The Las Vegas Raiders released quarterback Derek Carr less than a month ago. This comes after he was demoted near the end of the regular season amidst one of his worst seasons in the NFL. It remains to be seen if the demotion and subsequent split will be positive for the Raiders. Carr, meanwhile, has to choose a new team, and there are two clear favorites for his services.
Analyzing the Two Favorite Teams to Land Derek Carr
Option 1 – New Orleans Saints
How do the Raiders feel that getting rid of a player who has given so much to this team for so long and been a top-15 quarterback in the NFL for as long as he has was a good idea? Prior to his release, Carr visited with the New Orleans Saints but the two sides couldn’t make the money work to justify a trade. However, that doesn’t mean that the Saints cannot sign Carr in free agency.
New Orleans is in a bit of a financial bind, but that shouldn’t inhibit them from signing Carr. As a free agent, the Saints can structure his contract in a way that will minimize the immediate cap hit. That being said, Derek Carr wants to win, and the Saints were near the bottom of the NFC South last year – maybe the worst division in football.
Add to that, Alvin Kamara will miss significant time due to the battery charges against him and there still may be an uphill battle to be competitive. Does Carr want to be in that situation to potentially be at the bottom of the league again?
Option 2 – New York Jets
Carr has also since met with the New York Jets about potentially becoming their new starting quarterback. This may be the best situation for Derek Carr to be in a position to win. New York has some very solid young weapons at both receiver and running back and their defense performed extremely well last year.
With some stability at the quarterback and an experienced veteran in Carr leading the way, they could be a playoff team instantly. Last season with no stability at the quarterback position they still almost made the playoffs thanks in large part to the play of the defense. Replacing Zach Wilson with a strong, stable veteran like Carr and the sky is certainly the limit in New York.
Derek Carr at the NFL Scouting Combine
Derek Carr has since attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and reports indicate that he met with the Saints, Jets, and Carolina Panthers. This, again, seems as though it would not be an ideal situation for Carr with the Panthers being pretty far from a competitive team in the league. On top of that, the Panthers reportedly prefer to draft their next quarterback and are
While some may like the challenge of turning a team into a contender, Carr may be at a point in his career where he wants to go to a situation with the best opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl. Of the three teams he has met with it would seem that the best scenario given that idea, would be the Jets. Carr has been a good quarterback in the league for a long time regardless of his recent down season. Regardless of where he ends up, he will undoubtedly make that team better almost immediately.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
