Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh patrolling the sideline of an NFL game.
The New York Jets are starting to get their ducks in a row.
NFL Insider Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports announced on Sunday, January 29 that Gang Green began “sniffing around” Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr earlier this week.
JUICY: #Jets began ‘sniffing around’ #Raiders QB Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) earlier this week, per @jjones9 of @NFLonCBS 👀 #TakeFlight #RaiderNation
Jets Are Doing Some Serious Homework on Raiders QB Derek Carr
If the Raiders are unable to trade Carr ahead of a mid-February deadline they “will have to cut” him, per Jones.
At that point, $40.4 million would become guaranteed in future salary. Jones said that Las Vegas “may have to be satisfied with a second or third-round pick” as trade compensation.
The Jets own both of their own picks in those two rounds.
If Gang Green traded for him they could avoid a potential bidding war on the open market. With the scarcity of good quarterbacks in the NFL there figures to be a ton of interest in the three-time Pro Bowler.
However, by trading for Carr the Jets would have fewer options as it pertains to his contract length and structure. If he was cut and reached the open market, Carr’s old contract would be torn up and a new one would have to be reached in free agency.
In other words, there are pros and cons to Carr as a legitimate QB option regardless if he is acquired via trade or as a true free agent.
Derek Carr Would Provide a Nice Floor, Safe Option at QB for Jets
There have been a lot of options discussed as the next quarterback for the Jets, but Carr is uniquely attractive for a few reasons.
The former Fresno State product is only 31 years of age and he will be 32 by the start of the 2023 season. If the Jets acquired the veteran passer he could be the answer at quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Some of the other options like Aaron Rodgers are much closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
Another pro is timing. The Jets would like to know who their quarterback is in a perfect world as soon as possible.
Carr’s contract structure will force the Raiders to make a decision on trading or releasing him by mid-February. So that means he will either be on a new team that just dealt for him or he will get cut and can visit teams before the new league year starts.
That would allow the Jets the benefit of building things around him. It would be a much easier pitch to prospective free agents if Gang Green knew who the heck their starting quarterback was ahead of free agency.
Carr doesn’t appear to have the same ceiling as some of the other sexier options at quarterback, but he provides a nice floor.
In six of his nine seasons, Carr has thrown for at least 3,900 passing yards. Only two quarterbacks in Jets franchise history have ever done that (‘Broadway’ Joe Namath and Ryan Fitzpatrick).
Who knows what his ceiling would be in a brand new location, with a new offensive coordinator, and a bunch of different weapons in New York? However, it would be nice to have a quarterback that can consistently move the football and the Jets didn’t have that in 2022.