The Oakland Raiders understand they might have something special with Derek Carr. The rookie quarterback might not have a solid record after his first year in the NFL, but he showed signs of potential that could truly flourish when surrounded by the right level of talent. After getting introduced as the Raiders' new head coach, Jack Del Rio stressed the importance of building around Carr for the future which will take place in free agency and the draft as Oakland needs several offensive playmakers.
Del Rio understands that Carr is not about to become Manning overnight and the quarterback needs playmakers around him in order to be successful. In 2014, the Raiders ground game struggled as both Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew failed to make an impact. They ran without a star wide receiver acting off an inconsistent rotation that James Jones and Andre Holmes led. Mychal Rivera showed big strides in his second year in the NFL, but the Raiders still need a top receiving threat and stronger running back to help Carr out.
"It starts with knowing that there's good leadership in place ... that we can build this team, that we can help the running game be strong, the defense be strong and Derek Carr be developed," said Del Rio, via NFL.com. "So, it's not all about him doing it by himself. As an organization, we have a lot to do, but we understand where we're going and how we're going to get there. Part of that is making sure a good, young talent like Derek is not asked to do too much, that he has a great support system around him."
Most NFL mock drafts have the Raiders in the market to draft Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper which would fit a huge need for the Raiders giving them that top down-field threat and versatile playmaker to help become Carr's safety blanket. However, the Raiders are being linked to multiple wide receiver trades for big names that could happen prior to the draft.
Oakland could very easily make a move for someone like Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Wallace, both of which are available at the right price. The Raiders could also eye potential free agents with a nice contract. The team has salary cap space to work with that could land them someone like Jeremy Maclin, Demaryius Thomas or Michael Crabtree. Any one of those options would already be a major upgrade for Carr and the Raiders offense.
The ground game will also get re-worked as both McFadden and Jones-Drew are not expected to return. Latavius Murray is the lone back still on the roster and he showed flashes of talent in 2014. Midway through the year, the Raiders were being linked to a trade for LeSean McCoy, something that could still happen as the Philadelphia Eagles are not sold on his future with the team as reported by CSN Philadelphia. The Raiders could look for cheaper options like Mark Ingram, Knowshon Moreno or CJ Spiller instead.