The Oakland Raiders quest to return to relevancy will start and end with young quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr, a high second-round pick just last year, posted good numbers his rookie season and, more importantly, battled like a grizzled veteran from Day One. Carr is set to enter his second NFL season, but has been nursing a finger injury thus far.
While the Raiders faithful hold their breath in anticipation of his return and hopeful of the rapport he can build with recent first-rounder, wide receiver Amari Cooper, the other side of the ball has garnered little attention throughout OTAs for Oakland.
Defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. thinks that will change once the pads go on and his group gets to actually start laying the wood.
"Fast, mean, tough," Norton said recently, in response to a question from Vic Tafur of SFChronicle.com about what kind of defense he's trying to build. "We know what we have. We have a good group. We have good veterans, good young players and good middle players, and I think they are hungry....
"Competition is everywhere for this defense, and it's really an exciting time for this group."
Norton, who appeared in two Super Bowl's the last two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, emerging victorious once, said that after reviewing tape of the 2014 Raiders defense, it was clear to him what they needed to improve upon.
"I saw a group that needed a little leadership, a little direction and a little taste of myself.
"I really believe in my background. I bring a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. We're going to be tough and fundamentally sound. ... I have been involved with a lot of really good football teams, and this group is right on par at this point. They are going to surprise you."
Norton, 48, has three Super Bowls to his name as a player, one as a coach, meaning he's uniquely qualified to assess just what it takes to build a championship-caliber defense.
Despite heading into the season with a young group of defensive backs, Norton sees big things for the unit and especially for embattled former first-round pick DJ Hayden - a player a Raiders source recently said would likely never become a "star."
"They're hungry," said Norton. "They're long, they're fast, and they're ready. This group is ready to play. This is all happening at the right time. ... DJ Hayden is fast and eager to learn. He wants to do well, and he really enjoys ball. He has the skills to be a really good player."
As for the Raiders new defensive building block, Khalil Mack, Norton believes the future really is as bright as those both inside and outside the organization have made it seem this offseason.
"He shows up everyday and plays hard. He has a lot of skills and a great future."
