Las Vegas Raiders' owner Mark Davis apologized to ex-quarterback Derek Carr
In a recent report, the Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis apologized to former starting quarterback Derek Carr for not winning enough.
When it was all done, Derek Carr's end to his time as the starting quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders was anticlimactic.
The Raiders released him, and Carr found his way to New Orleans. Now, both sides are moving on. Or at least trying to.
On Monday, at the NFL's owner meetings, Raiders owner Mark Davis had a few words for his former quarterback. And no, they weren't the fighting type of words.
“I apologized to him for not getting it done,” Davis said In a Las Vegas Review-Journal article on Monday.
In Carr's nine years, the Raiders made the playoffs just twice. That doesn't fall only on the shoulders of the quarterback. There were stretches when the talent surrounding Carr just wasn't good enough.
That failure falls on the shoulders of the front office and Davis, who often damaged the team to recoup profits.
Still, no one person should bear the responsibility for the Raiders' shortcomings. Davis, however, accepts that burden. It was his team. And he feels as though he could have done more to support Carr while he played in the silver and black.
“I’ll take the responsibility because the buck stops here,” Davis said. “It’s up to me to get it right.”
Davis' responsibility left a lasting impact on Carr, who spoke of his departure from the Raiders recently.
"I talked to Mr. Davis at [Darren] Waller's wedding," Carr said. "It was the first time we have talked since everything. When we talked, it was the biggest thank you he could have ever given me.
"Just getting a thank you for the work… The thank you, it was nice."
Davis is taking an empowering approach this time around with the Raiders. He has placed his trust in head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. He is placing the football decisions in their hands, and the Raiders may be better for it.
“They’ve done all their research, they know everybody they’ve got,” Davis said. “They know what they’re trying to build. And they’re trying to figure out the way they want to do it.”
So far, the Raiders have brought in Jimmy Garoppolo on a three-year contract. The Raiders possess draft capital, which McDaniels hinted they might use on bringing in a younger quarterback.
With four picks within the top 100 in the NFL draft, five within the top 109, and 12 overall, the future is bright for Las Vegas. And that future is something Davis is "excited" about.
