Derek Carr on the Latest from Las Vegas Raiders Camp
HENDERSON, Nev.--This Sunday the Las Vegas Raiders will face the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium.
In the midst of week three of the Silver and Black training camp, QB Derek Carr gave the latest on the team and went into detail about the progress of multiple teammates.
You can watch the entire press conference below, and read the transcript:
Quarterback Derek Carr
Q: How do situationals in camp prepare you for regular season?
Derek Carr: “[Head] Coach [Josh McDaniels] does a really good job of teaching situational football. That’s the National Football League. A lot of situations come up, and he teaches the heck out of them. When we drill it, he makes it as hard as possible. We don’t get 19 timeouts, but he makes it as hard as he can. He knows it better too. Hopefully, we just go out there and execute the situation and the play to its fullest. He's always correcting and teaching younger players. He’s all about the details. If he sees one guy look like this, he'll ask him, ‘You good?’ And all that. He makes sure that everything is always going this way. He makes it as hard as he can out there so when the games come, you're used to the situation, and it may hopefully be easier in that moment.”
Q: At this stage of your career are you still learning in those situations?
Carr: “Absolutely. Everyone has different philosophies. Not being funny, but the different head coaches I've had, they've all thought they see the game from a whole play out differently. Some fill on 35 to do this, and some want this. Where the ball goes on certain plays. When to take timeouts, when not to. What we want to do clockwise. Everyone has different philosophies. So yes, I'm always learning and always putting things down in my notebook. Some days, if I want to teach my boys or somebody else, some other young quarterback someday. Or when I'm an old guy, saying ‘Hey, these are some of the things that saw and what we’ve learned.’ It doesn’t even have to be in games because we have guys that have been in a lot of situations and a lot of big games. So, we've learned a lot from them.”
Q: What are things you’ve watched in the preseason about the new offensive scheme?
Carr: “I think the most important thing I do during the preseason is communicating with [Head Coach] Josh [McDaniels]. Whether I'm in the game or not. So far, I didn't play in the first one. When a situation would come up, I'd walk over to him, while Jarrett [Stidham] was doing the normal sit down and go through it. I would go to Josh and just start asking questions. I’d ask him, ‘You know when you said this, what did you mean by that?’ We're growing that way, too. Training camp and preseason, all of that is a big time to learn and just gain as much as you can to get better. I feel like I can get better by learning. Asking, ‘Josh, what are you thinking on this?’ Because I want to make sure. I’m trying to execute it exactly how he wants it done. Same thing with Josh. When you say that I want to do my best. To do exactly what you want, what is that? A lot of those conversations come up during preseason. Then, when we get to doing them, I'm actually doing it and so that I can show that it's clicking in my brain.”
Q: What’s something that you're really pleased with that maybe you were concerned about coming into camp?
Carr: “Anytime you get new coaches, new schemes, you're going to have new players. Over the last couple years, I felt our team was really close. When some of those guys leave, and you’re bringing new guys, you hope that you can create that. This is a time for that. This is a time for learning and it's also a time to get to know each other and be a team. Football is a team sport and forever will be a team sport. And whenever you can get everybody on the same page going the same direction, it makes coming to work much better. It doesn't guarantee you wins, but it helps you in those moments; for me, too -- going through all the changes and all those kinds of things. I really give credit to [Head Coach] Josh [McDaniels] and our staff, they've done a great job of while changes are happening, doing this with everybody in that room. Obviously, we have great guys that were captains last year. They'll probably be captains this year, leading that charge as well. You got Maxx [Crosby] out there just grabbing receivers, joking with them. You have linebackers, receivers, running backs, myself, other people, specialist, just sitting at the same table. That's the thing that you want to see. You don't want to see just little groups. Except the O-linemen, you want them all to be together. Everyone else, you see everyone kind of mingling around and all those kinds of things. It's really cool to see. And I'm proud of that.”
Q: What do you think of Zamir White?
Carr: “He is very special. I think that you probably know it deeper and better than I do, his story. It's unbelievable what he's gone through in his life and what his family's gone through in their life. To see the adversity that he has continually overcome, he just keeps doing it. Then to see him get out there on his first preseason game and run with that violence and run with that passion the way that he did. It was unbelievable, and for me, being around him, I always challenge him. But I challenged him in a different way that I challenged Maxx Crosby. You hear me yelling at Maxx, or he's tackling me with a red jersey on and all those kinds of things and all that kind of stuff. The way I talk to Maxx is different than the way I talk to him. I'll just come up to him and go, ‘Hey, I’m watching your back today.’ And he’ll say, ‘I got you.’ That meant just as much as me and Maxx yelling at each other. Watching him go out and work and do those things has been really fun for me to watch. I really enjoy being around him. I really enjoy it at this stage of my career, watching these young guys come in. The guys that don't think they've got it all figured out, the guys that just come in and say, ‘I just want to learn, I just want to help the team in any way that they can.’ He has that, and I think that's what makes him special.”
