Despite having a very strong throwing arm, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has earned a reputation as a player who doesn’t like to throw the deep ball. He was also previously among the most accurate deep ball throwers in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Whether it’s his falt, his coach’s or his wide receivers’, Carr doesn’t go deep as often as he probably should.
Either way, Carr probably isn’t going to let it rip downfield and his opponents know it. Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, new Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. was asked about his assessment of Carr.
“Derek, he’s gonna be a guy who’s gonna get the ball out fast,” Harris said. “He doesn’t take too long on his decisions, he makes the safe throw … or takes the throw that the defense gives him … sometimes he might take shots but he doesn’t throw the ball down the field much and that’s really my take on Carr.”
Carr has made some of the prettiest deep ball throws you’ll ever see, but he’s shown that he doesn’t like to hold onto the ball too long. With the addition of Henry Ruggs, it’ll be interesting if Jon Gruden pushes Carr to air it out more.
Harris Explains Why He Didn’t Sign With Raiders
The Raiders went into the offseason with a clear goal of adding a cornerback. They made an offer to Byron Jones and considered trading for Darius Slay. Harris was also among the players the Raiders tried to land, but he chose the Chargers. He explained his decision to Cowherd.
“I think the Chargers had a better plan for how they’re gonna use me,” Harris said. “The Raiders had LaMarcus Joyner, a guy who they wanted to play inside now and the Chargers want me to play inside … I just feel very comfortable with the plan they have for me.”
Harris would’ve been a major upgrade over Joyner on the insider, but the Raiders have a lot of money invested in him. The team has to hope Joyner improves in his second year with the team as Harris is arguably the best slot corner in the NFL.
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Carr Among Strongest Arms in NFL?
Carr may not too keen on throwing the deep ball but that doesn’t mean he lacks in arm strength. In fact, back in 2018, USA Today did a breakdown of all the quarterbacks in the NFL and rated them in individual attributes. When it came to arm strength, they only rated Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton as quarterbacks with stronger arms.
It seems strange that Carr doesn’t go for the deep ball more considering his cannon of an arm. He’s also among the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL. The Raiders haven’t been blessed with an abundance of wide receiver talent in recent years so that could play a part. However, the team gave him the fastest wide receiver in the draft this year. Carr needs to hit Ruggs on some deep shots this year if the offense is to be more dynamic.
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Longtime Rival CB Dishes on Raiders’ Derek Carr: ‘He Makes the Safe Throw’