Getty Las Vegas Raiders' Derek Carr & Jon Gruden.
Most quarterback rumors surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders usually cut against Derek Carr, but there may finally be one that works in his favor. If the team decides to make a change at this position this offseason, there are a number of options. If the Raiders chose to look towards free agency, they could take hard looks at Tom Brady, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers or Teddy Bridgewater. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, at least one of those name can likely be ruled out:
“Tom Brady may not return to the Patriots and is the biggest name on the list, joining Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater and possibly Jameis Winston. Bridgewater went 5-0 stepping in for Drew Brees with the Saints last season but is not seen as a clear-cut improvement over Carr.”
If Jon Gruden doesn’t believe Bridgewater will make the team any better, then he’s not going to sign him. He was selected in the same draft as Carr and hasn’t had as strong of a career. He showed well with the Saints last season, but that team is loaded with offensive weapons. It remains to be seen how good he can be at leading a team. If the Raiders decide they want to make a move at quarterback, Bridgewater is probably not the answer.
Raiders to Move on From Backup QBs
Regardless of what happens to Carr this offseason, the Raiders are likely to shake up the quarterback room. Tafur dropped some interesting information regarding the backup situation:
“Marcus Mariota is an interesting name as far as a potential backup for Carr who might have some Foles-type upside. DeShone Kizer and Mike Glennon are not expected to return to the Raiders, and Nathan Peterman is still in the project phase.”
Mike Glennon did not look very good when he briefly took the field for Carr during the season and Kizer never took a snap. Neither player has much upside as a potential starter, so it would make sense why the Raiders would want to move on. Adding a player like Mariota would be very interesting because he has plenty of experience as a starter. He’s struggled for much of his career and lost his starting job in 2019, but he was the number two overall pick for a reason. If the Raiders keep Carr, Mariota would be a very competent backup for him.
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Chances Raiders Stick With Carr
There are a lot of signs pointing at a potential run at Tom Brady in free agency and there have been a couple of rumors linking the Raiders to Jameis Winston. Despite all the rumors, that doesn’t necessarily mean Carr is a dead man walking. Tafur believes there’s a 65% chance Carr keeps his job.
He’s really well-connected to the Raiders organization so that’s a promising sign for the quarterback. However, he’s not completely safe. Brady poses a real threat to Carr’s job as it seems very possible the team is preparing to make him a big offer. If he accepts, then Carr is definitely gone. It should be a wild couple months for the Raiders quarterback.
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