Getty Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders.
If the Las Vegas Raiders finish this season without a playoff berth, the question on everybody’s mind will be surrounding what the team plans to do with quarterback Derek Carr. At times, he’s looked like one of the best in the NFL but hasn’t been consistent. The losing isn’t all his fault but the situation in Las Vegas could simply be growing stale.
A fresh start could be best for both sides. Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd thinks that if the Raiders decided to trade Carr, there would be a lot of interest from teams around the NFL.
“[Carr] deserves better than a classically dysfunctional NFL franchise,” Cowherd said on The Herd. “Matt Stafford, who had two years left on his contract did something about it. He went to ownership and just said ‘get me out of here.’ Two years left. Derek Carr’s got one year left. Is he willing to go to say ‘get me out of here’ to Mark Davis? Of course, he deserves better. He’s on his fifth head coach. It’s the porous owner in the league, it’s been chaos in the front office. What would he be worth? Oh, my gosh … the Raiders could get a boatload in return.”
Cowherd believes that the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans and Washington Football Team would call the Raiders if Carr becomes available. He also believes that the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks would call if their quarterback situations changed.
“The Raiders could get a boatload in return for Derek Carr.”
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Insider Explains Why Carr Could Get Traded
It’s easy to forget that the Raiders’ quarterback situation was a nightmare for over a decade before Carr was drafted. Rich Gannon won an MVP in 2002 and then retired after the 2004 season due to back-to-back seasons ending early with injuries. It’s not easy to find a franchise quarterback and the Raiders need to keep that in mind before trading Carr.
Despite that, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that Carr could indeed get traded this offseason depending on how the offseason quarterback market plays out:
This offseason quarterback market is going to be completely bonkers, with the likes of Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson potentially available in trades. Not every team that needs a veteran QB is going to get one of those guys, and Carr certainly would have some appeal as a second choice in such cases. Basically, the reason this isn’t an overreaction is because you have to put everything on the table for the Raiders at this point, and there would surely be a market for Carr if they decided to move on from him.
He has been very good for the Raiders this season and for most of his career. But they also probably know what the ceiling is for them with him, and it’s not out of the question a new coach and GM would decide to pursue someone with more upside.
If the Raiders are looking to add a bigger name than Carr or start a rebuild, this offseason might be the best time for them to sell high.
Should Raiders Trade Carr?
The only way the Raiders should trade Carr is if they know they can get someone better. Watson, Wilson and Rodgers are the only three better quarterbacks who could be available but it remains to be seen if Las Vegas will be in on any of them. The only other way they should trade him is if they just want to blow things up and start over. This year’s draft yields a weak class so the Raiders aren’t going to find a great replacement there.
Carr’s future could depend on who the next head coach is. There are certainly coaches out there who would like to work with the quarterback but there are others who could like someone else. If the Raiders aren’t totally comfortable giving Carr a contract extension, they should at least let him play out the last year of his deal unless they get blown away with a trade offer.
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