Raiders GM Mike Mayock: It's Really Hard to Improve on 'Franchise' QB Derek Carr

Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said Wednesday he believes the front office would struggle to find a better starting quarterback than Derek Carr.

"I think Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback," Mayock told reporters at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. "Is it a coach and GM's job to always keep your eye out for ways to improve the position? Yes. But it's really hard to improve on Derek Carr."

The 27-year-old Fresno State product posted career-high totals in completion percentage (68.9) and passing yards (4,049) in 2018. He also finished with the lowest touchdown total (19) of his five-year career, however, and tossed 10 interceptions in 16 games.

Pro Football Focus graded Carr as the league's 21st-best quarterback, and he ranked 27th in ESPN's Total QBR.

On Friday, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said the team was looking for better performance from its starting QB in 2019 during an appearance on the The Game Plan podcast (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports).

"We have a lot of issues that we have to address on this football team," Gruden said. "Not only taking a look at how our quarterback can play better and possibly adding a receiver, another back, a lineman and a tight end, how do we get after [Patrick Mahomes] and Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco?"

Carr is under contract through 2022 as part of a five-year, $125 million deal he signed in June 2017. But the Raiders can save $16.5 million in cap space if he's traded or released following the 2019 season, per Spotrac. So it's an important season to prove himself to Oakland or other potential suitors next offseason.

Mayock's comments make it sound unlikely the Raiders are going to seek a veteran quarterback or high draft pick to seriously compete with Carr for the starting job this fall. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them use a middle-round selection on a more developmental project looking toward 2020 and beyond, though.

Getting him more help at wide receiver and tight end is necessary to make a fair evaluation in 2019.