Tag: Raiders news

Raiders OT Trent Brown expects an improved offense in 2020: ‘It’s about to be scary’

Raiders OT Trent Brown knows what it takes to win the Super Bowl, and he’s ready for a vastly improved Las Vegas offense in 2020.

When Raiders general manager Mike Mayock joined the club in 2019, one of his biggest free-agent acquisitions, literally and figuratively, was offensive tackle Trent Brown, who earned the most lucrative contract ever for an offensive lineman at the time.

Brown, who measures 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds, paid immediate dividends, earning a Pro Bowl birth in 2019. His play was stellar, and he knows what it takes to be a champion, having won the Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018.

The big man is excited about the Raiders’ chances in 2020, especially on offense. He told The Fresno Bee’s Anthony Galaviz he thinks Mayock’s offseason moves made the team better, and he expects to build on its 7-9 record in 2019.

Brown followed up by reiterating his support for the front office as the franchise attempts to win its fourth Lombardi trophy, and he predicted some magic on offense in the Raiders’ first year in Las Vegas.

Even with the additions last year, me being one of them, you can look at those guys and trust the organization … to put the right players in place for us to win some games and win championships. With Henry Ruggs, and we still got one of the best backs in the league and we got the best offensive line in the league. I mean, it’s about to be scary.

I’m excited. I definitely think it’s going to be special times in silver and black for years to come.

Mayock and coach Jon Gruden’s focus on the offensive line could be the foundation for a special run. The unit has all five starters returning after helping the offense gain the 11th most yards in the NFL a year ago at a rate of 5.9 yards per play.

The offense was productive in 2019 without playmakers on the outside, with wide receiver Tyrell Williams suffering a plantar fasciitis injury early in the campaign. Mayock addressed that need in the first round of the draft with WR Henry Ruggs III, as Brown mentioned.

Plus, Williams is healthy and set to return in 2020. It should also be noted that tight end Darren Waller had a tremendous breakout campaign last year and will look to duplicate or improve on his 90 catches and 1,145 yards, and the Raiders drafted two other playmakers in the draft, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Bryan Edwards.

And running back Josh Jacobs, who Brown alluded to, proved he’s one of the league’s best in 2019. With quarterback Derek Carr entering his third year under Gruden with a host of weapons, the offense could indeed become scary for some defenses.

But if it’s all to culminate in a championship, as Brown suggests, the franchise’s culture change has to solidify as the personnel improves. With an abundance of young talent and a brand new city and stadium, the opportunity is there, especially with elite players like Brown who know how to win it all.

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LOOK: Raiders DE Maxx Crosby hits the turf inside Allegiant Stadium

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby spent some time getting used to his team’s new home turf and grass-field tray at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby was one of the first members of the team to move to Las Vegas, the franchise’s new home, and he’s been one of the most active players on social media this offseason.

He’s been an active participant in conventional media, too, granting multiple insightful interviews and representing the Raiders well, detailing their plan to improve on the club’s 7-9 finish in 2019.

Crosby recently toured the spot where the home action will take place in 2020: the Raiders’ new $2 billion home, Allegiant Stadium. He even stepped onto its artificial turf. The Raiders’ natural-grass playing surface will roll into the stadium on a field tray and lay on top of the turf.

He toured the field tray as well, which is outdoors for the time being. But since the turf is permanently inside Allegiant Stadium, standing there made for a great photo opp and likely gave Crosby a preview of games to come.

Here a couple more photos of Crosby checking out his future stomping grounds.

Despite the hardhats in these photos from Crosby’s Twitter account, Allegiant is scheduled to be completed on time. With the country still combating the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s uncertain whether fans will be allowed inside once the season starts.

Allegiant Stadium will outlast the pandemic, however, and at some point, Raiders fans will celebrate the franchise’s new home from inside its friendly confines. Crosby appears prepared to give his fans plenty to cheer about when that day comes.

Absent last year’s distractions, Raiders WR Tyrell Williams ready to create an identity with rookie class

Tyrell Williams is entering his second year on the Raiders, and he foresees a more focused WR room without 2019’s distractions.

Though last year was Tyrell Williams’ first as a Raiders wide receiver, he feels 2020 will be a fresh start, and not simply because the franchise has moved to Las Vegas.

