3 teams that should have offers ready for a Derek Carr trade
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
With Derek Carr’s future with the Las Vegas Raiders in doubt, these three teams should make offers for the quarterback.
The Las Vegas Raiders are still in the playoff hunt entering Week 17, albeit just barely after their 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But for the rest of the season, the Raiders won’t be starting Derek Carr at quarterback. Instead, coach Josh McDaniels will go with Jarrett Stidham for the team’s final two games against the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Carr’s future with the team is very much in doubt, as the team will have to fully guarantee about $33 million on him for the 2023 season if he is on the Feb. 15 roster. If they move on from him before then, they will be hit with a $5.6 million cap hit.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the team made the decision to sit Carr for the final two games to avoid injury to keep his trade price high. But what exactly would it cost a team interested in acquiring him?
FanSided’s national NFL reporter Matt Verderame spoke with a high-ranking personnel executive who said they believe the Raiders could get a return similar to what the Philadelphia Eagles received from the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz. For those unfamiliar, the Eagles received a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 first-round pick for Wentz.
There are plenty of teams that will need a quarterback heading into the league year of 2023. But which teams should the Raiders call upon to pull off an offer for Carr? These three organizations are distinct.
The 3 teams that should have offers ready for a Derek Carr trade, No. 3: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints need a quality starting quarterback. Since Drew Brees retired at the end of the 2020 campaign, the team tried Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book at quarterback. None of them were/are answers in position.
Normally, with the Saints in the top half of the first round despite still being in contention for the NFC South title, you’d look toward draft prospects. The problem is, they don’t have a first-round pick this year, having traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in their extremely convoluted trade last year that netted them two first-round picks in 2022. So, they won’t have a Will Levis or Anthony Richardson heading to New Orleans in late April.
Given the reported price to acquire Carr, the team could still get him by returning a third rounder this year and a first one next year.
The Saints present themselves as an ideal landing spot for any quarterback. They have a strong running back in Alvin Kamara and an established future star in Chris Olave. There’s also the potential for Michael Thomas to turn into a dominant force in the passing game. Not to mention, Carr’s first coach coming into the league was Dennis Allen, the linebacker for the Saints.
