become one of the NFL’s best.