Getty Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr and coach Jon Gruden
The potential match made in heaven featuring Jon Gruden and Derek Carr with the Oakland Raiders hasn’t exactly played out as many expected. Through six games, the Raiders find themselves with a 1-5 record and have a mixture of blown leads and ugly losses. Apparently, the struggles through the start of the year have been enough for drastic measures to be considered.
As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports revealed, the Raiders may be on the verge of entertaining trade offers for their highly-paid quarterback as early as 2019.
Ultimately, what this means for quarterback Derek Carr, Oakland’s second-round pick in 2014, remains to be seen, though it’s fair to say a growing number of GMs suspect Gruden may entertain offers for him as well in 2019, especially if Gruden’s in position to draft his pick of quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. Khalli Mack, Oakland’s top pick in 2014, was already dealt to Chicago in a monster deal before the season, and Gruden’s pursuit of additional draft picks is not expected to stop there.
Carr’s Up-and-Down Play, Gruden’s Displeasure
Although Carr has thrown for 1,783 yards while completing 71.7 percent of his passes this season, the struggles have been apparent. His seven touchdowns are largely overshadowed by eight interceptions, including a few which have come in key moments. During Week 5’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Carr threw an interception from the 1-yard-line, costing the Raiders a chance to get back in the game.
Even just prior to the Raiders’ Week 6 game in London against the Seattle Seahawks, Gruden’s displeasure was apparent. As Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal revealed, Gruden was asked how close the Raiders are to turning a corner. His answer didn’t exactly leave fans optimistic.
English reporter asked Jon Gruden how close Raiders are to turning the corner. “I think we have a ways to go. We have a lot to prove.”
The Gruden-Carr pairing was expected to help the Raiders offense thrive, but instead, they’ve sputtered at times. Oakland ranks No. 28 in the NFL with 18.3 points per game and although they’re averaging 281 yards through the air, it hasn’t resulted in wins.
Something has to change, but it seems like a longshot for the Raiders to deal Carr when it’s widely-known how tough finding a franchise quarterback can be.
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