Williams has his own reasons to believe so. First of all, the Raiders are set to welcome a bevy of wideouts, including their No. 1 draft pick, Henry Ruggs III, and third-round selection, Bryan Edwards.

The Raiders also acquired free agent WR Nelson Agholor and drafted “Joker” Lynn Bowden Jr., one spot ahead of Edwards.

Another reason is an absence of distractions at the position, which the team had an excess of in 2019 with the shenanigans of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown. Williams told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur about his optimism after Tafur asked about new blood in the receiving corps.

“I’m excited, man. Adding speed and athleticism and that is going to push the guys we have coming back, it’s going to push us all. You add two draft picks, shoot, the other guys are going to think that their spots are being taken. And not only will it bring up so much competition, but it’s going to help us have an identity.

Last year, we obviously had so much distraction that we never got to have an identity as a receiver room. But this year, we’re going to be able to dial in and make it known who we want to be as a group.”

The influx of talent and the absence of distraction at WR is a major reason to be excited about the Raiders’ chances in 2020. After Brown’s explosive exit just before the 2019 campaign, the group was a mere fraction of what coach Jon Gruden had in mind.

There were injuries as well, with Williams suffering from plantar fasciitis in both feet for most of the season and WR Hunter Renfrow suffering a rib injury against the Jets. Still, quarterback Derek Carr and the offense churned out yardage at a high rate, finishing No. 9 in the NFL in passing yards.

To paint a picture, Williams and Renfrow were the only wide receivers with more than 40 receptions, with tight end Darren Waller pacing the club with 90 grabs. Carr is about to have plenty more options in Las Vegas.

Ruggs has speed to burn. Edwards is the big-body, goal-line-ready wide receiver Carr has been missing, perhaps since Andre Holmes left the club. Agholor is a former first-round pick with solid NFL production, and Bowden is poised to loosen the defense from any angle.

And they’ll all be in the WR room learning how to attack the defense as a unit, without the petty distractions Brown provided a year ago. There’s such a thing as addition by subtraction. The Raiders not only did that, but they also added an array of impressive talent. It appears Williams can’t wait to get started.

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Raiders DE Maxx Crosby excited about Las Vegas, but says what happens ‘between the lines’ is key

The Raiders have a new home in the entertainment capital of the world, but Maxx Crosby is focused on the football field.

Much will change for the Raiders in 2020. Players will enter a new city, play in a brand-new stadium, and practice at a sparkling-new facility, not to mention find new places to live.

And their new home is in fabulous Las Vegas — the entertainment capital of the world. What was once a vacation destination for some Raiders will become a glitzy backdrop to everyday life.

That could all get a bit overwhelming. But defensive end Maxx Crosby is keeping it simple. While he notes the incredible new stadium and facilities, his attention is attuned to the part of Las Vegas that’s most similar to the Raiders’ previous home in Oakland: the football field.

“The stadium is insane. The facilities are insane. But that’s not going to necessarily help us win football games. It’s between the lines that’s going to help us,” Crosby told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Obviously, the scenery is going to be huge for us. It’s going to be huge for the whole organization. Having a different fan base —  you know Oakland’s going to travel; LA is going to travel. It’s going to be a party. Every single Sunday in that stadium. That’s obviously huge.

“But all the fancy stuff and all that, that’s definitely awesome. But what we need to focus on is us and this team and getting to the level we need to get to [in order] to make a serious run at it this year.”

Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders’ new home is nearly complete, as is their practice facility in Henderson, Nev., and they appear as impressive as Crosby suggests. Needless to say, the setup in Las Vegas is light years ahead of what Oakland’s facilities offered.

And also as Crosby suggests, the atmosphere at Allegiant, with Raiders fans from all over the nation, will make for a formidable home-field advantage and a Las Vegas party.

But Crosby is smart to simplify his focus. With all that’s changed for the Raiders, the measured lines of the football field never change. Sure, at Allegiant, the natural grass field will roll out of the enclosed stadium when it’s not in use so it can access sunlight, but it’ll still measure 120 yards long and 53 and 1/3 yards wide.

