Raiders News: Mike Mayock Pleased With Derek Carr’s Leadership

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is well-aware of all the doubt that has been cast over him heading into the 2020 NFL season.

Carr has since acknowledged that he has something to prove following an unprecedented offseason due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Fortunately, he got a head start on solidifying this notion with a strong start to training camp.

The Raiders will be relying heavily on the new players that were added to the offense to help spark a resurgence heading into the 2020 campaign. It appears Carr has embraced the challenge of getting them up to speed.

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock offered up some high praise for the leadership Carr has displayed, via Kyle Martin of the team’s official website:

“I’m just really pleased with the way Derek Carr has taken over this football team,” Mayock told reporters Tuesday. “And it goes back to the offseason, it goes back to all the workouts he had with the players and the players just confirming their buy-in. And that’s been awesome. I think Derek is just a natural. I think he gets better every day with Jon [Gruden] in Year 3. That’s been awesome.”

Mayock added that this approach has helped pay huge dividends given all the restrictions in place with the ongoing pandemic:

“I just think that our offensive line and the leadership they show is outstanding every day,” Mayock added. “I got to be real, I mean the bottom line with most things is that we compete. If you can give a coach or a GM a compliment, that’s the highest compliment you can give them, is your kids compete. And that’s what I think we’re seeing.

Mayock’s comments have largely been echoed by both players and coaches so far in camp. Second-year tight end Foster Moreau also noted how is impressed he is with how quickly this year’s rookies have taken in the offense.

Meanwhile, the arrival of quarterback Marcus Mariota in free agency raised plenty of speculation regarding the potential competition under center. However, it seems that is hardly the case with Carr outplaying Mariota so far.

The onus will now fall on Carr to ensure that the new weapons at his disposal have an understanding of the Raiders’ scene bob the time the regular season rolls around. There is certainly good reason to be optimistic with players like wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver Nelson Agholor and tight end Jason Witten now in the mix.