Carr Has Erased Questions After Second Season

Raiders young quarterback grew significantly in 2015 and provides biggest reason for team optimism about 2016

Derek Carr had a good rookie season in 2014, but not a great one.

Though the former Fresno State standout started every game as a rookie and performed admirably – with a horrible surrounding cast, especially at wide receiver – there were still questions about whether he was a franchise quarterback.

For one thing, he rarely threw deep. He seemed content to throw underneath coverage and play things safe. He also averaged an NFL-low 5.5 yards per pass attempt

Now that Carr’s second season is complete, however, most of the questions about Carr have been erased. After leading his team to a 7-9 record after the 3-13 rookie season, Carr now appears to be one of the best young QBs in the league.

Carr finished 13th in the NFL in passing yards with 3,987 and bumped up his average-yards-per-throw to 6.96. He threw 32 touchdown passes vs. just 13 interceptions and grew his quarterback rating from 76.6 as a rookie to 91.1. Most importantly, he meshed well with his new starting duo of wideouts, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.

He also threw a league-leading 13 TD passes of 25 yards or more. Plus, four times this season Carr drove his team to wins in the fourth quarter or overtime.

During the season several analysts ranked Carr as the best, or among the best, young quarterbacks in the NFL. A panel of NFL.com analysts voted Carr as the No. 1 passer age 25 or younger in the league.

Former NFL standout cornerback Deion Sanders said “Carr is better suited in the long run (for success) out of all the young quarterbacks.” Added former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci: “He’s got a little grit to him and a certain toughness. He’s a natural-born leader and has all the intangibles. He’s becoming a field general and the leader of the Oakland Raiders at a very young age, and they know it.”

Now, with another offseason for Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie to add some more foundation pieces around Carr – particularly on the offensive line, where protection started to crack late in the season – the young Raiders QB appears ready to take another big step forward in 2016.

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