There are different opinions regarding Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Although some of them are positive, others are less flattering. One prominent broadcaster made his opinion on the subject known.
Where does Derek Carr stand with the Raiders?
Louis Riddick of ESPN recently wrote on social media there should be zero talks of the Raiders trading Carr. Moreover, he added that fixing the defense, not the quarterback position, should be the team’s priority this offseason.
Carr was 348-of-517 for 4,103 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2020. His 67.3 completion percentage ranked tenth and was Pro Football Focus’s eighth-ranked quarterback in 2020. Nevertheless, his penchant for turning the ball over is concerning. Even though he threw just nine interceptions last season, he was responsible for 17 turnovers, the fourth-worst in the league.
Related: 2 Raiders Make Pro Football Focus’ 2020 Top 101 List
Analyzing Louis Riddick’s comments
Riddick’s one of the most respected members of the media. However, his opinion sounds rather absolute. On the bright side, he’s not implying anything and got his point across clearly. The thing is that the Raiders can upgrade the quarterback position and fix their defense. It doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition.
There’s no question the Raiders must fix their defense. After all, they have had a bottom-dwelling unit for a long time. Nevertheless, Las Vegas could also get better play from the quarterback position. Of course, ‘4’ is their best choice for the time being and they should only move on from him if there’s a better alternative in place.
Coincidentally, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson MAY become available this offseason. If the Raiders could somehow find a way to land either one, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. A trade could turn out to be costly. Each signal-caller could command as many as three first-round picks. However, it would be worth it, as Las Vegas would land a Top-4 quarterback.
Teams look for ways to improve every offseason, and the Raiders shouldn’t be any different. Carr isn’t a bad quarterback, but there are better. If they can upgrade their defense and the quarterback position, they should do it. If they can only fix the defense, that will be fine too, but giving the quarterback position a boost shouldn’t hinder their ability to bolster their defense.
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