Quarterback Derek Carr
Up until today, Napa, Calif., had blessed the Oakland Raiders, and members of Raider Nation, with clear skies and sunshine, but that wasn't the case Friday. Regardless of the overcast conditions, that didn't stop the Silver and Black from getting after it on the gridiron. There was an overall sense of increased intensity from the players, and both the offense and defense left it all on the field.
Following practice, quarterback Derek Carr took the podium to recap this afternoon's practice.
Carr praised rookie cornerback Breon Borders for his contribution thus far during training camp.
"You know what, every time I turn the film on it's like he makes a play. I think that that's how those guys catch your eye. When you're an undrafted guy, it's hard because obviously you're not going to have the first- or second-team reps all the time, obviously. All that you can see is, 'Man, who's 31?' kind of a thing. And then throughout the offseason and here at camp, he's really proven himself. The more guys that we can have like that that make plays, I'm all for it."
He talked about what the addition of running back Marshawn Lynch, and what he means to the community.
"Obviously, with how the last couple years have gone, our fans are, what I've seen, just so loyal, so awesome. And then when you add a hometown guy, you know? Someone that loves the community and he really embraces the city of Oakland. So, adding someone like that out here to an already loyal, excited fan base, you can obviously tell that they're loyal and excited for him as well. Just having him around, not only as the player, obviously we can all see that, but just what he brings for the city of Oakland, it's a really cool thing to see."
No. 4 complimented second-year wide receiver K.J. Brent for how he's played this past week, and highlighted his work ethic.
"He's a guy that he has to do the dirty work. He knows that. He's got to go in there and do the dirty work. 'Hey, if 'Coop' [Amari Cooper] goes down, I have to step up now and I have to be the X receiver for an explosive offense. As you can see, he's doing a really good job of that. He has a few, like we all do, where you're like, 'Ah, I wish I had that one back.' That's what camp is for. So, just being able to see his growth from last year to this year, it's really exciting to see. He took last year as a time to get to know the offense. He didn't take it as, 'I'm just going out to be the scout team receiver. I'm just going out to go through the motions.' He worked his tail off to learn and you can tell when he goes in, now he can go in with the ones and get reps, which is a testament to his work ethic."
**Carr also discussed what makes wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson such a unique offensive threat.
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"That size, that speed, he's like a horse out there. He's 220, 225 running a 4.3. Those don't come around all the time. Being able to get him in our offense and implement him. Not just use his as a gadget guy, but use him as a receiver. He was a first-round pick for a reason. Being able to see his talents on display has been really encouraging for us because obviously, you lose a guy like Andre Holmes, someone that can do that kind of stuff at that size and you get a guy like Cordarrelle that can kind of do the same things and also can carry the ball, can kick return and those things."
He finished out the media session by sharing what his primary goals are on his personal list.
"Win a Super Bowl, and not just one but multiple. That's not just for me, that is for our city, for our fans, for my teammates, these coaches, all of us that are away from our family in this silly, little hotel for weeks on end. The hours that we put in, there is so much that I could get into that I want to win that so badly for everybody else because there's nothing like… I'll never forget when we won that game my rookie year versus Kansas City. We won one game, we were 1-10, and to sit there and watch everybody celebrate, there's nothing like it. I just sat there and enjoyed it. That's probably number one."