The Raiders’ new digs will certainly help, but buildings can’t block or tackle, of course. The Raiders must outshine their new facilities between the lines on game day. All the newness in Las Vegas could feel a bit hollow if they don’t. If they do, however, it’ll be one serious party every Sunday in the entertainment capital of the world.

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Musical collaboration between Raiders TE Darren Waller, DE Maxx Crosby on the horizon

Two of the best reasons to be excited about the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders are looking to collaborate off the field, too.

Two players that produced much excitement on the field for the Raiders in 2019 — and are set to do the same in 2020 — are looking to create a buzz off the field, too.

Tight end Darren Waller, who just dropped the second single off of his hip-hop album, “Wall Street,” has a like-minded teammate in defensive end Maxx Crosby, who was a rapper while in high school.

The two plan to collaborate in the future, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. Crosby initially spoke of the possibility while on the Keeping it 300 podcast in October last year.

“I sent Maxx a whole bunch of beats, so hopefully when he puts something out he will be using one of mine,” Waller told Tafur. “He is a busy guy, and whenever he is ready to lock in, I am here for him.”

Waller’s beat library is likely deep. He’s been known to get lost in his musical production while on the team plane, and he’s working on an in-house studio in his new Las Vegas home, according to Tafur. You can listen to his album via his YouTube channel as well as his Instagram account.

Crosby’s talent was on display for all to see on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” As a rookie, he had to perform for the entire team, and instead of getting roasted for poor performance, as is the idea, Crosby actually had a few heads bobbing in approval.

Crosby had this to say about his rap exploits when The Raiders Wire’s Levi Damien inquired, during Crosby’s initial conference call as a member of the Raiders.

“We used to do it for fun. We would stay out of trouble and make music instead of doing all the other crazy stuff other people were doing. We just liked to stay at the house and make music.”

Waller’s passion for hip-hop likely helps him stay on the straight and narrow track, as it did for Crosby. Waller overcame opiate and cocaine addiction early in his career and rebounded with the Raiders in 2020, amassing 90 catches, 1,145 yards and three touchdowns at just 27 years of age.

Crosby impressed as well, notching 10 QB sacks as a rookie. Both Waller and Crosby figure to be foundational blocks for the Raiders for years to come as they attempt to win championships in their new Las Vegas home.

But prepare for them to entertain off the field, too, and they might as well — they don’t call Vegas the entertainment capital of the world for nothing.

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Raiders players on defense and special teams who must step up in 2020

Maurice Hurst is among the Rams’ defenders who has to improve in 2020.

Defense often seems to take a backseat to offense for Jon Gruden, which is ironic considering he got his Super Bowl ring thanks to a dominant defensive squad. But Gruden is an offensive guru, so that’s what he thinks about most. And he’s the one with the final say in who the Raiders sign and draft.

The result of this lopsided emphasis is the Raiders having one of the worst defenses in the NFL in both of Gruden’s first two seasons back as the team’s head coach.

Though he didn’t have much to work with when he got here, most of the players still on the team who disappointed last season were players acquired on his watch.

After identifying four offensive players who must step up, here are six players on defense and special teams who have to do the same.

DT Maurice Hurst

Hurst being a fifth-round selection in the 2018 draft was greeted with much fanfare. He was originally projected as a first-round prospect out of Michigan, but fell in the draft because of a heart condition that was flagged at the combine. If his heart was his only issue, it would figure to mean that if his heart turned out to be OK, he would be a steal. We haven’t seen that yet.

He showed some promise as a rookie, but didn’t make the leap many expected in his second year. Now the team has a new defensive line coach in Rod Marinelli and he brought a couple of his former players over from Dallas including defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Daniel Ross.

Hurst would appear to have a leg up on his second-round draft classmate P.J. Hall, but neither has a spot locked up right now. Right now at best, Hurst is already looking at a rotational role and will have to start showing some of that potential to earn even that role.

EDGE Clelin Ferrell

Fans were grasping at anything they could to feel good about Ferrell in his rookie season. And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. As a rookie, it’s somewhat appropriate to seek out the positives, even in flashes, and hope he can expand upon them in his second season and beyond.

