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Many Las Vegas Raiders fans have worked themselves up into a frenzy over all the quarterback rumors that have come out this offseason. With either Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson potentially available, it’s hard to blame them. Quarterback Derek Carr is reportedly highly sought after throughout the NFL, but the Raiders won’t trade him unless they know they can upgrade the position.
It’s highly unlikely Wilson is going anywhere this offseason and the Houston Texans have stated that they don’t want to trade Watson. If those two men aren’t available, the Raiders are more than likely going to stick with Carr. While that might irritate a section of the fan base, he’s been a good player for the team. In fact, it’s possible that he could be getting locked down for the long-term soon.
Raiders insider for ESPN Paul Gutierrez was asked to give a bold prediction for the team and he predicted that Carr gets a contract extension this offseason:
You wanted bold, right? Yeah, a theory has surfaced that Carr will be a “hot commodity” in the upcoming quarterback carousel, so desired he could command two first-round picks in trade. If that’s the case, what are the Raiders waiting for? It’s Carr Speculation Season and it will end, again, with the franchise’s all-time passing leader staying put with the team that made him a second-round draft pick in 2014 and signed him to that five-year, $125 million extension in 2017.
It seems premature to try and extend Carr already considering he’s not a free agent until 2023 and has stated multiple times that he only wants to play for the Raiders. That said, he has improved every season since Jon Gruden took over. He’s on an upward trajectory. If the team thinks Carr will have a big season in 2021, it might be smart to extend him now while his price would probably be lower.
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Carr & Raiders Talked Extension During Season
If the Raiders and Carr are starting to think about an extension, it might not be the first time they’ve broached the topic. Per Gutierrez, the two sides talked about during the season.
“If I’m Derek Carr’s agent and I feel like my guy deserves an extension, which there were some talks last year between both camps, the Raiders camp and Carr’s camp, that he wanted an extension done sooner rather than later,” Gutierrez told 920 AM’s Pritch and Clay Show, via Raiders Beat. “Then the wheels fell off the season and it never happened. But if I’m his agent and I want to inflate the value of my client, I would float a story out there that ‘Hey, I could get two first-round picks for him.’”
Raiders Should Probably Wait a Little Longer
Carr is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL and is very durable. There’s a reason a number of teams are interested in him. The Raiders fan base isn’t very forgiving so Carr has been at the center of a lot of criticism.
However, there’s a reason fans don’t work in the front office. The Raiders know they have a good quarterback and that’s why he hasn’t been traded yet. In all likelihood, Carr will be the team’s quarterback in 2021 but it’s probably still too early to give him a new contract. There is merit to the idea that the Raiders should pay him now before the market for quarterbacks gets even more expensive. That said, Las Vegas still has two more seasons to decide. They should at least see how he performs in 2021 with a revamped defense. If the defense improves and the Raiders miss the playoffs again, perhaps it’ll be time to start thinking about making a change at quarterback.
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