Wednesday’s unusual development — Derek Carr quitting the Raiders after the news of his benching – pretty clearly indicates that the teams expect to part ways soon. It opens the door to the first full-fledged search for a new Raiders starter since they selected Carr in Round 2 in 2014, and it moves a proven quarterback to the trading block.
The Raiders have given up on trading Carr in the past, and the 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo saga this year shows how prematurely presuming a separation can be. But it sure looks like the Raiders are considering moving Carr. There will be teams interested, but the acquiring franchise would have to secure a $40.4 million guarantee and prove that Carr would be attractive enough to waive his no-trade clause. Where will the 31-year-old smuggler end up?
A few teams will be looking for a quarterback after acquiring one last year, but some parts will be those that didn’t make it to the 2022 carousel. The Jets are a contender for Carr. They saw their investment in 2021 – 2nd overall pick Zach Wilson – bomb during his two-season run as a main starter. The defense the Jets have rebuilt this offseason no longer gives Wilson a long NFL on-ramp, and the BYU product may not be ready even with the advantage of a long run. With Wilson possibly on the verge of exiting halfway through his rookie contract, the Jets adding Carr’s contract through 2025 would make sense.
We touched on this topic during Wilson’s initial benching last month, and it would put the Jets – who employ former 49ers OC Mike LaFleur as their play-caller – to an interesting decision. Going after Carr in February would interrupt a LaFleur-Garoppolo reunion in March. While Garoppolo’s checkered medical history may now put him behind Carr in team hierarchies, the former knows LaFleur well.
Carr, 31, becoming available also complicates the path for the Giants. They had a solid season of Daniel Joneswith the David Gettleman-era investment working with a lower-tier receiving corps to lead the team to the playoff precipice. With a more proven option available, does the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll duo preemptively cancel Jones negotiations by trading for Carr? If Jones leads the Giants to the playoffs, the prospect of seeing him with better receivers in 2023 — albeit, at a much higher price — would apparently be attractive, and he’s six years younger than Carr.
Tom Brady–Raiders rumors could be relentless over the next few weeks, provided the legendary passer doesn’t actually retire this time around. The current expectation, barring retirement, is that Brady will leave the Buccaneers to finish his career. That would open up a place for a veteran quarterback to partner with a Super Bowl core, though he has, particularly on offense, been disappointed to an alarming degree this season. The Bucs were in the quarterback market when Brady first retired, but the timing may also rule them out of the Carr contest. A move from Carr in February — a month before Brady’s free agency — would lead to arguably the greatest quarterback to ever come out of town. It would be quite an odd end to this memorable Bucs chapter.
Whether Carson WentzThe return of doesn’t produce a Commanders playoff berth, so he could well be on the move for a third straight offseason. Washington can cut bait for free. This franchise has sought QB continuity since the Kirk Cousins years of the franchise tag, having started six consecutive seasons with a new starter. Carr, who has missed two regular season games through injury during his career, would provide that.
He would also cost more than Wentz, who remains committed to a $32 million-a-year Eagles extension he signed in 2019. Wentz is tied to just $20 million and $21 million in base salaries during of the next two years. Carr’s deal includes future bases of $32.9 million (secured in an exchange), $41.9 million (of which $7.5 million would be secured) and $41.2 million. Commanders employ Jack Del Riowho coached Carr for three seasons as defensive coordinator.
The Saints traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Eagles and dropped their original 2022 QB plan at the start of this season. Bench James Winston to Andy Dalton hasn’t moved the needle in terms of wins, although Pro Football Focus surprisingly ranks Dalton among the top five QBs this season. Dalton’s contract expires at the end of the season. New Orleans, as usual, ranks 32nd in projected 2023 cap space. The Saints top the projected 2023 salary cap by $53.9 million, per OverTheCap. While Mickey Loomis came out of worse predicaments, adding that Carr’s contract would be a new challenge for the seasoned general manager. The Saints employ Carr’s first HC NFL (Dennis Allen), although he was only with Oakland for a few Carr games before being fired.
Carolina has attempted bigger swings at QB the past two offseasons, offering a first-round pick and a switch for Matthew Stafford and offering three and changing to Deshaun Watson. The Panthers prepare to hunt a QB again. resigned Sam Darnold a viable option, or David Tipper try to make a noticeable update. Carr might not be considered a huge splash, but he would likely provide an upgrade for a team that has intriguing pieces in multiple positions.
None of the teams that made the matt ryan the trade has surefire answers for 2023, though Carr might not be a good fit for either the Colts or the Falcons. Indianapolis is striving for its first top-five pick since the Peyton Manning year of injury produced Andrew Luck. After repeatedly trying veterans, Indianapolis may have a chance to land an impact prospect. Desmond Cavalier being an undisputed starter would be a risk for the Falcons next year, but they are still on the road to rebuilding. That said, Arthur Smith enters year 3. Carr partners with Kyle Pitts and Drake London would be interesting.
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