Getty Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
The first practice of the 2019 training camp has wrapped up for the Oakland Raiders and starting QB Derek Carr had himself quite a day. With Antonio Brown sidelined due to injury, Carr started building a connection with Tyrell Williams. The two connected on a few impressive deep passes and once Brown is back, Oakland’s passing game is going to be hard to stop. What’s going to be really important is that the offensive line is able to improve and keep Carr standing up long enough to get the ball to his new wide receivers. There is one new Raiders offensive lineman that Carr is particularly excited about.
Derek Carr Heaps Serious Praise Upon Trent Brown
🔴 Live: Derek Carr and Tyrell Williams address the media from Napa.
In the offseason, the Raiders make Trent Brown the richest offensive lineman in NFL history. With a contract of that magnitude, Jon Gruden and company are going to expect a massive return on investment. If Derek Carr’s words are any indication of what to expect from Brown, the money will be well spent.
“I didn’t think our tackles could get bigger,” Carr said referencing Trent Brown’s massive size. “When he walks into a room, he has to duck under every doorway. Usually, you see a big guy like that and they’re not as quick, they don’t have that burst, but man, he has such a burst. He’s a Super Bowl Champ. He played left tackle as a Suber Bowl champ. That’s pretty impressive.”
While Brown hasn’t necessarily shown the consistency in his career that would warrant such a big contract, he’s been working really hard this offseason and could show great improvement. After a few dominant years in a row, the Raiders offensive line played terribly in 2018. The Raiders added Trent Brown and Richie Incognito in an effort to turn that weakness into a strength. Brown getting praise from his starting QB is a good sign so far.
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Carr Praises Antonio Brown & Offer Injury Update
It was very vague, but Carr made it seem like Brown should be hitting the field soon.
“You guys will see AB soon enough,” said Carr when asked about Antonio Brown. “He’s fine.”
Brown was on the sideline for today’s practice after the team recently revealed that he’d miss some time due to an undisclosed injury. There’s not too much to go off of Carr’s comments, but he seems pretty confident that Brown will be back soon. Carr also praised Brown and his other new wide receivers.
“These guys will make some of the worst throws look good,” said Carr. “In my mind, I can take more chances.”
A revamped receiving corps could go a long way in helping revitalize the Raider offense.
Carr Wants to Be More Mobile
One thing Carr isn’t known for is his mobility. Carr is an athletic player but doesn’t really venture outside of the pocket very much. That’s something he’d like to change.
“I feel like I’m athletic enough to do some damage that way, and I haven’t done that enough,” said Carr.
Carr was sacked 51 times in 2018, so a little mobility could go a long way in making that number go down. Carr has only rushed for 413 yards in his five-year career, so he’ll probably be hoping to get that number way up. With as many weapons as he has these days, he likely won’t need to rush very often.
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