For the second year in a row, the Oakland Raiders lost a key member of their roster just before the season began.
In 2018, it was pass rusher Khalil Mack, whom the Raiders suddenly traded to the Chicago Bears. This time around, it was wide receiver Antonio Brown, who requested his release from Oakland late last week after a tumultuous offseason.
While quarterback Derek Carr is not happy about losing Brown, he is ready to move forward and says that it was not as bad as the subtraction of Mack a year ago.
“I love Antonio … I sent him a text, said I wish you the best and I hope you get what you want,” Carr said after the Raiders' 24-16 win over the Denver Broncos in their season opener on Monday night, per Luke Straub of Raiders Wire. “We had a good football team even when he wasn’t there. We knew if we added him, my goodness, that could be crazy, because he’s so good. But he’s not here. When it happened … it wasn’t the same feeling as when Khalil [Mack] got traded. At least the questions are done. At least we have answers.”
It's easy to understand Carr's point.
As fantastic as Brown is, he never suited up in a single game for the Raiders, not even in preseason, so it was more the idea of what Brown could bring to the table rather than what they knew.
But in Mack's case, he spent the first four years of his NFL career in Oakland and made three Pro Bowls while earning a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections, so the Raiders knew exactly what they were losing.
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