Derek Carr is ready for the Raiders to move faster.
Oakland's second-year quarterback told reporters Monday that he can't wait to dig his claws into the up-tempo attack of new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, who -- after spending last season with Chip Kelly's Eagles -- runs a scheme that shares DNA with the quick-moving offense Carr guided at Fresno State.
"I'm really excited, because just what I've heard and the things that we've talked about and what I assume, it is what I did at Fresno," Carr said, per the team's official website. "It's something that I'm comfortable doing. The things that they want to do are things that I'm good at, and that's really cool, that they want to take the offense and say, 'Hey, let's make it good at what you do. Let's build it around you and let's put pieces there that you feel comfortable with,' and all that kind of stuff."
If Carr's rookie campaign has been over-praised, the quarterback made the most of his opportunity in throwing 21 touchdowns to just 12 picks. The strong-armed Carr needs to test the field more in Year 2, though, after finishing last among NFL starters with a paltry 5.46 yards per attempt. He suffered through plenty of rookie moments inside a talent-poor offense, but Carr also showed that he could take an NFL hit and get back on his feet.
"The things that I wanted to go back and see, I did. Those were the things I needed to work on," Carr said of his offseason film-watching. "My whole mindset, you guys know, is I want to win Super Bowls. How do we do that? Me, by myself, the way I do that is I have to get better personally ... I went back and said, 'What do I need to get better at?' Because the NFL game is way different than college. It's not like, 'Oh, I'll just keep doing the same thing.' You can't. I've got to change some things and I'm looking forward to seeing how that works."
It's too early to assume the Raiders have found their long-term answer under center, but Carr showed signs of promise. With patience for young quarterbacks at an all-time low in today's NFL, though, the honeymoon period is over. Like 31 other passers league-wide, Carr is under pressure to produce wins or take a seat.
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