Oakland Raiders Vs. The AFC West: Quarterbacks

November 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18, left) shakes hands with Oakland Raiders quarterback

(4, right) after the game at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders head into the 2015 season with something they haven’t had in quite some time – a solid and steady presence under center. For the first time since Rich Gannon wore the Silver and Black, the Raiders have somebody who looks like a potential franchise quarterback and somebody who can lead this team back to relevance, and perhaps even prominence.

In Derek Carr, the Raiders look like they have a quarterback who can flat out lead the team for many years to come.

In addition to Carr, the AFC West features a legend in the twilight of his career with question marks about how much he has left in the tank, a star who never quite got over the hump and sees his window of opportunity for a title closing quickly, and another quarterback who can best be described as – a sometimes effective game manager.

More from Derek Carr

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• Oakland Raiders’ Young Core Must Lead Their Resurgence
• Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr Overhyped And Overrated?
• Oakland Raiders: Carr And Cooper Must Improve When It Matters Most

So the question then becomes, how does Carr stack up against this cast of characters?

The answer to that question is going to depend upon who you ask. If you ask a Chargers, Broncos, or Chiefs fan, more than likely, they’re going to tell you that Carr doesn’t stack up at all. If you ask somebody not emotionally invested in a rival AFC West team, the answer might be quite different.

The diversity of players under center for the AFC West squads makes for some good, fierce divisional battles. Though the division has been a three team race for quite a while, the Raiders are a team on the rise, and one who very well may be able to hang with – if not outright beat – some of their division rivals. And the play of second year quarterback Carr may be the single, biggest key to that happening.

In this series, we’ve been ranking the different positional groups within the division. We’ve already touched on the offensive lines, running backs, wide receiver, and tight ends. Now, it’s time to rank the AFC West quarterbacks.

Next: The Game Manager