Getty Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden
The question from Oakland Raiders fans at this point is about whether they should believe what head coach Jon Gruden is saying. After trading both Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper when he vowed both players weren’t being moved, the coach addressed the next big elephant in the room.
The status of quarterback Derek Carr.
To this point, we’ve heard Carr’s name pop up in quite a few various conversations involving a potential trade out of Oakland. The Raiders haven’t given any indication they’ll deal the 27-year-old, and as The Athletic’s Vic Tafur revealed, Gruden addressed the topic Wednesday.
Gruden wouldn’t “speculate” on more trades. “I certainty don’t see us trading the quarterback.”
I’m not completely sure why he didn’t address Carr by name here, but this comment almost certainly left fans rolling their eyes.
Latest on Derek Carr Trade Rumblings
We’ve heard a variety of things on Carr and his status beyond this year, but the most recent comes from The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II, and it’s not pretty. Thompson stated there are “whispers” the team has already decided Carr is not the longterm answer.
“There are already rumblings about Carr being a sitting duck. If the whispers are accurate, the Raiders have already concluded that Carr is not the quarterback of the future and the question is how do they go about moving on. His game is marked by a mental fragility that doesn’t inspire confidence.”
It’s almost impossible to gauge what’s true and what’s not in this situation. Gruden’s smokescreens surrounding players are impossible to see through, and it’s obvious he’ll do anything and everything to get the players he believes are the best fits in the door. Or better yet, to get the ones he’s not confident in out of Oakland.
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