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Time to Schein: Derek Carr says he has a lot to prove in 2020
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Marcus Mariota seems to have made a good first impression on head coach Jon Gruden as the veteran quarterback begins his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders. The club is in the midst of beginning its first few days of practice during training camp and Mariota is getting off to a strong start, according to Gruden, specifically as a runner and making plays with his feet. This is an especially important development for Mariota, who has dealt with ankle injuries in the past, as his rushing ability is a big part of his game.
From what he was able to put together on the field on Friday, it seems like Mariota has Gruden opening his eyes.
“He’s interesting,” Gruden told reporters of Mariota. “He took off a couple times today and really fired me up today. He’s been hurt. Looks like the ankle has really turned a corner. He is a dazzling playmaker with his feet and that’s the key to his game. I saw glimpses of that today. It was exciting. Started off slow on seven-on-seven, but picked it up and had a nice day. Had a really nice day.”
While this is a nice step for Mariota, who signed a two-year, $17.6 million deal with the Raiders this offseason, as he starts fresh after losing his starting job with the Tennessee Titans to Ryan Tannehill last season, it’s going to take a bit more than just a strong performance in August wearing a helmet and shorts for him to truly compete for the starting job at some point. That said, both Gruden and GM Mike Mayock have raved about Mariota ever since he was coming into the league out of Oregon.
If incumbent starter Derek Carr struggles over the first month or so and Mariota continues to impress the coaching staff, he could make a strong push to be the starter in Vegas. Carr, however, won’t go quietly. He turned in a solid statistical season in 2019, completing just over 70% of his passes for 4,054 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
That said, Mariota’s ability to make plays with his feet could end up being a key factor in any potential competition or quarterback controversy in 2020. Carr isn’t known for being a mobile quarterback and has just 495 yards rushing over his six-year career. Meanwhile, Mariota has logged 1,399 yards on the ground with 11 rushing scores over five years. If Mariota can level the playing field as a passer between he and Carr, things could get interesting in the desert.
