Getty Derek Carr with Marcus Mariota.
There could be some big quarterback dominoes to fall this offseason. Not only did future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger retire but big-name quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson could get traded. The Las Vegas Raiders could consider taking advantage of a seller’s market and consider trading Derek Carr.
He’s coming off a strong season and new head coach Josh McDaniels has had nothing but good things to say about him since taking the job. Odds are that the Raiders stick with Carr for next season. However, there are those who still believe the quarterback could be on the move. Michelle Burton of Bleacher Report is now predicting that Carr will get traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason in one of the “boldest” roster moves:
Carr played all 17 games in 2021, throwing for 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns against 14 picks.
The Bucs currently own draft pick Nos. 60 and 91 overall, which could be packaged in a trade (however many firsts Wilson and Rodgers command, if they are traded, would likely set the market for Carr).
And with Brady retiring, the Bucs can push most of his salary save for his base pay of $8.9 million onto the 2023 cap, freeing up another $12.3 million to get themselves a new quarterback (and help retain key free agent Godwin).
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Buccaneers Could Be Desperate for QB
At 44-years-old, it was obvious that Brady’s career was nearing its end. However, the quarterback was coming off one of his most statistically impressive seasons and finished second in MVP voting. The Buccaneers likely didn’t foresee him calling it a quits just yet. The team drafted quarterback Kyle Trask in the second round of last year’s draft but he might not be ready to take over for Brady yet.
Even without the Hall of Famer, they have a good roster and kept their coaching staff together. If they can land a good quarterback this offseason, that should keep them in playoff contention. Carr would certainly be good enough to get them a lot of wins and he might not hate the idea of playing with Mike Evans and a good offensive line.
Only 3 players have 4,000+ passing yards in each of the last four seasons:
Tom Brady
Patrick Mahomes
Derek Carr
Will Raiders Sell Carr While His Price Is High?
Trading Carr this offseason could turn into a massive mistake for the Raiders. They were a disaster at quarterback for over a decade before they drafted him. This year’s draft is a weak one for quarterback talent so Las Vegas is unlikely to find an adequate replacement there. The only way they should consider trading him is if they get an offer that’s too good to refuse.
It’s possible that Carr’s trade value will never be higher than it is this offseason. The Raiders could take advantage of a possibly desperate Buccaneers team. The team likes Carr but if Tampa Bay comes in and offers multiple first-round picks, that might be hard to refuse. Odds are that the Raiders don’t make a change unless they’re planning to add somebody better but it will be a situation to watch.
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