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For whatever reason, there’s been some talk about who are the NFL’s best basketball players recently. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr probably isn’t the first player who comes to mind. However, he’s actually pretty skilled and athletic.
NFL Total Access revealed their starting basketball lineup of NFL players and Carr was slotted as the shooting guard. While that must be a good feeling for the quarterback, one of his teammates wasn’t thrilled. Offensive lineman Denzelle Good called out Carr for bragging about his basketball skill.
It didn’t take Carr long to respond.
Carr also admitted that he’d need some practice before he was truly ready.
It would be really fun to see this lineup in action playing some basketball. Myles Garrett is an absolute beast at center. Unfortunately, the team will only exist in our imagination.
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Carr Is a Solid Basketball Player
Carr wasn’t selected to the NFL’s basketball starting lineup by accident. He’s actually a pretty skilled basketball player and has put it on display. Back in 2016, he went to a Golden State Warriors game with his teammates and was the only one to make a shot.
He also hosted a dunk contest with some fellow players and showed off some impressive ability.
Carr isn’t the tallest player in the NFL at 6-foot-3, but he does have some really strong hops.
Carr Heading Into Big Season
More so than any other offseason since Jon Gruden took over the team, the Raiders have shown supreme confidence in Carr. They could’ve gotten involved in trades for Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson or Matthew Stafford, but there weren’t any reports linked them in trade talks.
That is very notable considering there has been rampant speculation over the last few years that the Raiders were going to make a change at quarterback. The team now seems fully committed to Carr and they should be. First of all, he’s not that expensive. There are 12 quarterbacks who are paid more than him. He also has no more dead money left on his contract, which gives Las Vegas flexibility if he struggles.
Even though the team has confidence in him, he needs to have a big year. Carr is probably already starting to think about a contract extension as he’s set to hit free agency after next season. If the Raiders miss the playoffs for a fifth year in a row with Carr as the starter, they might start losing some of that confidence. It’s not ideal for him to ever hit free agency if the Raiders want him to stick around but it’s hard to imagine he’ll get an extension this offseason.
If he keeps improving and leads the team to a playoff berth, he’ll almost certainly get paid. With so many question marks currently surrounding the team, there’s a very high likelihood they miss the playoffs again. As long as Carr plays at a high level, he should be fine. If he struggles, the Raiders might actually start to think about making a change.
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