Ferrell was dreadful early on, struggling in all aspects of the game. Around midseason, he began showing some signs he could stop the run and also had a 2.5-sack game in Week 10 against the Chargers, finishing with 4.5 sacks on the season. No, it is in no way comparable to what Khalil Mack did as a rookie, because the raw sack stats barely tell a fraction of the story.

What we can gather from Ferrell’s rookie year is that he was showing signs of improvement so long as he wasn’t being lined up inside. Just in case they don’t see leaps from him, they signed Carl Nassib. Best-case scenario, Ferrell, Nassib, and Maxx Crosby can cycle through and provide consistent pass rush.

EDGE Arden Key

The great training camp and preseason wonder who hasn’t shown up in the season. As a rookie, the Raiders saw a potential starter. Now, they are just hoping Key can be a third-down situational pass rusher and put up some sacks much the same way Benson Mayowa did last season. That’s what they need from him. If they don’t get that from him this year, it’s hard to see him getting another chance.

LB Nicholas Morrow

In 2018, he became a starter late in the season and played well enough to earn another shot at it. The team added Brandon Marshall in the offseason, but Marshall could never get back to full health, so he was cut and the job fell again to Morrow.

The former undrafted linebacker out of Division III Greenville didn’t have the season many had hoped to see from him, but he did enough to earn a second-round RFA tender from the team.

The Raiders added linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski this offseason and cut Tahir Whitehead, which means there is a third linebacker spot up for grabs. How well Morrow performs in the offseason will go a long way to the team deciding how often they field three linebackers and if he’s the one who gets the call.

CB Lamarcus Joyner

Joyner was the one high-profile free-agent addition on defense for the Raiders last offseason. The versatile defensive back was to be the answer at nickel corner. He was immensely disappointing in that role.

He makes too much money to just be cut and the team doesn’t have any proven options to replace him. They drafted Amik Robertson in the fourth round as the hopeful future at nickel corner. How near or distant that future is could be dependent upon Joyner’s performance. Joyner could also potentially move to safety if Paul Guenther likes that alignment better.

K Daniel Carlson

Carlson was a gem of a find as a fifth-round pick in 2018 after he was cut by the Vikings after Week 2. He signed with the Raiders midseason and missed just one kick the rest of the year, making 15 straight at one point.

He was a very different kicker in 2019. To put it plainly, Carlson stunk it up last season, missing seven of his 26 attempts. Just two of those attempts came from 50 yards or more and he missed both of them.

It can be difficult to know what kind of kicker they have when there’s no pressure in a practice setting. Carlson’s competition right now is undrafted rookie Dominik Eberle. Carlson was cut by the Vikings after two games because he missed three field goal attempts in one game. He showed some of those same jitters last season and could be looking at an equally short leash this season.

Raiders QB Derek Carr addresses 4th-down throwaways: ‘That’s what we’re talking about, like really?’

Derek Carr threw the ball away on 4th down once in 2018 and once in 2019, and some fans won’t let him forget it.

On every NFL team, the quarterback is usually the center of attention, whether that attention is positive or negative.

With the Raiders, that rule is amplified. The team’s starter, Derek Carr, is entering his seventh season as the signal-caller for Las Vegas. He’s been the focal point of some profound highs and unsightly lows, creating a polarization amongst a number of the team’s fanatics.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Carr touched on some of those moments, as well as the Raiders’ future. Two less memorable occasions that Tafur brought up involved Carr throwing the ball away on fourth down, once in 2018, and another time in 2019.

Some media members questioned Carr about the plays at the time, and the QB faced criticism. Tafur asked Carr if he ever thinks about those plays, and Carr said he’s let them go.

We’re talking about two plays over the course of … however many I have had in my career. People will talk about those a lot longer than the one you dropped into Richard between two guys last season. That was one of the best throws in the league all year.

Carr then revealed the criticism did bother him initially, and it’s taken some time to put those plays in his past.

It really used to. I am not going to lie to you. It was like, what else do they want? It’s been a while, no offense, that we have had a quarterback that’s been able to stick around here. And be able to do some of these things. But I’ve just gotten away from that. I’m gonna put the things I need to on film and take care of our organization. And if anyone has anything say about two plays …

After a nice follow up from Tafur, Carr broke the plays down, as he did after each game. First, in 2018 against the Chargers when the Raiders were behind late but threatening to score. And then in 2019, on fourth and goal in a lopsided loss to the Titans.

