Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
It wouldn’t be a Las Vegas Raiders offseason if there weren’t Derek Carr trade rumors. The quarterback looked to be safe heading into the offseason for the first since Jon Gruden took over. That was before Deshaun Watson may have come available.
A report was recently dropped by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that suggested teams around the league are interested in trying to trade for Carr. If the Raiders did trade their quarterback, they’d probably make a run at Watson. Bonsignore’s report didn’t indicate that the team is shopping Carr but they could listen to calls.
The report caused a bit of a stir and it likely made its way to Carr. He decided to post a photo on Instagram with a strong message.
Carr has heard these types of rumors in the past but he just had a very good season. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to let the rumors get him down.
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Carr Will Probably Be Raiders QB in 2021
Carr did enough in 2020 to earn the Raiders’ starting quarterback spot going forward. He’s a very good player and is well-versed in Jon Gruden’s offense. However, nobody should hold it against the Raiders if they at least explore a trade for Watson.
In the end, the team will likely be in the same spot they are now. Gruden even said that he doesn’t believe for a second that the Houston Texans will trade Watson. If they do, it’s probably going to cost a team a ton. The Raiders have so many other needs that giving up most of their valuable assets to address a position that they’re already solid at would be unwise. Some fans will get excited about the idea of adding Watson but it doesn’t seem likely to happen.
Carr Could Have Big Season Coming Up
Carr is coming off a season in which he threw 27 touchdowns and 4,103 yards. He’s gotten better every year he’s played under Gruden. Based on his trajectory, he should have a very big season in 2021 if he’s still with the team.
Carr put together a strong season with a terrible defense, average wide receivers and a banged-up offensive line. If the young wide receivers take a leap and the offensive line can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think Carr won’t throw for over 30 touchdowns in 2021.
Despite what many fans think, Carr isn’t the reason the Raiders have missed the playoffs the last two years. He really deserves a shot to play with at least an average defense. The Raiders offense has the tools to be a playoff team right now. They were top-10 in many categories. Unfortunately, the defense was bottom-five in many categories. If that side of the ball can step things up, the Raiders should be in the playoffs soon. Carr isn’t a top-five quarterback but he’s good enough to get the team deep into the playoffs if their defense improves.
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