Carroll, Raiders Looking to Regularly Make Statements

"That's one aspect of it. Getting Maxx [Crosby] signed for a long term to show commitment to one of the great competitors in the game was one step of it, getting Geno [Smith] was a the step on the other side of the ball to make it clear we're not sitting around and waiting to see what happens and hope things will turn out. We're going to proactively go after it," Carroll said.

"John [Spytek] and I are committed to making that happen in every choice and every turn, every step of the way, all the way through this whole process as this offseason keeps taking its shape. We're going to be about that mentality, and that is what creating your culture is. It's making statements of who you are on a regular basis, what you stand for on a regular basis that will eventually be understood as what this culture is." 

Since entering the league, Smith and Carroll have had their struggles, as they each grew in their respective roles. Carroll has been fired multiple times, and Smith has experience as a starting quarterback and a backup quarterback.

Still, Carroll believes they both are better because of the things they have had to overcome. Their tenures with the Raiders should produce the best versions of both.

“Yeah, I think that's what living is. I think that's what life is all about. Doesn't matter where you come from or what you do. As you go through your life, you experience stuff, and then you have pitfalls and suffering, and you have to bounce back and come back and continue to discover and uncover what you're all about. And I think that's what life is," Carroll said.

"And so, the stuff we're doing, there isn't anything special about what we're doing, we're just living with them and helping them. But I do feel like you can accelerate the process by helping people go through the steps that they have to take for the self-discovery that's necessary. It's going to happen anyway, but we'd like to think we can coach it along and capture it a little bit earlier than others."

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