Derek Carr enters free agency: What teams could be interested in the QB?
The Las Vegas Raiders have released their quarterback just one season after signing a huge extension. We look at how the market is shaping up for his services
Just over ten months ago, the Las Vegas Raiders went all-in on Derek Carr, signing the four-time Pro Bowler to a $121 million, three year extension with a full no-trade clause. After a stinker of a season which saw the Raiders enter every matchup as the favorite only to watch loss after loss slip under their keel, the Raiders decided to try and trade Carr away.
And they found a deal with a willing partner, with the New Orleans Saints meeting with Derek and offering to take him in a trade. But there was a fly in the ointment. Remember that full no-trade clause? Carr invoked it, refusing to be traded to anyone at all.
The Raiders have now been pushed into a corner. They have decided to move on, but without a trade partner, they have cut Carr loose. He is now officially a free agent.
And there is definite interest in him all around the league. From teams who have struggled without a solid QB1 to those who are looking to beef up a quarterbacking corps. I mean, the NFC Championship game proved that you can never have enough depth. The problem is, Derek Carr is the number five NFL quarterback in overall contract value. Any team who signs him, will have to do so knowing that he is expecting to be the number one.
Let’s look at the teams who most align with signing Carr.
1. New Orleans Saints
The Saints have shown interest in Carr and just because he refused to be traded to them, doesn’t mean that they are out of the running. It is highly likely that the 32-year-old QB preferred to force free agency so that he could test out the market, looking to get the best deal that he can before taking the plunge.
The real question is whether the Saints have the financial wherewithal to up their offer to match anything that he may get elsewhere. It is possible, given that they will have gotten some cash and draft picks for Sean Payton that they may feel that Carr is worth the stretch, even though they are currently over the cap to the tune of $59 million.
And then, there is Jameis Winston. The Saints have dropped a lot of work into him and there is still a feeling around the organization that he could be their quarterback. The question now is whether he would be willing to sit behind Derek Carr for a couple of seasons or whether the Saints simply cut their ties and move on.
2. New York Jets
Robert Saleh is in the market for a veteran quarterback and is a big fan of Jimmy Garoppolo, so the Jets could head down that road. But after the debacle in the back end of the season, it is far from certain that the 49ers will let Jimmy G go, particularly with both Lance and Purdy unwilling to simply lay down in the fight for the starting job.
If there are any issues surrounding Garoppolo’s departure from San Francisco, the Jets could take Carr as their starter, and even if they do manage to land Jimmy later on, Garoppolo has shown that he is willing and more than able to fill the backup role for them.
The Jets as a team are in solid condition, with a wonderful defensive secondary and a solid offensive line, they lack only the quarterback to make them a playoff contender. The experience that Carr would bring to the organization could be the final key ingredient to their success.
3. Tennessee Titans
The Titans may seem like outsiders in the race for Carr, but they are reportedly looking to move on from Ryan Tannehill, and with Carr nearly four years younger they could throw their hat in the ring. If they do, then you have to see Tennessee as a serious contender. They are the team who are currently in the best shape of any other in this conversation and with the addition of an experienced quarterback they could make a deep run into the post season.
The Tennessee offense is a juggernaut, with Derrick Henry, Treylon Burks, and Chigoziem Okonkwo working under one of the more respected coaches in the NFL in Mike Vrabel. Their late-season meltdown kept them out of the playoffs, and if Carr is focused on finding a Super Bowl-ready team to move to, the Titans might be his best bet.
4. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have had nothing but trouble at the quarterback role and have been looking hard at how to fix that. They tried Matt Corral and Baker Mayfield, but in the end let them both go after neither worked out.
Head coach Frank Reich is in the hunt for a long-term solution to this problem, but at the same time is not willing to simply wait for a young QB to mature. Carr’s experience will be a strong elixir for Carolina and difficult to resist in the circumstances.
With all four teams in the NFC South now looking for a quarterback, there could be big interest from any of Carolina’s rivals, a situation that they will want to head off if possible.