Subscribe
Follow Us
Since taking the job as the next head coach job with the Oakland Raiders, Jon Gruden has taken the steady approach of putting his fingerprints on the franchise. Much of his impact will be felt on the offensive side of the ball with his background centered on helping coach quarterbacks throughout his career.
This will center the attention on his relationship with Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr, which has been heavily discussed over the last few months. Gruden voiced that he wants the 27-year-old to take charge as the tone-setter for the Raiders in the 2018 season in an interview with Mike Silver of NFL Network, transcription via Jeff Smith of 247 Sports.
Carr is coming off a season where he experienced a setback in production where he had an uptick in his interception from six to 13 while his completion percentage also dropped in the process. There was also dip in his touchdown passes from 28 to 22 while his quarterback rating went from 96.7 to 86.4. What should be noted is that Carr was dealing with a nagging back issue after he suffered three transverse process fractures in his back during the season.
The Raiders have made a stronger effort over the last few months to provide Carr with more offensive weapons with the addition of former Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson along with veteran running back Doug Martin. Oakland has also restructured their secondary, which was one of the problem areas of the team over the last few years. It isn't unreasonable for Gruden to ask Carr to set the tone given that he is the franchise quarterback that the team has built its future around.
With a full bill of health and added offensive weapons, it could lead to a huge bounce-back campaign in 2018 while leading the Raiders back to prominence in the NFL.
