Getty Derek Carr & Marcus Mariota of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Based on how the offseason has gone thus far, it’s clear the Las Vegas Raiders plan to have Derek Carr be their starting quarterback in 2021. The team could’ve gotten involved in a number of trade talks for other quarterbacks but have avoided doing so. They have confidence in Carr and likely want to give him at least one more shot to lead them to the playoffs.
However, that hasn’t stopped many from speculating that the Raiders could still attempt to make a move at quarterback. In a recent trade proposal, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report suggested that Las Vegas deal Carr to the Washington Football Team for Matt Ioannidis, Taylor Heinicke and a first-round pick:
The key, though, is that Carr would provide Washington a major upgrade coming off back-to-back triple-digit-rated seasons, and that might be the missing piece to the puzzle for a team that should be expected to dominate again on defense in 2021. He or Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers could be just enough to move the WFT into Super Bowl contention, with guys like Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Da’Ron Payne, William Jackson III and Landon Collins leading the way on the other side of the ball.
If you’re Las Vegas, the move would be a huge gamble for 2021, but could pay off in a major way if Mariota or Heinicke were to excel, or even if they did not and you wound up with fantastic draft capital in 2022.
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This Trade Isn’t Happening
This one of the least likely trade proposals that have mentioned Carr this offseason. The Raiders clearly don’t believe that Marcus Mariota is good enough to be their starting quarterback and Taylor Heinicke certainly isn’t either. Ioannidis is a really good pass rusher and would fit a hole on the defensive line’s interior. Adding a first-round pick is also appealing but quarterback is the most important position in the sport.
The only way the Raiders consider trading Carr is if they are adding a player like Aaron Rodgers. It’s more likely that the team trades Mariota to Washington at some point during the season. Carr is a very good quarterback and there’s no reason for Las Vegas to even consider a trade right now.
Raiders Are Set at QB for This Season
There’s still been chatter surrounding the idea that Rodgers could be a trade target for the Raiders. That seems highly unlikely this late in the offseason. In fact, it’s more likely Carr gets a contract extension this offseason.
The Raiders are happy with their quarterback situation this season. Carr is a top-12 quarterback and Mariota may be the best backup in the NFL. The main reason Las Vegas has struggled over the years is due to a poor defense. Sure, Carr could probably do more in some games but he’s not the team’s biggest problem and never has been. He’ll have a chance to silence many of the doubters this season if he can lead the Raiders to the playoffs.
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Proposed Trade Has Raiders Swapping QBs for 1st Round Pick & More