As the days go by, it’s seeming less likely that interim head coach Rich Bisaccia will get the permanent job for the Las Vegas Raiders. If the team decides to go with another candidate, that would be against quarterback Derek Carr’s wishes. Once the season ended, he made it clear that he wants Bisaccia to be the guy going forward.
Owner Mark Davis should take into consideration what his quarterback wants but that doesn’t mean he has to hire the coach. However, the Raiders need to make it clear that they are committed to winning next season and aren’t looking to enter another rebuild. Carr has been a good soldier and has repeatedly stated that he wants to retire a Raider but he’s already been through multiple rebuilds since getting drafted by the team in 2014.
Carr himself would never come out in public and hold Davis’ feet to the fire, but his brother David is not as nice. He made it clear what his brother needs if he’s going to continue to play for the Raiders.
“There has to be a commitment from the organization that they are going to give him what he needs to succeed,” David Carr said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “He only wants to win a Super Bowl. He’s not here for the money, he’s talked about hanging it up when Jon retired. All of that stuff is ‘I want to win.’ He’d love to do it in Las Vegas, but he wants a chance to do it. He knows that there are pieces that you can put in place here. They are as close as they’ve ever been.
“They’re right on the cusp … they need some pieces. They need to see from the Raiders that there is commitment there. We talk about it a lot. We talk about commitment to excellence. Al Davis preached it. That needs to happen because I can’t guarantee that Derek is going to want to sign up for that if it’s going to be the same thing that he’s done over the last seven or eight years. I can’t guarantee that knowing my brother.”
.@DCarr8 on Derek Carr:
“There has to be a commitment from the organization that they will give him what he needs to succeed… He’d love to do it in Las Vegas but wants a chance.”
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Should Raiders Be Concerned About Carr?
Though these comments aren’t from Derek Carr himself, this is the most that it’s felt like he’ll start trying to use some leverage. He’s a very good quarterback and just led the Raiders to a playoff berth when everybody counted them out. He has every right to not want to go through another rebuild.
That said, there’s no reason why the Raiders should want to rebuild. They made the playoffs, have a young roster, plenty of cap space and a good quarterback. The Carr family can express their concerns but anybody who takes the Raiders head coaching job should be prepared to be back in the playoffs next season. If not, it’s time to question if Davis should be running the franchise.
What Pieces Do the Raiders Need to Add to Appease the QB?
Carr is 100% right about the Raiders needing a few more pieces before they can compete for a Super Bowl. The most obvious needs are along the offensive line. Right tackle and both guard spots need upgrades. Left tackle and center appear to be set for a while but the other three spots on the offensive line need a lot of help. The Raiders would be wise to look for veteran help as opposed to trying to find a fix in the draft.
Wide receiver is also a need. The Raiders have some good young pieces in Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards but neither is a No. 1. The most obvious name who will be linked to Las Vegas is Davante Adams. Landing Carr’s former college teammate at Fresno State would do a lot to make the quarterback happy. If not, this year’s draft is filled with strong wide receiver talent.
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Derek Carr’s Brother Put Raiders on Notice Regarding QB’s Future