The Chargers absolutely gloved it up. It was called for a certain thing, we didn’t get that. And I’m running about to get sacked. I’m just trained to throw it away. But in that moment, do I just throw it up in the middle of the field? Maybe one of our guys catches it. … I do look at that.

The last one, I literally extended the play for … literally, ever. And there was literally no option to make a completion. There are DBs in front of every receiver looking at me and ready to pick off the ball. I guess I can lower my shoulder and get trucked out of bounds at the 6, you know. I guess I can try. But we’re also down a couple scores. I extended that play for another six or seven seconds and … that’s what we’re talking about, like really?

Carr went on to say he only cares about coach Jon Gruden’s opinion, and that his singular goal is to win championships with the Raiders. And with that goal, he no longer has time for negativity, especially on social media.

Carr is right about at least one thing: this is just two plays we’re talking about here. But criticism of those plays is reasonable. And it’s not just fans, with various beat reporters asking about each play postgame.

One opinion piece in The Santa Rosa Press Democrat went so far to claim the game against the Chargers was “The Day Derek Carr Gave Up.” (That loss put the Raiders at 1-8 on the campaign.) The article was actually fair to Carr, listing potential reasons for the fourth-down mishap. Former WR Amari Cooper had been traded, Carr was getting sacked at an alarming rate, and the play call was questionable, for example.

But it’s still obvious: to throw the ball away on fourth down is a bad look, at the least. Rather than immediately referring to his throw to Jalen Richard and then bringing up the Raiders’ poor QB history, Carr might do well to simply admit that if he’s asked about it again.

Besides, these plays, while confounding, aren’t damning on their own. Maybe he’s already said he can do better, as he nearly did in explaining the play against the Chargers.

If he has, that’s even more reason to repeat it to Tafur. Perhaps if Carr kept that up, the many Raiders fans that still harp on these plays would eventually let it go.

Who really wants to keep talking about two bad plays, anyway? Especially with the Raiders showing improvement last year and a state-of-the-art stadium awaiting in Las Vegas, with Carr’s play positioned to improve in his third year in Gruden’s offense.

Pro Football Focus offers early ‘C’ grade for Las Vegas Raiders’ 2020 draft class

The early judgments on the Raiders draft haul are rolling in, and Pro Football Focus shows concern with Las Vegas’ No. 19 pick.

With the 2020 NFL Draft in the books, early grades from various sources are already popping up. It may seem far too soon to attach a letter grade to a process that takes years to produce tangible results, but these judgments can give insight into a team’s philosophy on draft day.

The Raiders’ draft class already earned a “B” from ESPN’s draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., and now a “C” grade has been bestowed upon coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock by Pro Football Focus for their effort.

The publication was most excited about the Raiders’ last draft pick in 2020, cornerback Amik Robertson, describing Robertson as a dog, with some added emphasis.

Amik Robertson is a DOG. He’s a smaller cornerback who plays like he’s 6-foot-10. He projects as an extremely productive slot cornerback at the next level. His overall grades improved in each of the past three seasons at LA Tech, and he finished as the No. 75 player on PFF’s Big Board. He also ranked highly in many of PFF’s advanced coverage metrics.

Big question marks included the No. 19 overall choice, CB Damon Arnette, and the Raiders third-round pick, at No. 100, linebacker Tanner Muse. Muse, a safety in college, is slated to play linebacker in Las Vegas, but according to PFF, his athleticism in coverage, even at LB, is lacking.

The Raiders drafted another player that will convert positions, with running back Lynn Bowden Jr., who primarily played wide receiver in college and even played some at quarterback in 2019. It’s clear that Las Vegas feels fine about choosing players that don’t fit a conventional mold.

Mayock and Gruden did well with their draft class a year ago, so time will tell if their philosophy will continue to be successful. If they’ve done their job yet again, this class’ marks could be much higher the next time PFF checks in on its progress.

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Report: Raiders CB Damon Arnette was hampered by injury at NFL Combine

The Raiders raised eyebrows in selecting CB Damon Arnette in the first round of the NFL draft, but more information has come to light.

