HENDERSON, Nevada – With Derek Carr firmly entrenched as the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback, the guy signed to be his replacement, Marcus Mariota, impressed coach Jon Gruden on Friday, the third practice of training camp. in which players wore helmets. .
“It’s interesting,” Gruden said, with a smile, of Mariota. “He took off a few times today and that got me really excited. He was injured, but it looks like the ankle has really turned a corner. He’s a dazzling playmaker with his feet, and that’s the key to his game.
“I saw glimpses of it today. It’s exciting. I started off slow 7v7 [drills], But [he] picked up, had a nice day. We had a great day. “
Indeed, Mariota, who lost her starting job with the Tennessee Titans to Ryan Tannehill last season, struggled early in practice, severely missing tight end Jason Witten on an intermediate pass down the line. right key. And he throws a different ball from Carr.
But it’s Mariota’s scrambling ability and willingness to extend the game with his legs that makes him a good choice for Gruden’s attack. Even though 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Mariota has said since signing as a free agent with Las Vegas in March that the Raiders are Carr’s team.
In fact, Mariota, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Titans, and Carr, a second-round pick by the Raiders in 2014, suffered broken bones at the end of the season on the same day during the week 16 of the 2016 Season.
“It’s like weird, crazy things that unite you,” Carr, 29, said earlier at camp.
“I’ll tell you one thing, in our quarterback squad you have to compete, and that’s what I do. Everyone around me, all I’m going to do is compete. had multiple starters in the NFL. here and be in the same room as me. You can browse the list to see who started games and who has been in our quarterback room. It happens all the time, but when you go 7-9, people like to make things up. “
Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Mariota, 26, would push Carr, three-time Pro Bowler and the franchise’s all-time all-time career-high passer in yards (4054), percentage of completion (70.4%) and total QBR. (62.2) but has only 39-55 as a starter, with a winning season in six years.
And as Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN.com, “The best quarterbacks are the ones who get the wins. The stats will follow.”
Mariota is 29-32 years old as a starter.
“Competition brings out the best in any player in any sport,” said Olson. “I would say it’s the best competition we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
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