The Las Vegas Raiders made their plans clear for Derek Carr when they decided to bench him. While Josh McDaniels has said that nothing is final, there aren’t many scenarios in which the quarterback will return. Carr should have plenty of suitors this offseason as there are many teams that could use an upgrade at quarterback.
Luckily for him, he has a no-trade clause in his contract so he can dictate where he’s going to end up. There are a number of appealing situations for him but going to a team that he has some familiarity with could be exciting. Derek Carr’s brother David spent four seasons with the New York Giants across two separate stints. Eric Edholm of NFL.com believes the Giants could provide one of the top landing spots for Carr this offseason:
The Giants have not tipped their hand on what the plans are for Daniel Jones, whose fifth-year option was not picked up prior to this season. Jones has played well in 2022, especially when it comes to ball security. He’s also seen an uptick in his completion percentage and has weaponized his running ability like never before. The Giants might not be ready to give up on a 25-year-old QB and could franchise tag Jones this offseason. If not, the Giants’ respectable record this season might not put them in a position to draft his successor immediately.
There are also other connections here: Derek’s older brother, David, played for the Giants and has spoken highly about the franchise and its ownership. Plus, Giants head coach Brian Daboll has connections to McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler from the time they spent together on New England’s staff.
Why Giants Should Appeal to Carr
Outside of the obvious Carr family connection, the Giants should appeal to the quarterback for a number of reasons. First of all, Brian Daboll looks like the real deal as a head coach. New York was a mess last year under Joe Judge. Daboll took a roster that was perceived as one of the weaker ones in the NFL and led them to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Daniel Jones has played well this season but is still limited. Carr would undoubtedly be an upgrade. The Giants are on the ascend and a proven veteran quarterback could be what they need to get to the next level. It’s a move that would make a lot of sense for both sides. The only thing that would have to concern Carr is the lack of wide receiver talent in New York. That’s something the Giants will need to address.
There’s a possible chance that the Raiders could look to cut Derek Carr after the season given the dead money hit.
If the Giants don’t bring back Daniel Jones, would you want Derek to follow in older brother David Carr’s footsteps and play for the Giants in 2023?
Giants Make Sense as Trade Partner for Raiders
As Edholm pointed out, the connection between Daboll and McDaniels could help the Raiders out. Las Vegas doesn’t have much leverage in this situation. Carr can simply tell the team to cut him or pay him thanks to his no-trade clause. A decision on the quarterback has to be made by February 15 but nothing can officially happen until the new league year starts in March. The Raiders would need to rely on a team to honor their trade for a whole month.
The team would be foolish to trust a team like the Colts after McDaniels left them at the altar a few years back. However, the Giants could be a team to trust depending on Daboll’s relationship with the coach. He worked directly under McDaniels as the tight ends coach of the New England Patriots from 2013 to 2016. It’s difficult to know how the relationship is but it’s probably strong enough for Daboll to not screw over McDaniels in a trade.
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Raiders Could Trade Derek Carr to Brother’s Former Team, per Analyst