Q: What have you seen in White’s work ethic?
Carr: “A couple days ago, I challenged the backs. I said, ‘Hey, let’s put some unreal finishes on tape.’ We were in a group run, not even against the defensive and he was out the gate. I said, ‘He has some good ones to learn from in that room that do the same kind of stuff.’ Him being in there and doing that, it doesn't surprise me that he's done that his whole life.”
Q: If you could use one word to describe what this season means to you this year, what word would that be?
Carr: “Fun, hopefully fun. Football is supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be competitive and all those things. I just want to go out there and have fun with my teammates. Hopefully, we go out there and win some games, that makes it a lot more fun if I'm honest. At this point, I'm not getting into competitive, championship. I just want to have fun. Trust me, the work will be done and hopefully we can do whatever we can to win football games.”
Q: It seems like you're having fun watching Jarrett [Stidham], is he an easy guy to mess with and cheer for?
Carr: “Yeah, I told him that’s the five stars dual threat quarterback coming out, and he laughed. I think that's why, we've been joking about that. So then, when he ran for the touchdown, that's why I was laughing because him and I joke about that stuff all the time. It's been really fun to get to know him. He's a really nice person. I think you guys gotten a chance to talked to him and gotten to know him a little bit. Super nice guy. His wife, they have a little girl and they're a super great family. Being around him has been great because given the new offense, I can ask him questions. Maybe coach is talking to a young guy or something and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, on this? And he’ll say,’ Yeah, on that.’ Because he's been on the offense, it’s helped me go faster. Having a guy that's been in it, instead of a whole room of guys where we’re all just trying to learn together. So, it helps having Nolan, Josh, Mick, and Beau. Having Jarrett to be like, hey, what in the past on this play what did y'all, you know, and that helps. Watching him play, again, knowing what he went through the last 400-500 days of his career, his life. I've been through injuries and all that kind of stuff. It's not fun. To sort of see him get out there and get to play again. First play in there and he gets smoked, we laughed about that. I'm just trying to be so positive and encourage him and support him. Just like I know he will you know if I'm in there.”
Q: What do you think of Maxx Crosby's growth as a player?
Carr: "I think if, you were to talk to him, he would still say, 'I have a long way to go.' And I think that's what we all love about him. I think that's what all our fans, Raider Nation loves about Maxx. He feels like there's still a long way to go and we all will say, 'Well, we like what we see, effort, that massive violence that he plays with'. But, knowing what he's went through in his life – we're still humans. What he's dealt with, personally, mentally, emotionally, and what he's overcome in his life, and where he's at now, signing a new deal, taking care of his wife and baby-to-be. All that stuff and all his dogs that he has, I think that means a lot to him. I think he takes a lot of pride in that. I'm very proud of him and proud of the man that he is, more so than a football player. He's a great husband. He always tries to talk to his wife – or girl, soon enough. I'm just so, so proud of him. When he came into who he is now, it's really cool to see."
Q: What's your approach been like in learning this game?
Carr: "It's a full dive into what does this playbook say. I need to get on the same page as [Head Coach] Josh [McDaniels] right now. As soon as he's the coach, boom, I have to be on the same page. It's a complete dive into that. And then as I'm going through it and working through it, I can say, 'Hey, I ran this in the past, we ran this against Tampa Bay'. And he says, ‘Yes, that's just like that.' So, I ask, 'Are you good if my eyes do this?' It's just a complete dive in. And I have one of the best athletes of all time to watch on film, running offense in Tom [Brady]. What a gift that is for me to be able to watch and see his eyes, and see the shoulder movements, the little details. Not just running the football play. There's a lot of guys that can draw on the board. You hope you can draw them on the board. But it's the little details, little shoulder movements that you get comfortable with when you've been in a system a long time. Learning that, and trying to take that step, and doing those things. It's just a complete dive into that. And if I can draw back to help it make sense in my mind, I do it that way."
Q: Is there something you can pick out of this training camp that you haven't experienced so far in your career?
