Getty Raiders' Trent Brown & Derek Carr.
Regardless of whatever happens to Derek Carr in the offseason, he has the support of his teammates. Over the year, the Raiders quarterback has become the unquestioned leader of the team, even win the team is losing. It’s possible he’s no longer a member of the silver and black come the 2020 season, but for now, his right tackle Trent Brown is going to defend him.
On an Instagram post celebrating the contraction extension of offensive guard Denzelle Good, a fan decided to reply to a comment from Brown by going after Carr.
“@trent who’s gonna teach [Carr] to get rid of the damn ball with out throwing it out of bounds 15 times a game,” wrote the fan.
Brown wasn’t having any of it and decided to shut the commenter down.
“Watch ya mouth patna … just be a fan or fall tf back but whatever you do do it quietly,” wrote Brown.
Comments section on Raiders’ Instagram post.
It’s clear Brown wasn’t a fan of the comment. Over his one season with the team, he’s been quite a presence for the Raiders on social media. He’s recruited players and he’s defended teammates before. Considering Brown is one of the largest men in the NFL, it would probably be wise to stay on his good side.
What’s Going to Happen With Carr This Offseason?
Based on reports and speculation thus far in the offseason, it seems like most believe that either Carr will be cut this offseason or he’ll be the team’s unquestioned starter. However, there are more options. First off, it makes absolutely no sense for the Raiders to cut Carr. There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams that should be willing to make a trade for him. Like him or not, he’s at the very least a top-20 quarterback in the NFL.
If the Raiders aren’t sold on Carr, the most likely thing to happen is that they’ll bring in some competition. Nobody expected Mike Glennon or DeShone Kizer to start this year. Jon Gruden should bring in somebody who could really push Carr like he hasn’t been since his rookie year. Drafting a promising quarterback in the third round might light a fire under Carr. Also, adding a tested veteran like Marcus Mariota in a backup role could make Carr start feeling the heat. There’s nothing wrong with competition and maybe that’s what Carr needs.
Follow the Heavy Oakland Raiders page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Finding a Franchise QB Is Not Easy
Before the Raiders decide to move on from Carr, they really need to know if they have a good replacement. Finding a good franchise quarterback is hard and finding an elite one is almost impossible. Carr isn’t elite, but he is good. The Raiders are very unlikely to land a Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson type player with their current picks in the draft.
If Gruden truly believes that Carr isn’t the guy to lead the franchise for the future, then he should do what Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs did with Alex Smith. They drafted Patrick Mahomes, but let Smith playout the year. It became clear that Mahomes was just as good as they thought he was going to be so they traded Smith away. That’s exactly how the Raiders should handle things. What happens if they cut Carr, draft Jordan Love out of Utah State and he looks bad in training camp? Say goodbye to a playoff run. Gruden and co. really need to exercise patience if they’re planning to make a move.
READ NEXT: Study Suggests There Is an NFL Officiating Bias Against the Raiders