Quarterback Derek Carr
It seems like just yesterday Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was participating in his first Mini-Camp as a pro, but here he is now entering his fourth season as a Raider. Over the last three seasons Carr has accomplished a lot, and Tuesday afternoon he met with local reporters to open up about his excitement prior to the upcoming season.
Here are the quick hits from his media session:
**Following the Golden State Warriors NBA Finals victory, Carr talked about the amount of support from Bay Area fans.
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"Just to see them do that and see just what it does for our city, I feel like God placed those guys here. He placed us here on this team to impact this city. So whenever our city can enjoy good times like that, that's what it's all about. We love our fans. All the Warrior fans, most of them, are Raider fans, if they don't travel back across the Bay and root for that other team. Whenever you have something going on in the Bay Area, there's really no better place to win. It's really cool."
The Raiders are loaded with young talent, and No. 4 believes third-year wide receiver Amari Cooper is ready to go off this season.
"I think that with him, that just dog in him is coming out. That thing that you saw at Alabama where he'll just take things over, and not to say that he hasn't because he has, but I just think that's it's not just becoming a thing of what game it's going to be, it's becoming a thing where that's who he is. DBs better know that he's really taking it serious that he's trying to go attack them this year."
Carr elaborated on his new offensive coordinator Todd Downing and his intensity.
"For players to know that when your coordinator has your back no matter what every time you step on that field, if you make a mistake he's got your back. He's going to try to help you get better at it. That is a relaxing thing. That is a calming thing, and if you can have that calming thing while at the same time he does a good job of balancing his intensity. The man wants to win. There's no doubt about it. I'm the same way. I'm the same way."
**The former Fresno State Bulldog is meticulous about his craft, and wants to continue trying to perfect the details.
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"Not the silly penalties, not the silly like lining up wrong. Making sure we're in the right formation. Making sure like route depths are on point. Everything that we've been working on and the coaches have been teaching, let's not go out there and just throw a goose egg. Let's not go out there and, 'Oh, no it's this formation. Come back over here.' When you break the huddle, it should look clean. We don't want to break the huddle having guys go here and here and I have to kind of play a game like this, 'Hey, you've got this.' Drawing routes on my hand. That's the thing is when we go out there, you want to just look like a well-oiled machine."
Carr talked about the pride each of the offensive linemen takes in perfecting their craft.
"They always feel that they can be better even if I've held the ball too long. They're like, 'No, we have to protect it.' I am like, 'No I held the ball way too long.' Those guys take their job so serious. If I get hit, it like ruins their day and my relationship with those guys is just continuing to grow and learn. Those guys are some of the most competitive men you'll ever be around. They get on each other, even during a game, if I get touched on my jersey. They get on each other. For that to be their mindset, it makes me happy to stand behind them."
