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Oakland Raiders in 2015: surviving Trent Richardson, JaMarcus Russell

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The Oakland Raiders head into the 2015 NFL Draft with their potential franchise quarterback in place in the form of Derek Carr, a solid new head coach in Jack Del Rio, and a good deal of momentum carrying forward from last year’s modest late turnaround after a calamitous start. But at the same time the Raiders are trying to explain the signing of bust Trent Richardson and hearing the name JaMarcus Russell being dropped in the media. So can Oakland manage to live down its own history of ambitious mistakes?

The signing of Trent Richardson appears to be a simple flyer on a talented player who didn’t cost much and may yet turn around his twice-failed NFL career. He’s the exception rather than the rule these days for the Oakland Raiders, who were once known as the black hole in which fading careers went to die as the team spent its salary cap on veteran players no one else wanted anymore.

But the mere mention of JaMarcus Russell stings a bit more. The Raiders thought they had their franchise QB but he turned into one of the biggest busts in NFL history - and now one league insider is suggesting Jameis Winston may not succeed because he has similarities to Russell. That comparison doesn’t seem valid, but it’s yet another opportunity for Oakland Raiders fans to be reminded of what could have been. Still, with Derek Carr now in place at quarterback, the team has an opportunity to build a young nucleus around him and move forward - if it can get past the ghosts of its own failed recent past.

Oakland Raiders 2015: new coach Jack Del Rio faces tall order

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The Oakland Raiders will enter the 2015 season with their third head coach in under a year, as Jack Del Rio takes the reins and attempts to sort out a franchise that has been on a tumultuous ride. Dennis Allen was fired just a few games into the season due to his inability to garner so much as a single win or even look competitive, leaving Tony Sparano to take over. To the surprise of everyone, the latter rallied the team to some degree of progress before being let go as well. Now Del Rio has to figure out how to build on that partial success with the Raiders.

The be fair Sparano - the failed former head coach of the Miami Dolphins - didn’t show enough coaching prowess to be allowed to keep the job. But what he lacked in ability he made up for in enthusiasm, managing to convince the Oakland Raiders squad that they had something to prove and that it was worth proving. By the end of the season, the team looked collected and marginally competitive, despite the eventual losing record. A large part of that was the emergence of quarterback Derek Carr, who got the starting job by default but managed to keep it. So now what?

Jack Del Rio has to start by focusing on what did work last season and keep that in place. That means keeping Carr on track and nurturing the young talent base that’s in place even while attempting to upgrade it externally. While the Oakland Raiders may not be competitive this season, the new coach will be tasked with keeping Sparano’s momentum in place.

Oakland Raiders, Derek Carr target 2015 draft

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The Oakland Raiders have their starting quarterback for 2015 in the form of Derek Carr, who proved himself as a rookie last season and helped partially turn around a sinking season with his impressive if inconsistent play. Now the team is tasked with getting him some help on offense, and that should come in the form of selecting a wide receiver in the first round. Carr weighed in on the Raiders draft prospects when asked.

In an interview with ESPN, Derek Carr confirmed that he would like to see the Oakland Raiders select a wide receiver in the first round. But when pressed for specifics, he deferred to the team’s executives and stated that he wasn’t going to be picky. That’s the expected diplomatic answer, as the QB wouldn’t be expected to advocate publicly for one draft prospect over another. But the mere fact that he’s risen enough to now be asked by the media to weigh in on the team’s draft is a sign of just how far he’s come. So what next?

The Oakland Raiders prospects in 2015 may come down to how well new head coach Jack Del Rio manages to take the reins. Dennis Allen was fired just a few games into the 2014 campaign, and interim coach Tony Sparano was well liked but wasn’t retained. That means Del Rio needs the Raiders players to buy into his system quickly - and that means Derek Carr first and foremost.