Stephen A. Smith thinks that the contract extension for the Raiders quarterback is a good one. 1:45
It is one of the biggest challenges facing the Las Vegas Raiders. It is not just a single-prong problem.
The general manager and coach have to clean up what can only be considered draft misses by previous staffs, but they also have to show they have learned from those mistakes and avoid making the same ones again.
The Raiders have given out contracts to six of their post-Al Davis draft picks in the last two years.
Only one was a first-round pick, left tackle Kolton Miller, who was drafted by Jon and Reggie, and one was taken in the second round, quarterback Derek Carr, who signed a pair of extensions after being picked by Dennis Allen.
Two third-round picks (guard Gabe Jackson went 81 st overall in 2014) and offensive tackle Brandon Parker went 65th in 2018).
Only the New York Giants have signed fewer draft picks over the same time period, while the Jacksonville Jaguars have extended 10 of their picks.
| Player | Draft Year | Draft Round |
|---|---|---|
| QB Derek Carr | 2014 | 2nd |
| OG Gabe Jackson | 2014 | 3rd |
| DT Justin Ellis | 2014 | 4th |
| OT Kolton Miller | 2018 | 1st |
| OT Brandon Parker | 2018 | 3rd |
| DE Maxx Crosby | 2019 | 4th |
Three of the Raiders' 15 eligible first-round draft picks since 2005 have signed second deals with the team, including Miller, who was drafted in 2007.
Carr said last week at the news conference announcing his three-year, $121.5 million extension that he wanted to make sure money was left on the table to take care of teammates in need.
Carr said of his slot receiver, who was a fifth-round pick in 2019, and his backup tight end, a fourth-round pick that same year.
When I signed my contract last time, I lost my best friend, and I didn't want that to happen again. This was an opportunity for me to prove to the team, to the organization, to our fans, that the way we structure this is so that we can keep everybody together and really, really have something to build on. For me, it was like how do we do that?
After June 1, the Raiders will have roughly $20 million in salary-cap space thanks to the releases of defensive end Carl Nassib and linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton.
The Raiders will have to make a decision on applying fifth-year options on their first-round picks in 2019.
Carr said that in these negotiations, "How much money can we get?" and "How much can we save?" There was a learning curve. It was important to us that we could still build a championship team around you. Hopefully this contract proves that.
The regime has a coming selection technique and the proof is in the draft.
With Raiders owner Mark Davis bringing in a couple of lifelong New England Pats to run the football side of things, expect big changes.
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