Mere days into his second tenure as the Oakland Raiders’ head coach, Jon Gruden is already calling on Derek Carr to play more of a role on offense.
In talking with Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area, Gruden made it perfectly clear what he’s demanding from his new quarterback.
“We’re going to ask a lot more from Derek Carr at the line of scrimmage,” Gruden said. ” I think the offense will demand more from him, which will really improve him.”
These comments come on the heels of suggestions that Gruden and Carr may have personality conflicts moving forward (more on that here).
But in reality, Gruden’s stance makes perfect sense. Carr did not necessarily have the ability to change the play at the line all too often under the old regime. In a way, it led to a bogged down offense under former head coach Jack Del Rio. By giving Carr more responsibility, Gruden isn’t only showing confidence in the quarterback, he’s making sure Carr knows what his responsibilities are. That’s not a bad thing.
Gruden did note that he has to finish hiring a coaching staff before a plan can be fully implemented. Former Raiders signal caller Rich Gannon was considered an option as quarterbacks coach.
Gannon put Carr’s work ethic on blast earlier in the week, ultimately withdrawing his name from consideration for the QB coach job shortly thereafter. As of right now, new quarterbacks coach Greg Olson and Gruden himself will be the two key figures working with Carr. It should be an interesting dynamic.