The Oakland Raiders are all in on second-year quarterback Derek Carr. The organization believes he has the potential to develop into a franchise guy and their offseason priorities have followed suit. It's why general manager Reggie McKenzie jumped at the chance to draft Alabama star wide receiver Amari Cooper with the No. 4 overall pick. His vision is for Carr and Cooper to develop as the offense's two young cornerstones for years to come.
How is that vision working out early on?
"Last week marked the first time the two worked together on the field because Derek Carr didn't throw for about a month with a finger injury," ESPN Raiders reporter Bill Williamson wrote. "Carr is now healthy and the two got plenty of work together during the minicamp. Amari Cooper, the No. 4 overall draft pick, dropped some passes during the three-day session, but there is no doubt he looks ready for the NFL. The Carr-Cooper connection will be a major storyline of training camp."
Cooper set an SEC record with 124 receptions last season to go along with 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. His route-runner was lauded by scouts before the draft and he already appears to be Oakland's No. 1 wide receiver. If he and Carr can develop chemistry then the Raiders will finally have a passing element that their offense has sorely lacked in recent years.
But that's not all the Raiders are hoping for on offense. New head coach Jack Del Rio is looking forward to establishing a quality ground game.
"It seems Latavius Murray is far ahead of Trent Richardson in the chase to be the starting tailback," Williamson wrote. "And that's what I expected. Murray is inexperienced (just 82 career carries) but he is explosive (5.4 per carry average). Richardson looks sluggish and looks like a backup. That's what his first four NFL seasons, with Cleveland and Indianapolis, indicated. Richardson has averaged 3.3 yards per carry average in his career."
