Whether it's a pre-draft smoke-screen or not, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden says Derek Carr will continue to be his starting quarterback going forward.
"He's going to be our quarterback," Gruden told NFL Media's Jim Trotter at the Owners Meeting today (March 25): "I'm not going to address all the rumours. I couldn't care less about the rumours. [Carr] threw for 4,100 yards. Threw for almost 70 percent in a very dire, tough circumstance. So I've got a lot of confidence in Carr; what he can do with [wide receivers] Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams; with [tackle] Trent Brown coming in here to help our offensive line."
But the coach also confirmed the team will not overlook the position heading into the draft and has planned meetings with projected first-round quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins:
"We're going to meet with a lot of guys at every position,"said Gruden: "We're not going to look past anybody at any position. We have the fourth pick in this draft and we're going to make sure we get it right."
Rumours this off-season suggest Gruden is very interested in Oklahoma's Murray, but the quarterback might be gone before the Raiders pick fourth overall. If he is off the board, and the Raiders do stick with Carr, all attention will turn to how new wide receiver acquisition Antonio Brown performs with the signal caller.
When asked if Brown's baggage could upset the Raiders' locker room dynamic, Gruden seemed uninterested in the wide receiver's volatile past:
"I don't think Brown has any baggage. I think that he is the real deal. He is exactly what this team needs. A go-to, clutch football player at a position that we needed. And we are so excited to have him. The energy that he brings to the practice field, the meeting room, his preparation is legendary."
It was well-documented that Gruden loved Brown even before the wide receiver was was acquired. Now that the same is being said of Murray, can the his Raider's really pass up drafting the quarterback? We won't until the NFL Draft in three weeks, but we can be sure Gruden's team will continue to produce exciting story lines throughout their final season in Oakland.
COVER PHOTO: USA Today
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