In the NFL, as in life, seeing is believing.
For fans of the Oakland Raiders, too-long tortured and teased by promising off seasons that only bring further heartbreak and hopes which fall from higher and higher heights once the regular season rolls around and the tallies in the 'L' column again begin to build up, allowing those hopes - hopes which have seemingly sprung eternal since John Gruden's Raiders squad was crushed by...John Gruden...in 2003 - to regenerate is a questionable proposition.
In the years since Gruden's departure, new coaches have come and gone, new personnel staffs have been hired and fired and the only thing that's stayed the same is the general feeling of futility which has permeated the entire Oakland franchise like an unctuous, cloying cologne.
The newest era of Raiders football though - something about it just seems different, just feels different.
Head coach Jack Del Rio, a gritty taskmaster with a focus on fundamentals and teaching is now firmly in place at the head of the class. Del Rio is being provided talented pupils to mold to his liking by GM Reggie McKenzie, who, in his third season at the helm, finally seems to be turning the page on the Dennis Allen era of Raiders football.
With McKenzie's last two drafts providing a number of intriguing pieces - Del Rio said recently that he expects the team's top four picks this year to vie for starting spots right away - and in some cases, true organizational building blocks - building blocks like presumed franchise quarterback Derek Carr and outside linebacker Khalil Mack - is this finally the season when life begins anew for Oakland?
Are the Raiders finally ready to take that big first step from also-ran to contender?
From the outside looking in, it sure seems that way, and Carr and his potential continued development is the biggest reason why.
While Carr's rookie season numbers - 3,270 yards passing, 21 touchdowns, 12 interceptions - aren't phenomenal by any means, they compare favorably to the rookie numbers of several upper-tier NFL passers, as noted by Dan Kadar of SB Nation.
Andrew Luck, for instance, threw for 4,374 yards in 2012, but managed just 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He, like Carr, came from a more pro-ready offense in college and entered the league with a veteran savvy beyond that of his peers.
Carr will never boast the athleticism or explosiveness that made Luck a first-overall pick, but you'd likely be hard pressed to find a Raiders fan upset with the notion of Carr peaking as a poor-man's Luck.
Andy Dalton, perhaps a player on the lower end of the spectrum for what can fairly be expected from Carr in terms of future NFL production, threw for 3,398 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions his rookie season.
While Raiders fans are no doubt hopeful that Carr can become much more than the spotlight-fearing Dalton, the Bengals signal-caller has managed to bring Cincinnati to the postseason four years running.
Dalton and Carr may be comparable stylistically, but there's nothing that says Carr won't thrive in playoff situations that have, seemingly to this point, caused Dalton to crumble.
With recent first-round pick Amari Cooper - the high-floor, high-ceiling receiver, widely viewed as the most polished, pro-ready player in the 2015 NFL Draft - added to a stable of pass-catching weapons that includes the buy-low Michael Crabtree, the still-developing Mychal Rivera and third-round tight end Clive Walford, Carr and the Raiders passing offense could take a big step forward next season - McKenzie also nabbed Carr's former Fresno State teammate, Josh Harper, as an undrafted free agent, presumably just to make sure that Carr felt completely comfortable.
When taking into account the fact that Carr was able to put up such promising rookie numbers while tossing passes to James Jones and Andre Holmes and dealing with constant pressure and the lack of a running game, it only serves to make the offensive future for Carr and the Raiders look even brighter.
If center Rodney Hudson can help stabilize an offensive line that now includes last year's third-round pick Gabe Jackson and this year's fourth-rounder, the versatile Jon Feliciano, and open holes for Latavius Murray and yes, even Trent Richardson, in the running game, the offense in Oakland could be night and day from last season.
Assuming Mack, Justin Tuck, Charles Woodson and Sio Moore can integrate Mario Edwards Jr., Curtis Lofton and Nate Allen into the defensive unit, the entire Raiders team suddenly looks like an ascending group that's not as far away from serious contention as even last season would likely have made you believe.
