During the month of July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will determine which three players deserve to be considered the faces of each franchise. For this series, we will only consider active players. This article will focus on the Oakland Raiders.
Faces of the Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr
If your starting quarterback isn’t one of the faces of the franchise, then the franchise is in trouble. Luckily, the Raiders seem to have one in second-year player Derek Carr.
Carr was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He quickly proved himself to the coaching staff and was able to unseat projected starter and seasoned veteran Matt Schaub before the season even started. Carr finished his rookie season with 3,270 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
The team is expecting bigger things this year from Carr. Head coach Jack Del Rio had the following to say after the team’s most recent mini-camp: “Some stand out in their preparation more than others. I think he’s been somebody that, in my short time being around him, has been very impressive. He really has the work ethic. He’s here early. He’s doing things on his own. I think it’s a great sign when your quarterback leads the way with his work ethic. I think he’s on the right path that way as a player in this league.”
Khalil Mack
Before picking Carr during last year’s draft, the team selected Khalil Mack with the fifth overall pick in the first round. Mack went on to start all 16 games, totaling 76 tackles and four sacks. He finished third in the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year selection, but was named Defensive Rookie of the Year by analysts on ESPN’s NFL Live.
Mack turned out to be everything the team had hoped he’d be. This year the team is expecting Mack to increase his sack numbers. He has gained weight this offseason and will play defensive end in obvious passing situations. New defensive coordinator Ken Norton has been impressed with his star player recently, saying “To get here and work with him, to talk to him, to see him show up every day, to see him have a growth mindset, to have a thought process that he’s going to improve, he shows up every single play…. If they’re thinking he’s this good and he’s done so little, imagine when he actually does what he’s supposed to do. He has the work ethic. He has a ridiculous, ridiculous work ethic. In my experience again, that turns into really good football players.”
Charles Woodson
Having a 38-year-old player as a face of your franchise probably isn’t ideal, but what Woodson brings to the team extends beyond the football field. His locker room presence is proving to be invaluable and will provide huge dividends in the growth of young players such as Mack. Woodson does also produce on the field, racking up 112 tackles, four interceptions, and one sack in 2014.
Woodson, coming off a successful season, still feels the desire to keep playing. “I still want to play. Still playing at a high level. When you have those things going for you, why not keep playing? All of the guys that I’ve played with throughout the years, a lot of them would still love to be playing…. I can play it and I still feel good. I’m going to go out there and give it what I’ve got.” With this type of production, the Raiders will be happy to have him.
The Raiders are in great shape, having two of their younger players as building blocks. The hope is that another strong rookie class, consisting of the likes of wide receiver Amari Cooper, will provide another building block, and a future face of the franchise.
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