3 teams that should have offers ready for a Derek Carr trade

With Derek Carr’s future with the Las Vegas Raiders in doubt, these three teams should be making offers for the quarterback.

The Las Vegas Raiders are still in the playoff hunt entering Week 17, albeit barely following their 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But for the rest of the season, the Raiders won’t be starting Derek Carr at quarterback. Instead, head coach Josh McDaniels is going with Jarrett Stidham for the team’s final two games against the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Carr’s future with the team is very much in doubt, as the team will have to fully guarantee approximately $33 million to him for the 2023 season if he is on the roster on Feb. 15. If they are to move on fro him before that, they will be assessed a $5.6 million cap hit.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team made the decision to sit Carr out for the final two games is to avoid injury to keep his trade price high. But what exactly would it cost an interested team to acquire him?

FanSided national NFL reporter Matt Verderame spoke with a high-ranking personnel executive, who said they believe the Raiders could get a return similar to what the Philadelphia Eagles got from the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz. For those unfamiliar, the Eagles received a  2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional first-round pick for Wentz.

There are plenty of teams that will be in need of a quarterback entering the 2023 league year. But which teams should be making a call to the Raiders to end over an offer for Carr? These three organizations stand out.

3 teams that should have offers ready for a Derek Carr trade, No. 3: New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are in need of a quality starting quarterback. Ever since Drew Brees retired at the end of the 2020 campaign, the team tried out Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, Trevor Siemian, and Ian Book at quarterback. None of them were/are the answer at the position.

Normally, with the Saints in the top half of the first-round despite still being in contention for the NFC South title, you would look towards the draft prospects. The problem is, they don’t have a first-round pick this year, as they traded it to the Philadelphia Eagles in their extremely convoluted trade last year that netted them two first-round picks in 2022. So, there won’t be a Will Levis or Anthony Richardson heading to New Orleans by late April.

Given the reported price to acquire Carr, the team could still pull it off by flipping a third-rounder this year and a first next year.

The Saints present themselves as an ideal landing spot for any quarterback. They have a strong running back to rely upon in Alvin Kamara, and a future star at wide receiver in Chris Olave. There is also the potential that Michael Thomas can return to being a dominant force in the passing game. Not to mention, Carr’s first head coach entering the league was Dennis Allen, is the sideline boss for the Saints.