The Las Vegas Raiders decided to bench their quarterback, Derek Carr, for the final two weeks of the 2022-2023 season. This decision begs the speculation that they will try and trade Carr, backed up by the recent “farewell” post by the man himself.
Here are three possible trade destinations for Derek Carr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Raiders are being floated as a destination for Tom Brady’s last NFL stop. He’s a free agent, so Vegas wouldn’t have to trade for him, but Tampa would have to trade for Carr. If all sides of this triangle agree to the move (which may be tampering, depending on the circumstances), then it works out for everyone.
Tampa gets Carr (a top-12 quarterback), and the offense doesn’t miss much of a step as far as their passing game production. He will be able to feed Evans and Godwin with his deep-ball mentality. Vegas gets Brady in free agency, and gets to link up with Davante Adams and his old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. On top of that, the Raiders also get a few draft picks to bolster the defense as Brady makes one more run at it. It really all makes a lot of sense, assuming Tampa doesn’t want to commit to a rebuild just yet.
New York Jets
Number two overall pick Zach Wilson has been a marked disappointment. The arm strength is there, but the accuracy is off, and it doesn’t seem like he has the best relationship with the players in that locker room. It would be asking a lot to completely punt on Wilson, but the Jets are a quarterback away from a potentially deep playoff run.
Carr could be the plug-and-play guy that this offense needs. Sure, he isn’t as turnover averse as Rodgers or Brady, but the interceptions come on throws that make sense, unlike most of Wilson’s. Plus, this defense is only going to get better. The Jets simply need a competent and capable offense that can give you one or two big plays a game. That’s it. Carr is the guy to do it.
New Orleans Saints
Jameis Winston is often injured, Andy Dalton is a little too past his prime to run this offense at a high level and Taysom Hill is just a gadget player. The Saints need stability and trust at the quarterback position, much like they had in Brees who always had them in the playoff hunt.
Carr could help bolster Chris Olave and Michael Thomas (when he’s on the field). He could unlock Alvin Kamara as a receiving threat. He even has as much escapability as the next guy when it’s time for a scramble. An elite offense, this may not make, but the Saints have been leaning more into a defensive identity for the past few seasons. Like the Jets situation, all he has to do is be competent in New Orleans and his worth would be seen immediately.
Stay tuned for more breaking NFL content, including midseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.
Featured image courtesy of Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal
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