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It’s been another up and down season for Derek Carr. He started off the year looking like an MVP candidate and put up impressive numbers. However, the Las Vegas Raiders have struggled and are falling out of playoff contention once again. In eight years with the team, Carr has led them to a winning record just one.
To suggest that the struggles have been his fault isn’t fair but the Raiders could decide to start fresh this offseason with a new head coach likely to come in. While who coaches the team going forward will be the most important decision owner Mark Davis makes, he may not let whoever he hires be the decision-maker on Carr. Vic Tafur of The Athletic believes that Davis will take the matter into his own hands this offseason.
“I think Mark Davis will make a decision [on Carr] and then go into the search with that in mind,” Tafur said on the State of the Nation podcast. “I just don’t know if he’s going to rely on a new coach to influence him giving Carr a $180 million extension or whatever it’s going to cost to keep him past this year.”
Davis isn’t known to be a meddlesome owner but could take more charge of the team this offseason.
“I am of the belief that Mark Davis will make a decision,” Tafur continued. “He hired the last two coaches basically and he’ll hire this one so I think he’ll use whatever he has decided on Derek to kind of frame who he wants to bring in. I’m sure he’ll listen to ideas and he’ll be open to some things, but I think his mind will pretty much be made up as far a quarterback before the coaching search really gets going.”
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What Will Davis Decide on Carr?
Unless Davis is planning for the Raiders to trade for Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson this offseason, moving on from Carr would signify a complete rebuild for the team. He’s one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the NFL and there are plenty of other teams that would trade for him.
Prior to Carr getting drafted, the Raiders consistently had some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL for over a decade. Davis needs to remember that before he’s quick to ship off a top-15 quarterback. It’s not going to be an easy decision but it sounds like he’ll finally start trying to take control of his franchise.
Should Carr Get an Extension?
If the season continues the way it has, the Raiders should hold off on extending Carr. He’s already expressed that he doesn’t want to play for another team so Las Vegas doesn’t need to worry about him leaving in free agency after next season. At the very least, the Raiders should give Carr one more season under the new head coach. Perhaps drafting a quarterback and letting him develop for a year under the veteran could be a smart play.
The Raiders haven’t done Carr many favors over the years but sometimes a fresh start is necessary. He’s much more talented than many fans give him credit for but this franchise needs a major shake-up. For now, the team should hold off on extending him until they see how he works with the new coaching staff.
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