As a former number one overall pick and 11-year veteran in the NFL, David Carr knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. But the older sibling of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr shows quite a bit of bias when grading his younger brother.
The eldest Carr brother ranked the top-ten quarterbacks heading into the 2018 season, placing his brother at number four on the list. Here is what he had to say on the selection:
After all the hype of the offseason, the 2017 Raiders had a down year. Now with a new coaching staff, I believe the Raiders and Derek will get back to 2016 form. I’ve seen Derek and Jon Gruden interact, and Derek’s game is going to benefit tremendously from that move. And after watching several practices during OTAs, the offensive skill players really fit Derek’s style. Martavis Bryant is perfect for Derek, and Jordy Nelson will be a matchup nightmare as a slot receiver against CB2s and CB3s.
Derek had some back issues last year and I think he returned too quickly. Now healthy and able to go through an entire offseason, his mobility is back. Given that, along with Derek’s arm talent and ability to buy time behind a solid O-line, and I’m not sure how defenses will cover this dynamic offense.
Carr’s makes some valid arguments. And it’s certainly possible the four-year veteran will return to his 2016 form when he threw for 28 touchdowns (7th) to just eight interceptions and finished third in the MVP voting. His 96.7 passer rating was also 9th among starting QB’s and 3937 yards 14th.
After a down year this past season, the first in which he has regressed as a pro throwing 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, Carr needs to prove he belongs in the top-five conversation before we automatically place him there.
For comparison to Carr’s ranking of his brother, Bleacher Report’s Zach Kruse ranked the Raiders quarterback situation as 17th best in the NFL, primarily citing Carr’s 2017 regression as the reason for the low-placement.
Earlier this offseason the Silver & Black’s quarterback was ranked 17th by NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal, who noted that Carr was graded as the 25th best quarterback in the league this past year by Pro Football Focus.
Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News placed Carr and the rest of the Raiders quarterback group at 22nd in the league, 18 spots lower than David Carr’s ranking.
There is a very real chance that one year from now, we will reminisce and agree with David Carr’s ranking of his brother as the fourth best quarterback heading into the 2018 season. But for now, Oakland’s signal-caller may have more to prove before he should be placed into the top-five.
Poll
Where should Derek Carr be ranked among quarterbacks heading into 2018 season?
This poll is closed
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24%
Top 5
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56%
6-10
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17%
11-20
-
1%
21-32
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