Getty Derek Carr with Marcus Mariota.
Ealy signs in the Josh McDaniels era for the Las Vegas Raiders point to Derek Carr being the quarterback of the future. The coach has praised the quarterback and the two sides seem like a strong fit. Carr signing an extension this offseason would certainly quiet any noise surrounding the team making a move at quarterback but it remains to be seen if that will happen in the coming weeks.
If not, Carr will be at the center of many trade rumors. There are plenty of teams that would love to have a quarterback of his caliber. While most of the chatter will be surrounding teams that are a quarterback away from contending like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Washington Commanders, perhaps a surprise team could make the Raiders a big offer.
As unlikely as it sounds, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report proposes that the Raiders send Carr to the New York Giants for quarterback Daniel Jones, a 2022 first-round pick (No. 5 overall) and a 2023 second-round pick:
This is the Raiders’ best shot at getting a blue-chip prospect out of trading away their quarterback. The fact that they get a QB in Daniel Jones who still has some upside is a bonus.
It’s easy to dismiss the Giants signal-caller based on what he did this season. He went 4-7 as the starter in New York and threw 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions in his third season.
But that doesn’t take into consideration just how bad the Giants have been as an organization. Jones’ head coaches and offensive coordinators while in New York have included Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Mike Shula, Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens.
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Hard to See Either Side Going for This Trade
Getting a top-five draft pick would have to be appealing to the Raiders. They could add an elite right tackle or a game-changing wide receiver. They could even look at Jones as a temporary option and draft one of the top quarterbacks. However, that doesn’t seem like it would be that appealing to McDaniels. This is a weak quarterback rookie class and Jones has thrown a combined 21 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Yes, the Giants have a horrific offensive line but he had really good wide receivers to throw to.
For New York, going for a veteran quarterback seems odd. New head coach Brian Daboll just did a fantastic job developing Josh Allen into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. It seems more likely that he’d like to try his hand at developing Jones or a rookie than getting a proven player like Carr.
Should the Raiders pay Derek Carr?
No Reason to Believe Carr Will Be Traded
While Carr will be involved in trade rumors until he signs a new contract, there’s no reason to believe that McDaniels is looking to move on. He’s had praise for the quarterback since taking the Raiders job and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that the two sides will work on an extension.
The only way Las Vegas looks to deal Carr is if they have an upgrade in mind or a team blows them out of the water with an offer. In the end, Carr will most likely be under center with the Raiders when the 2022 season starts.
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