Getty Derek Carr & Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders are feeling good after breaking a three-game losing streak with a win over the Denver Broncos. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they are 3-7 and have to be almost perfect the rest of the season to have a chance at the playoffs. Even though the playoffs are seemingly out of reach, there are plenty of coaches and players who need to play well down the stretch.
Quarterback Derek Carr hasn’t been bad this season but he hasn’t done enough to win more games. There’s a chance that he’ll be the scapegoat for a bad season if the Raiders get back to losing. That said, the team won’t move on from him unless they have a better option. Unfortunately for Carr, one of the quarterbacks head coach Josh McDaniels would likely take over him will be a free agent when the season is over.
Tom Brady could be looking for a fresh start now that he’s divorced and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having a lackluster season. The Volume’s Colin Cowherd believes that the San Francisco 49ers are the top landing spot for Brady but believes the Raiders are also a very strong option.
“Well, I think San Fransico one, the Raiders two,” Cowherd said on “3 and Out with John Middlekauff.” “Remember, Derek Carr would have a market. Derek’s the 11th, 12th best quarterback in the league, you could send him somewhere and get a second-round pick.”
Brady isn’t going to a team just to have fun. He’s going to want to win. Cowherd thinks the Raiders have enough good players to appeal to Brady.
“The pieces are there. … I think it’s a very solid two,” Cowherd added.
Brady to Raiders Is a Situation to Watch
The Raiders signed Carr to a long-term deal in the offseason and likely want him to be the quarterback going forward. He’s loved by his teammates, including Davante Adams, who is one of the best players on the team. Trading or cutting Carr could lead to Adams forcing his way out.
However, Brady is the type of player who could convince the wide receiver that it’s worth to stay. If the Raiders replace Carr with a rookie, it’s easy to see Adams wanting to leave. If they replace him with the greatest player in NFL history, the wide receiver isn’t likely to go anywhere. Brady knows McDaniels’ offense like the back of his hand. It would be an incredibly easy transition. It’s already known that owner Mark Davis is into the idea of having Brady in silver and black due to UFC president Dana White revealing that the quarterback had a deal in place to sign with the Raiders before Jon Gruden backed out. It wouldn’t be hard for McDaniels to convince Davis to support the move.
Concerns With Swapping Carr for Brady
Brady has proven that it’s not a good idea to count him out. Now that he’s newly single, he could play for another few years. He’s gonna be 46 when next season starts but that likely wouldn’t scare away McDaniels. That said, it is a concern.
As we’ve seen with Russell Wilson, a quarterback can start declining really quickly. Brady is in uncharted territory so it’s impossible to predict when he might finally fall off. He’s played well this season but not nearly as strong as last season. In fact, Carr has more passing touchdowns (15) than Brady this year (12). Is Brady a better long-term option than Carr? Most likely not. If the Raiders are planning to draft a quarterback regardless, then maybe it would be a good idea to have Brady for a couple of seasons to keep them relevant while a young quarterback learns behind him.