Nearing the end of what is a lost season for the 2-8 Oakland Raiders, there appears to be little for their fan base to look forward to, other than acquiring a high draft pick.
But Derek Carr has no interest in losing his way to a top-five selection.
"I just want to win. I want to mess up the draft. I don't want the first pick," Carr told reporters when asked what he wants his offense to accomplish over the final six weeks. "I want to win all these games. I want everybody to be mad at me for that. That's what I want to accomplish."
The Raiders are already following through on Carr's dream scenario. Entering Week 11 with the worst record in the league and pole position for the No. 1 overall pick, Oakland seized victory from the jaws of defeat in Arizona.
Their comeback win over the Cardinals pulled them into a tie for worst record (2-8) with the Cards and the San Francisco 49ers. Oakland was even temporarily hopped by the Niners for the top pick, due to strength of schedule.
Unfortunately for Carr -- and fortunately for forward-thinking Raiders supporters -- it will be difficult for Oakland to claim another win the rest of the season. Over their final six games, the Raiders play just one team currently with a sub-.500 record (Denver Broncos, Week 16) and still have to take on the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs twice.
Even if Oakland doesn't secure the top pick in the 2019 draft, the organization will have three first-round selections at their disposal, the results of their trades of Khalil Mack to Chicago and Amari Cooper to Dallas. Before the season, those picks looked to be low- to mid-round selections. But now, due to the Bears and Cowboys' impressive runs of late, both of Oakland's acquired picks could be in the final third of the first round.
Controversial as the decisions were to jettison Oakland's former first-round selections, Jon Gruden made those moves with the future in mind. Losing out in 2018 to secure the first pick in the 2019 draft would be in line with that strategy. The Raiders' supposed QB of the future, however, is not.
