Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr
It’s all too easy to pick a quarterback as a team’s X-Factor, but there’s really nobody who is more important to the Oakland Raiders success than Derek Carr. All the ingredients are there for Carr to succeed in 2019.
The Raiders acquired two of the best wide receivers in the league this offseason in Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, and they supplemented them with two very different breakout candidates at the position in Ryan Grant and JJ Nelson. Oakland drafted Josh Jacobs at running back, signed one of the best offensive tackles in the league in Trent Brown, and even added Richie Incognito in an attempt to strengthen “Carr Insurance” further.
This is a make-or-break year for Carr, who was once a legitimate MVP candidate. Carr has the talent to be a star quarterback in this league and lead Oakland to a deep playoff run, but that talent has to be called into question. The Raiders watched Amari Cooper become a superstar with Dak Prescott in Dallas, and while they won’t regret trading Cooper after getting Brown and Williams, Cooper’s rise calls into question Carr’s talents at quarterback.
If Carr can play like he did in 2015 and 2016, it’s not a stretch to say the Raiders could make the playoffs. If he plays like he did last year, the Raiders will probably be the worst team in the AFC West for a second straight year. Those are the stakes with Carr, who must show that he has the decision-making to be a franchise quarterback and isn’t just a stat-padder. In 2019, the Raiders will evaluate Carr by wins and little else after making sweeping upgrades on offense.