Derek Carr is expected to be available this offseason after being benched by the Las Vegas Raiders, but do the New York Giants make sense as a destination?
One NFL writer thinks Big Blue is a good landing spot for the quarterback who only signed a three-year contract extension worth $121.5 million last offseason. Carr has his critics, but the three-time Pro Bowler would be a decent alternative to Daniel Jones if the Giants opt against re-signing the free agent.
Giants Have 2 Reasons to Pursue New QB
NFL.com’s Lead Draft Writer Eric Edholm identified two connections that could help the Giants sign Carr: “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.”
The last point is a curious one since Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels made the decision to bench Carr. It’s unlikely he’d give Giants sideline chief Brian Daboll a glowing recommendation about the former Fresno State star signal-caller.
McDaniels’ decision was partly motivated by concerns Carr didn’t win, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Tafur also “cited questions about Carr’s toughness in the pocket — ironic because he has been one of the most durable quarterbacks in the league, only missing three games in nine seasons.”
Whatever the reason for the Raiders going cold on Carr, he’s still passed for over 4,000 yards in a season four times in his career. The 31-year-old has also thrown 217 touchdown passes, including 24 this season.
Carr threw three three scoring strikes against one of Daboll’s former teams, the New England Patriots in Week 15. One of his best throws was this dart to Mack Hollins:
The play showcased why Carr might be an upgrade over Jones. Arm strength has never been an issue for the passer drafted in the second round back in 2014.
Carr has averaged 7.1 yards per attempt for his career, compared to the 6.7 averaged by Jones. It’s not a problem for Carr to put enough velocity on the ball to fit his throws into tight windows, the way he did to find Hollins.
Nor is it too much for the veteran to push the ball vertically, an area where Jones has occasionally struggled. Carr showed off his deep passing range with this connection to Raiders’ tight end Darren Waller against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16:
.@Rackkwall83 spun right into that one!! 🌪
There are ample reasons the Giants should consider Carr while Jones’ future remains up in the air, although it may be too soon to give up on the latter just yet.
Jones Still Has Value for Giants
As Edholm pointed out, “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.”
Protecting the football was a priority for Jones entering this season. He’d thrown 29 interceptions and lost 20 fumbles, but Jones has been picked just five times and coughed up a mere three fumbles since Daboll took over.
The influence of Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has also helped Jones set a career-best 90.7 QB rating. Those numbers contrast sharply with Carr’s erratic accuracy, best summed up by an 86.3 rating and 14 interceptions.
Daboll has built the 8-6-1 Giants on an efficient offense and opportunistic defense. Carr’s boom-or-bust style could upset the balance of this team.
There’s also the not-so small matter of Jones’ mobility adding a lot to the Giants’ playbook. Daboll built his reputation letting a running QB thrive when he helped turn Josh Allen into a star for the Buffalo Bills, and the same magic has worked for Jones.
He’s rushed for a career-high 617 yards, setting a franchise record in the process, per Pro Football Reference:
Daniel Jones is the first quarterback in @Giants history to rush for more than 600 yards in a season.
Carr wouldn’t even be a fraction as dynamic as Jones on the run. He’s a static, pocket-based passer, something neither Jones nor Kafka have been used to in recent years.
Keeping Jones is increasingly looking like the smart move, unless his positive performances have earned him a better deal than the Giants are prepared to offer. As Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports noted, Jones will have no shortage of other suitors:
The Raiders have benched Derek Carr. The Jets benched Zach Wilson. The Colts benched Matt Ryan. There are at least 8 other teams who have murky QB situations for 2023.
One thing is certain: If the Giants don’t re-sign or franchise Daniel Jones, he will have plenty of suitors.
Avoiding a bidding war might be impossible, unless the Giants can find a proven alternative. Carr qualifies, but he won’t be easy to acquire, with Tafur outlining why a “likely scenario is that the two sides agree to a trade to another team. Carr was given a no-trade clause while accepting the deal with the one-year exit plan and would have to approve any trade destination.”
The Giants have enough draft capital and $56,875,105 worth of space under the salary cap to make a deal happen. Yet, any trade may be too high a price to pay for a quarterback who would alter the style and efficiency of Daboll’s offense.
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Giants Named Landing Spot for $121.5 Million Passer