It's hard to fault Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr if he has trouble trusting his offensive line and his weapons. Despite the ample potential he showed during his initial NFL season, playing the game less like a tentative rookie and more like a savvy veteran, Carr was forced to operate behind a makeshift offensive line held together by duct tape and the dreams of then-head coach Dennis Allen that could barely muster a push in the run game and left Carr and the entire Raiders offense a one-dimensional outfit opposing defenses could limit with little effort. Add in the fact that Carr's receiving weapons were nowhere close to being up to snuff and it created a situation wherein Carr helmed an Oakland offensive attack that finished the 2014 NFL season ranked dead-last in the league.
Still, there's no denying that Carr performed better in less-than-ideal circumstances than even the most well-versed NFL pundits and prognosticators would have expected last year. The numbers aren't stellar, by any means - 58.1 completion percentage, 3,270 yards, 21 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and four fumbles - but the toughness he displayed and the manner in which he carried himself seems to have the league already viewing him as a guy with all the tools of a franchise quarterback, but who just needs to learn to trust himself and his weapons more if he's to take the next step in his development.
ESPN's Adam Caplan reported on Thursday, in response to a reader's question about Carr, that the young QB is not only a hard worker, but he's got all the tools necessary to become a franchise quarterback, stating that he's got "everything you want," specifically, "size, arm, [athleticism]."
Of course, like any young quarterback, Carr has things he needs to work on. Per Caplan, Raiders coaches believe Carr's biggest issue at this point is "pulling the trigger" and learning to "trust what he sees."
In an NFL where a split second can be the difference between a touchdown and an interception, Carr's biggest step in his development may, in all actuality, be a very small, very specific one - learning to throw guys open.
It's a constant refrain from NFL coaches; you can't wait until a receiver is open, you have to trust your read, throw it a spot and expect your guy to be there. Nothing is certain of course, but it seems a safe bet that the additions of Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Clive Walford and pass-catching back Roy Helu, should aid Carr significantly in this area.
Again though, it's hard to fault Carr if he's a little skittish when it comes to trusting his weapons - the Raiders leading receiver last season was Andre Holmes, who managed 693 yards and four touchdowns - as the talent level was certainly lacking. And despite the low sack and quarterback hit numbers Oakland allowed last season - the Raiders allowed just 28 sacks and 56 quarterback hits last year, good for sixth and tied for fourth, respectively - the Oakland offensive line was a significant liability.
Per Caplan, that could be on the verge of changing too, suggesting offensive line coach Mike Tice, who he deems a "terrific" o-line coach, should have the unit, set to feature players like J'Marcus Webb, Menelik Watson and Rodney Hudson in place of Khalif Barnes and Austin Howard, in a position to be "better than most think."
Of course, as it the case with any team looking to fix issues that have been ailing them for season upon season, much of this remains hope and conjecture. Hopefully for Raiders fans desperate for a winning team and season, new head coach Jack Del Rio and the fresh "energy" he's brought to the franchise and Carr and the offense's continued development are on the verge of changing things for the better.
