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There’s probably nobody in the Oakland Raiders organization that is more excited about all of the additions that the team has made than quarterback Derek Carr. 2017 and 2018 were tough for Carr. Both years he saw a decreased amount of talent around him and had to learn new offenses. Because of this, he wasn’t able to play to the same level that he was in 2015 and 2016. Heading into 2019, prospects look much better for Carr and people are starting to notice.
Derek Carr to Have Better 2019 Season Than 2016, Says Analyst
There are those in the media that certainly don’t have faith in Derek Carr heading into 2019. However, there are some that have very high expectations for the quarterback. NFL Network’s Kay Adams had a lot of positive things to say about Carr.
“Derek Carr is going to have a better 2019 season than he had in his MVP candidate season of 2016,” said Adams. “I just think he’s going to light it up this year and nobody’s talking about it.”
She also went on to say that he should be an MVP candidate at the end of the year. ESPN’s Louis Riddick has also praised Carr, saying that the quarterback is “about to have the best season of his career.” He still has a lot to prove, but there are still those that believe in his abilities.
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Could Derek Carr Be the NFL MVP in 2019?
In 2016, Carr finished third in MVP voting and very well could’ve won the award if he didn’t get hurt towards the end of the season. His success didn’t continue into the 2017 season. It was strange to see him decline the way he did. Some would blame former offensive coordinator Todd Downing, but either way, he didn’t play up to his potential. Let’s get one thing straight, if Carr plays well and the Raiders make the playoffs, he’ll have a very good shot at winning the MVP.
During the 2016 season, Carr had Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree as his wide receivers with Latavius Murray as his running back. Now he has Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams at wide receiver with rookie Josh Jacobs at running back. While Cooper, Crabtree and Murray put up strong seasons in 2016, Carr’s new corps has more talent. Brown is better than Cooper and Jacobs should be better than Murray. It’s hard to say if Williams is better than Crabtree was, but the gap shouldn’t be that large, one way or another.
The biggest red flag is that the offensive line won’t be as good in 2019 as it was in 2016. The 2016 unit was absolutely dominant. The 2019 unit should be better than last season, but there are some concerns at guard and left tackle. However, even with offensive line concerns, Carr could easily put up the best numbers of his career. Jon Gruden is the first offensive-minded head coach that Carr has had. Yes, 2018 didn’t inspire much confidence, but the team has now been crafted in the coach’s image and we should get a much better idea of what Gruden has left in the tank in 2019. Carr’s back is against the wall. The front office has surrounded him with enough talent to put up big numbers. Don’t be surprised if Carr is in the running for MVP at the end of the season.
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