The Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr are going their separate ways. That much is certain. Where Carr will land will surely be the story of the offseason. Despite the lack of team success, many NFL teams feel they’re “a quarterback away” from getting to the next level. That’s where Carr comes in. Among those teams are the Washington Commanders, who could be serious players in the “Carr sweepstakes.”
Do the Commanders give up draft capital for Raiders QB Derek Carr?
According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, Carr is already doing “his homework on prospective teams.” Among those teams are the Commanders, who have Carr’s old head coach, Jack Del Rio, as their defensive coordinator. For those who might not be familiar with Del Rio, Carr had some of his best seasons under the Commanders’ coach. That includes the 2016 NFL season, where Carr was an MVP candidate. However, Fowler was quick to point out that the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints could also be suitors.
“Derek Carr, he will be traded; that is the expectation. I’m told that he’s started to do his homework on prospective teams. He has a no-trade clause, so he’s got a lot of power here. The teams I talk to expect a variation of the Saints, the Commanders, and the Jets to all inquire. I’m told some teams have already made some early initial calls to the Raiders but still in the process of coming out of the season. There’s not a lot of traction yet. Expect this to heat up closer to the Super Bowl.”
The Commanders have been rather unfortunate when it comes to the quarterback position. This past season, head coach Ron Rivera started three different signal-callers. His QB carousel featured Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, and rookie Sam Howell, the latter winning his lone start in Week 18, tossing for 169 yards and one touchdown. The real question will be whether Rivera and the Commanders will actually part ways with draft capital. Carr, for his part, would join a Commanders offense that features Pro Bowl wideout Terry McLaurin and running back Brian Robinson Jr. Do the Commanders make the trade or do they take their chances in free agency, betting on Carr getting cut rather than traded?
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