While the Oakland Raiders believe they have a star in Derek Carr, not everyone is on board with the hype just yet, The Raiders passed up on Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater to acquire Carr with their first-round pick in 2014 and believe he is the quarterback of the franchise. However, thanks to a poor supporting cast last season, many are saying the Raiders should wait and see what they really have with Carr in the upcoming season.
Carr did what he could with what he had last season. The Raiders lacked a quality run game along with having a poor wide receiver rotation that did not have a real No.1 guy in it. The result was three wins another top pick for the Raiders in 2015. However, this upcoming season is expected to be different, but not everyone is ready to guarantee improvement in Oakland.
According ESPN NFL Insider Andrew Healy, fans should be careful with the optimism surrounding Carr as he prepares to play his second season in Oakland and his first as the guaranteed starter. Carr put up numbers similar to that of Andrew Luck in 2014, but have the Raiders done enough to improve the areas around Carr to make him successful. Drafting Amari Cooper was a step in the right direction, but the Raiders are counting on a lot of players making the most of their second chances in the league.
Michael Crabtree and Trent Richardson come to Oakland with a lot to prove. Both players have struggled since entering the league and have found that out the hard way in terms of contracts and interest around them. Oakland needs both players to be stars. Crabtree is expected to be the No.2 receiver alongside Cooper and be another downfield threat for Carr. He failed to be that player in San Francisco and might only get one more chance to prove his worth. Richardson is on his third and likely final shot in the NFL after failed stints with the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. He is competing with Latavius Murray to see the field more in 2015.
The Raiders have a defense that looks ready to compete. According to NFL.com, Khalil Mack is going to be a breakout star for the team in 2015 as he prepares to help anchor the defense. Additions like Malcolm Smith and Curtis Lofton should help things as well, but again fans must ask themselves if it will be enough. The Raiders are confident that Carr is the man for the job, but his sophomore season will be more telling if that is true than his rookie year.
