The Oakland Raiders are entering the 2015 season with raised expectations. The team has Jack Del Rio in at head coach, an improving second-year quarterback and slew of young talent ready to make the franchise contenders once again. However, as organized team activities kick off, they are already down one man that could have a ripple effect on the rest of the offense as Derek Carr sits out with an injury.
According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Carr is not active in OTAs because of a right finger injury. This certainly is not ideal for the quarterback who is entering his second year with the team. Del Rio hinted to the media that Carr could miss a few weeks of offseason workouts with the injury. While it is not expected to linger as the season approaches, it does mean he misses time with his new offensive weapons how are aiming to gain chemistry with the quarterback quickly.
"Time missed in May is better than time missed in September," Del Rio said, via CSN Bay Area's Scott Bair. "You're often more capable of taking whatever time is necessary to make sure you put things behind you."
For now, Christian Ponder will be the first-team quarterback while Matt McGloin and Cody Fajardo work in as well. This is not the ideal situation for first-round pick Amari Cooper who is ready to make an immediate impact on the offense along with Michael Crabtree and Andre Holmes. Cooper told the media that he already started talking with Carr following the NFL Draft as the two are very eager to begin working with one another. According to Del Rio, Cooper already has the mindset of a veteran player.
"I think the mindset that he brings is one that we are building here in terms of understanding the correlation between practice and the performance that you give during practice, and how that translates on to the field on game days," Del Rio said, via the Mercury News. "Having a healthy appreciation of that is a good thing and one we're working very hard to develop."
While Cooper is already an immediate starter, there are lingering questions regarding the running back position that will play out during offseason workouts and training camp. Trent Richardson enters the team looking for something to prove as he competes with Latavius Murray and Roy Helu for the top spot. According to Bleacher Report, Richardson is the favorite considering his experience while Murray still has a lot to learn. Richardson told the media that the Raiders offense is similar to what Alabama ran and he believes he can be successful with the team moving forward.
"We went over the offense and saw a lot of stuff that I saw in college," Richardson said, via CSNBayArea.com. "I know this playbook already, especially when it comes to the run. I know what they expect and how they're going to spread the field, putting me in a position to be successful. With that, in talking to [Head] Coach [Jack Del Rio], he just said there is just a lot of opportunity out here. He said he isn't going to promise me anything, but if I come in and work, I can be that bell cow."
