Derek Carr and Todd Downing are tight. A strong friendship was forged between the Raiders' franchise quarterback and his position coach these past two seasons, one that should help the Raiders now that Downing will call plays.
The Raiders new offensive coordinator will use his young signal caller as a resource formulating a game plan. Carr has a bright offensive mind – he called his own plays in high school and in college at times – and Downing plans to use it to put his quarterback in positions to succeed.
Carr's influence in preparation will expand over previous seasons under coordinator Bill Musgrave.
"Where I see him needing a little bit more command is just being able to share his thoughts of game plans," Downing said Wednesday in a conference call. "Being a student of the game, as he already is, but vocalize what he likes and doesn't like. I think my relationship with him is something that's going to give him the opportunity to voice his opinions. I look forward to him really taking charge of expressing his thoughts on the offense."
Carr has always had freedom to adjust at the line of scrimmage, but that could increase with Downing in charge. Derek Carr's brother Davis Carr told 95.7 The Game as much a few weeks ago, a topic Downing addressed on Wednesday.
"There's been a lot made about his command at the line of scrimmage," Downing said. "There's certainly going to be opportunities for Derek to do that. That's not something I feel we'll even have to get into until we're much further into this offseason and into training camp."
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Downing had opportunities to interview with other teams this offseason, but head coach Jack Del Rio wanted to pair Downing and Carr together. The young duo have similar personalities and a strong working relationship based on a love of the game.
"My relationship with Derek starts there," Downing said in Wednesday interview on 95.7-FM. "We both love coming to work each day and respect the heck out of each other. When you have that kind of relationship with any coach, you're taking a step in the right direction. Derek's the leader of our franchise. In my opinion, he's the best young quarterback in football. We're fortunate to have him. Why wouldn't I be in a good mood every time I am around him?"
Carr made great progress working with Downing the past two years, and was an MVP candidate in 2016. Downing sees continued room for growth and refinement as next season approaches.
"I think Derek made big strides in 2016, just in terms of his command of the offense, being the field general, being able to get through progressions more efficiently," Downing said. "His footwork took big strides. I certainly want him to remain focused on all of those attributes. You don't want to feel like you've arrived in a certain area of your game and then have it go backwards when the next season starts. Certainly, I want him focused on all of those."
