Graney: Derek Carr shining for Raiders in stress-free camp

Derek Carr sleeps amended now. Isn’t arsenic stressed oregon anxious. He looks it.

Training campy for the Raiders has included conscionable 2 days of pads, and Carr arsenic the team’s starting backmost is rightly protected by his reddish jersey. Maybe adjacent much present than accustomed fixed his play.

A teammate came adjacent to making interaction with Carr connected Wednesday. I’m beauteous definite that feline has been chopped oregon retired. Probably the second astir these parts.

It’s hard to unearth thing lacking successful Carr’s execution, and not conscionable due to the fact that he’s entering an eighth NFL season. Or becoming much comfy successful caput manager Jon Gruden’s strategy arsenic the matrimony reaches its 4th year.

“I retrieve those nights earlier signifier wherever I would beryllium reasoning astir everything,” Carr said. “I’m checking my notes and penning things down and saying, ‘I person to hole this and that.’ Now, it’s conscionable truthful free. I deliberation due to the fact that of the request for excellence from Gruden — him demanding and demanding and demanding — that present I conscionable aftermath up and expect it.”

Better than 8-8

He didn’t play similar an 8-8 backmost past season. Far from it. You don’t implicit 67.3 percent of passes and propulsion 27 touchdowns to conscionable 9 interceptions and registry vocation bests successful yards and passer standing and expect to decorativeness with a .500 record.

But helium isn’t paid to marque tackles oregon driblet successful coverage, so, well, you know.

It’s each a substance of progression and perception, no?

Carr has for immoderate clip been viewed arsenic straddling a enactment betwixt the league’s elite quarterbacks and that adjacent tier of names. Winning successful the playoffs ever elevates a subordinate into the conversation’s rarefied air. He has yet to play successful a post-season game.

The Raiders are besides 47-63 successful games Carr has started. Makes it hard to transverse that line. Impossible, really.

Doesn’t mean it can’t yet happen. If a rebuilt violative beforehand plays supra expectations, Carr should ain capable clip to instrumentality vantage of an incredibly versatile radical of receivers. There isn’t overmuch the Raiders lack. Size. Speed. Experience. Youth. A world-class choky end.

It’s fascinating to larn what players judge astir a quarterback’s accomplishment arsenic opposed to the extracurricular world. Carr’s heavy passes this campy person produced 1 completion aft another, galore impeccably aimed astatine second-year wideouts Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards.

But you’re talking astir a backmost who annually exists among the league leaders successful checkdown rate. It’s the 1 country for which Carr is criticized most. Some spot it differently.

“You person large quarterbacks similar Tom Brady and Drew Brees, that if thing isn’t there, they look to outlets similar a choky extremity oregon moving back,” said Raiders moving backmost and seven-year seasoned Kenyan Drake. “That’s decidedly what continues to marque Derek great. He doesn’t unit balls if it’s not there.”

Answers volition come

There is simply a equilibrium to it. Carr needs to beryllium much assertive erstwhile accidental arises. So does Gruden successful his play-calling. There is changeless speech astir violative weapons. So usage them.

The offseason chatter astir Carr again centered connected his aboriginal with the Raiders. Whether a declaration hold was successful the offing. Whether the squad was contented to hold and spot however a backmost with nary guaranteed wealth near connected his woody would execute successful 2021. Whether this truly is make-or-break for the 30-year-old.

Answers volition travel successful time. Carr’s play successful campy suggests helium isn’t concerned.

“We missed 1 shot the different time and, honestly, I felt similar I missed eight,” helium said. “ I went location and couldn’t halt replaying that one. But the accent and anxiousness weren’t determination erstwhile I woke up.

“Once I got distant from trying to impressment everyone other and got comfy with being me, that’s erstwhile I played my best. Hopefully, I tin play adjacent amended this year.”

Better than his champion statistical season.

That would beryllium something.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.