Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
It hasn’t been the prolific season for Derek Carr that many expected. One of the biggest defenses of the quarterback over the years is that he hasn’t had a true No. 1 wide receiver. The Las Vegas Raiders gave him arguably the best in the NFL when they traded for Davante Adams.
Adams has been unbelievable this season and there’s still an argument there isn’t a wide receiver in the league who is better than him. However, Carr’s numbers haven’t been much better. He’s 11th in the NFL in passing yards, eighth in touchdown passes and 18th in quarterback rating. He’s still an above-average quarterback but hasn’t reached the level that the Raiders had hoped he would.
There’s been a lot of recent chatter that the team could move on from him this offseason. However, the grass isn’t always greener. This is illustrated by the fact that there would be multiple good teams that would love to add Carr in a trade. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd suggested that as a major reason the Raiders should hold onto him. He also revealed how much the team could get for Carr in a trade.
“Derek Carr is gonna have a market. For all the critics of Derek Carr, the Giants are gonna kick those tires on that car,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “The Colts are gonna kick the tires. Washington is going to. Saints are going to. Jets are going to. Tampa will if Brady retires. Carolina will. … I would give up a first and a second for Derek Carr in a heartbeat.”
Would Raiders Be Able to Say No to a 1st & a 2nd?
If the Raiders do intend to trade Carr, they have to play this situation carefully. There needs to be a good succession plan in place. As of right now, there isn’t one. Jarrett Stidham isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback. That means the Raiders would need to add one in free agency or draft one.
However, even if the team doesn’t have a good succession plan in place, turning down first and second-round picks may be difficult if they don’t think Carr can get them over the hump. In recent seasons, the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford and the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson. Both of those teams received first-round picks that appear set to be in the top 10 in next year’s draft.
What Raiders Should Do if They Trade Carr?
The Raiders have too much veteran talent to completely rebuild. That means relying on a rookie quarterback to start next year would be a bad plan. Perhaps the best thing the team could do is sign Tom Brady in free agency for a year or two, draft a raw prospect like Will Levis or Anthony Richardson and let them develop behind the veteran.
That could be a really good scenario for the Raiders. This scenario would only likely happen if the team ends the year with a top-10 pick. Right now, they sit at No. 8. If they stay in that range, they should be able to land one of the top quarterback prospects. That said, they could even do this strategy while keeping Carr. He wouldn’t love it but it’s hard to imagine him throwing a fit about helping a young quarterback develop.