Though the Raiders made it obvious that team speed is a factor with their first selection of the 2020 NFL draft, speed-burning wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, the team’s other first-round pick, cornerback Damon Arnette, ran a painfully slow 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

In a division with offensive playmakers such as the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill, drafting a slow CB is enough to raise a few eyebrows, and not in a good way.

But in a bit of news that could make the selection of Arnette more palatable, Chris Carter, former NFL WR and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, claimed that Arnette dealt with injury at the NFL combine, explaining his poor time in the 40-yard-dash.

“He’s got better game speed than he showed at the combine,” Carter said, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Twitter account. “At the combine, he was dealing with a couple things. He had a hamstring and a back issue. I believe he runs a lot faster than that combine time.”

Carter and Arnette both played football at Ohio State, and it was Carter that convinced Arnette to remain in college an extra year after Arnette was set to enter the draft in 2019. He’s definitely in the position to have some inside information on the young CB.

Arnette will need every bit of speed he has to quiet his critics, perhaps most notably, Pro Football Focus. The publication claims that Arnette “does not in any way, shape or form fit the normal profile for a first-round cornerback.”

But he’ll have the first crack at the Raiders’ starting job opposite second-year CB, Trayvon Mullen. If Carter’s claim is true, that will help the Raiders’ chances on defense immensely as they head to their inaugural season in Las Vegas.

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Raiders aim to rebuild Marcus Mariota’s confidence ‘from the ground up’

It’s no secret that Raiders GM Mike Mayock is a fan of QB Marcus Mariota, but he says Mariota’s game needs a confidence boost.

Last season didn’t go according to plan for Marcus Mariota. In fact, one could say it was a disaster.

A starter for the Titans since he was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2015, Mariota lost his spot to his backup, Ryan Tannehill, after going 2-4 in six starts for Tennesse. That could shake the confidence of any QB, even a former Heisman Trophy winner such as Mariota.

Adding further to Mariota’s confidence issues, he’s dealt with numerous injuries in his career, dating back to his rookie campaign. Raiders general manager Mike Mayock was apparently aware of those concerns when he acquired Mariota to be Las Vegas’ backup, behind starting quarterback, Derek Carr.

“We got to rebuild him a little bit to get his confidence back,” Mayock said over conference call Tuesday. “Build him up from the ground up. It’s going to take a little while, I think, just to get him healthy and where he wants to be, but we’re excited about the quarterback room.”

Mayock also mentioned Mariota already knows that he and coach Jon Gruden think highly of him; the GM, a former draft analyst for NFL Media, named Mariota his top QB in the ’15 draft. Gruden, himself a former TV star on ESPN, hosted Mariota on “Gruden’s QB Camp.” around the same time.

“He knows that both of us believed in him coming out and still believe in him,” Mayock said Tuesday.

Even with all that belief, Mariota is still the backup to Carr, who has started for the Raiders since his rookie campaign in 2014 and intends to keep his spot.

Mayock said Mariota has done well to accept his reality in recent interviews, expressing plainly that the Raiders are Carr’s team. Another part of Mariota’s reality, of course, is the opportunity to improve as a player under Gruden, taking a step toward perhaps fulfilling his potential.

“He wants to become the best version of Marcus Mariota that he can become. And that’s the way we look at it,” said Mayock. “Let’s see who the best Marcus Mariota is, and, in the meantime, we love what we have with Derek Carr so we’re real happy with our quarterback room.”

Though Mariota’s confidence must increase, he stands to push Carr more than any of his previous backups have. Mariota has started 61 games in his career, though he’s won just 29. He has a playoff win to his credit, however, after the Titans beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium — where Carr has struggled as a Raider — in the 2017 playoffs.

But as Mayock intimated, much has to happen for Mariota to take Carr’s spot. Mariota will be rewarded due to an incentive-laden contract if he does, adding fuel to any speculation about the Raiders QB job. Plus, one only has to look at what happened to Mariota last year in Tennessee to realize how quickly fortunes can turn in the NFL.

Mariota is staying in his own lane, though. He’s known as a good teammate, even during the disaster that was his 2019 campaign. So while Carr has the inside track, Mariota is doing all can to build his confidence, and perhaps pass Carr in the process.