Why Derek Carr should have no problem living up to monster extension

The public reaction to the NFL's most lucrative contracts is endlessly predictable.

For as many as there are correctly applauding a player for getting his money, or a team for making what amounts to a straightforward, market-oriented move in locking up its star, there always seem to be a fair amount of skeptics.

That trend continued Thursday when the Oakland Raiders finalized a highly anticipated megadeal for Derek Carr, handing out a new-money record extension worth $125 million over five years.

How could a team reasonably justify paying such a hefty sum to a signal-caller whose lone winning season to this point in his career was cut short due to injury?

Quite easily, actually.

In the same way aging veterans with stellar resumes are unable to create any sort of leverage for themselves based on past accomplishments, these kinds of deals are handed out with an eye on the future. Players in the NFL, more so than any other sport, will always be paid based upon the value they are perceived to have looking forward.

The Raiders have every reason to believe Carr will have no problem living up to these numbers.

In fact, if his steady early-career ascent is to be taken as any indication, a deal that averages $21.02 million over the next six years (when tacked onto the remainder of his rookie contract) could even seem like a bargain sooner rather than later.

Any argument that points to Carr still being outside the "elite" territory of quarterbacks is, of course, completely fair. A realistic evaluation of the current hierarchy would undoubtedly conclude that there's still a sizable gap between he and the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Joe Flacco Andrew Luck.

But considering the major improvements he's made in each of his first three seasons, including guiding the Raiders to their first playoff berth since 2002, the arrow remains pointed skyward.

Let's recap.

After a rookie year in which he took his lumps as part of an awful 3-13 team, Carr emerged as the unquestioned leader for an up-and-coming Raiders squad. Guiding the club to a 7-9 record as a sophomore, achieving its first semblance of relevance in years, Carr threw for 3,987 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Then came the monumental leap of 2016.

Before going down with a broken leg in Week 16, a devastating injury that would effectively end the Raiders' season right then and there, Carr had vaulted himself into the conversation for league MVP. Across 15 starts, he completed a career-best 63.8 percent of passes for 3,937 yards and 28 touchdowns.

By all accounts - lack of postseason success aside - the totality of the opening three-year stretch makes it difficult to understand how he could have lasted until the second round of the 2014 draft in the first place.

The consistency with which he's made the most of every offseason and returned for the summer having made substantial improvements can be taken as a clear sign of the potential for another step forward in 2017.

That's one piece to the puzzle. Considering the supporting cast he's got by his side, he couldn't be in a much better position to follow through.

Again setting up shop in front of Carr is perhaps the only unit that can justifiably give Dallas a run for the title of best offensive line. The idea of a second full year with that unit is exciting enough, but Oakland's skill position group is nearly as impressive.

Offseason additions of Cordarrelle Patterson and tight end Jared Cook provide a pair of intriguing complements to Carr's top targets Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. The second-year developments of Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington provides some juice out of the backfield, and the running game now has its ideal power back in hometown legend Marshawn Lynch.

Carr returning at full strength, as would appear likely given the relatively simple recovery process he faced after the fracture, will give him every opportunity to immediately silence any naysayers raising an eyebrow at his extension.

While it remains to be seen how far he can take things down the road, let's not forget how early it is for Carr to have shown these signs of superstardom. Rodgers, for example, was only just stepping into the starting lineup at this point in his Hall of Fame career.

Don't be surprised to see that comparison ramp up if the Raiders can capitalize on their ever-apparent potential for a Super Bowl run next winter.