1. Last season, the Raiders offense was pretty much unwatchable even before they traded Amari Cooper. Now they have Antonio Brown, arguably THE best wide receiver of the decade, whom they acquired in a trade from the Steelers. They also signed Tyrell Williams, an EXTREMELY underrated vertical receiving threat and they also drafted Josh Jacobs, a multi-dimensional RB from Alabama. However, if these new weapons are to take the league by storm and the Raiders are going to surprise some people this season, Derek Carr must play like he did in 2015 and his MVP-caliber 2016 season as opposed to how he has performed the previous two seasons. This is likely Carr’s final chance to cement himself as the Raiders franchise QB as the team can save $16.5 million by releasing him after this season. Do you think Derek Carr is still capable of being that QB we saw in 2016, or are his best days behind him?
2. FANTASY FOCUS: Antonio Brown may be getting a gold jacket one day, but from a fantasy perspective this season, he gets a steep downgrade at QB going from Roethlisberger to Carr. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Brown’s current ADP is 2.09. Is Antonio Brown still a lock for a 1200+ receiving yard season with double digit TD’s as a Raider? Would you put WR’s with slightly lower ADP’s like Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans ahead of him on fantasy draft boards?
3. After trading away Khalil Mack, the Raiders pass rush was almost lifeless as they registered a league low 13 sacks. That’s why they used their first of three first round picks on a pass rusher in Clelin Ferrell. However, the selection of Ferrell was thought of as a reach by many, especially since there were better options on the board in Josh Allen and Ed Oliver. I understand GM Mike Mayock wanted to make a statement about character in the pick, but with questionable pieces around Ferrell on that DL, how much does he alone improve that anemic pass rush?
4. For the third time in four seasons, the Broncos have a new starting QB. With the Ravens eager to begin the Lamar Jackson era, the Broncos pounced and traded for his predecessor and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco. While many (including you) believe Flacco is an upgrade from Case Keenum, Flacco’s stats last year weren’t that much different from Keenum’s, and he has been at the bottom of the league in overall QBR for the past few seasons. And FWIW, Flacco and the Broncos offense have had a very sluggish start to training camp. Based on tape alone, why is Flacco an upgrade over Case Keenum?