Carr: "That's hard. I think there's one thing that stands out – it's not that it wasn't happening before – but one thing that they really emphasize is just the details of everything. [Head Coach] Josh [McDaniels] doesn't miss anything with anyone on the team, not just offense. The footwork, the fundamentals, the way it shows the drills, all that kind of stuff. The details and the depth that he goes into, he's fully submersed in football. And not just on the quarterback, not just on the receivers, not just on the offense, but the whole team – special teams. He knows every detail of everything being said in our building. And I think that's special. I would say his greatest strength is that he knows every detail of every assignment. And I'm sure he'll tell you he makes mistakes, but to me, that's been really impressive."
Q: Will you and Darren Waller need to get practice reps in once he comes back or is it more flexible since you're both veterans?
Carr: "I think they [reps] always matter. But there is comfortability in the chemistry, the timing – I throw it five yards in front of Darren because he's so fast – that kind of thing. There definitely is that, and I never want to say that we 'have it', because I think that there's stuff that he and I can always grow in. But I have thrown him two-three hundred balls in games and thousands and beyond that in practice. There is a workload there so that when it comes back out, it's just normal."
Q: What do you like about Allegiant Stadium, and what are you excited about seeing on Sunday?
Carr: "I was a rec major; I didn't do the architect thing. What I love is that it's all black. I think that's what our stadium should be; everything is black, everywhere. What I do love is – I took my wife and my kids on the tour when we first got here – the tributes to the former players across the walls. That's the Raiders, right? Once a Raider, always a Raider. Mr. Davis is always taking care of former players, and I think that's super cool. When they get to come back to the game, they see their faces up there. Different guys see their faces, and their number, and their families, someday, can come to the stadium and say, 'Hey, that was my dad, that's my grandpa.' I think that's super cool. That's what makes this organization special; it's always a family. I still talk to George [Atkinson] every day. I talk to Charles [Woodson] all the time and countless other guys. Bill Romanowski – just talked to him. It's so cool it's almost like that college feel. Where the older players they're still always a part of it. I don't know if it's like that everywhere, but I know that here it's a special place. I do appreciate that about our stadium."
Q: How important is the offensive line's role in what you want to accomplish as an offense with Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow?
Carr: "I love giving those guys credit. I love talking about it because they don't get it. For them, it's exciting to add those guys [Davante Adams] because then they take pride in saying, 'Alright, let's make it happen, let's help them out.' And that's cool to see as a team kind of thing. It's vitally important. You always want to win the line of scrimmage in football. We have to be able to do that, and hopefully we can do that and hold trust and belief in those guys – I always do. And hopefully I can get the ball out when I need to, make somebody miss when I need to. All those kinds of things to help them if I need to. But I'm proud of those guys. You can't not win the line of scrimmage, especially in this league. You have to win the line of scrimmage. There are so many good defensive fronts that can just ruin a game no matter who's on the outside."
Q: Is there a difference in the red zone offensive scheme this season?
Carr: "We're working on it; I can tell you that. [Head Coach] Josh [McDaniels] has a plan, which I will not unveil. But I think that one thing I do know is that it's being taught, it's being coached, and our guys are learning it and executing it. And that's just being honest from practice. It's something that's emphasized all the time. It's something that we emphasized in the spring, emphasize now. It doesn't guarantee again, that we'll have that success, but we have to go do it in the games. We're working to get as clean on that as we possibly can, so that when the games come, we can be more productive."
Q: What's the battle like between Davante Adams and Nate Hobbs?
Carr: "They've been going at it. Everybody knows how I feel about Tae [Adams] just as being one of my best friends. But Nate, I tell him all the time, I tell him, 'I'm so proud of you, man. Keep working. Keep going.' He's a guy that's been over to my house a couple of times. I've been able to talk to him, he's been able to share with me in his life and his journey. His mom is great – shout-out. But I think watching someone, when when Davante walks up in a one-on-one, Nate's like, 'I want the rep.', If he's not backing down, he's like, 'I want that challenge.' If it were up to Nate, he'd guard everybody. And I think that that's what you want out of a DB. And it doesn't matter if Davante makes a play, then boom – Nate says, 'I don't care – next play.' And then boom, he'll knock one down and that's the competitive spirit that you hope happens on your team. I mean, if I was guarding Tae all the time, my confidence would be shot. But these guys keep competing and Nate is always saying, 'Alright, here I go.' He's going to be right back in his face, and he's going to cover him and do his best. That's one thing I love and respect about Nate and I think that he's flashed a lot of talent and ability. Hopefully, it translates into the season for him, and he can have a good year."
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