The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension this year. So, he will play under the franchise tag. This comes after other players like Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper got extensions of their own. On the Las Vegas Raiders’ end, Derek Carr was the first of what was supposed to be a young core of players to get paid. Cooper was part of that core, along with Carr’s draftmate, Khalil Mack. Instead, the two were shipped off to other teams, as the Raiders decided to stockpile draft capital rather than break the bank.
Both Carr and Prescott are above average quarterbacks who seem to not have the full support of those running their teams. If the Cowboys let Prescott walk after a year under the franchise tag, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden could make a move. From there, that would leave Carr having to find a new home. And Dallas might just be that home.
What if Derek Carr and Dak Prescott Swap Places in 2021?
Good, But Good Enough?
Ever since Gruden arrived on the scene, there have been rumors of them not being a good fit together. Sure, both say all the right things publicly. Carr even bought a house right next door to Gruden, and he certainly is doing all he can to keep the support of his coach. But Gruden has never been 100 percent committed to his signal-caller. In fact, he refused to commit to Carr starting the year under center in 2020. Though all signs point to Carr at least opening the team’s tenure in Vegas as the starter, his job is as shaky as ever. Gruden brought in former first-round pick Marcus Mariota, who will be breathing down Carr’s throat.
On the other hand, Prescott is in a similar situation. Like the Raiders, his team narrowly missed out on a playoff bid last year. And as the quarterback, management might be making him shoulder some of that blame. Dallas also got a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, and the team signed another former-first round pick quarterback in Andy Dalton. Prescott has played well his entire Dallas career, but if the team decides that he isn’t worth the money, they may decide to extend Dalton instead of Prescott.
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Gruden Loves His Quarterbacks, Especially Derek Carr
If this scenario does play out, Gruden might come knocking on Prescott’s door. He had high praise for Prescott even before his first regular-season snap, saying that he had “Donovan McNabb-like qualities.” Gruden touted his dual-threat ability and toughness. Remember, Gruden, views himself as a quarterback guru. Lately, he’s taken on the Nathan Peterman project. More recently, he signed Mariota, and although he hasn’t outright said it, he would love to help him revive his career.
Carr on the other hand was inherited. And though the veteran quarterback put up his best statistical season under Gruden last year, it still doesn’t seem like enough. Many believe Carr has only stuck around so long due to a lack of a better option. However, if the Silver and Black don’t start making strides, Gruden’s seat is going to get hotter than the Vegas sun. After finishing 7-9 last year and adding more weapons in the draft, there isn’t a good chance of the team being in the running for a top rookie quarterback. This leaves free agency as the only real option for a potential upgrade. Prescott fits the Gruden Grinder bill perfectly.
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Welcome to Bizarro World
This year we saw somewhat of a quarterback carousel. Teddy Bridgewater moved from the Saints to the Panthers. Cam Newton signed with the New England Patriots after the Panthers cut him. Tom Brady took his services to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to replace Jameis Winston, who then signed to replace Bridgewater as the backup in New Orleans. It’s a situation few would have predicted prior to the start of last season. Nevertheless, it happened.
Many might think it’s crazy to think that Carr and Prescott could switch teams, but that wouldn’t even be half as bizarre as the above situation. Carr’s older brother David played in Texas for Houston. And Carr, who never seemed to lose a bit of the southern accent from his time living there as a child, might welcome the move out of Sin City to a more conservative state.
Another interesting player worth mentioning in this is Cooper. He started his career playing with Carr in Oakland. At first, the two had pretty good chemistry. Then, Cooper struggled with drops for a few years, which may have made Carr move away from him, especially during critical situations. By the time Cooper was shipped to Dallas, he was basically an afterthought. Would Cooper welcome a return to playing with Derek Carr? Or will he request the first ticket out of there?
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