Look, I get it: You’re tired of reading about Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s moved on; the team has, too, yeah? Well, semantically, nope.
DC4 remains a Raider, and until he’s released or traded, Carr is very much a topic of conversation, sadly. Especially since “Carr shopping” was trending this past weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke of the topic of Carr being traded and noted there are quarterback-needy teams, especially in the NFC South. Then there was this gem:
DeReK CaRr WaNtS tO ScReW tHe RaIdErS. He AiNt WaIvInG tHaT nO tRaDe ClAuSe!!! pic.twitter.com/0vek6gIJJU
— Scott Gulbransen (@LVGully) January 21, 2023
Opinions on what happens to Carr are mixed, as all parties involved must make a decision three days after the Super Bowl because the money kicks in at that point. There’s no consensus. From a trade happening to Carr and his agent not helping the Raiders and having the right of refusal due to a no-trade clause, it’s all over the map. In less than a month, reality will settle in, and after a team triumphantly hoists the Lombardi Trophy, we’ll know if Carr is being shipped to a new team and city or if he’ll get to decide where he goes as an unrestricted free agent upon his release.
Where will Derek Carr land? Will the Raiders actually trade him?
A trio of interested teams were name-dropped by ESPN: the Washington Commanders, the New York Jets, and the New Orleans Saints. Washington does strike as a little bit odd, because DC4 spokesperson David Carr noted his little brother is eyeing a stable franchise. The Commanders are anything but stable.
But soon enough, Derek Carr’s flooding of your Raider news will severely dwindle, if not cease. Until then…
Let’s hit the Ray-Dar blips, shall we?
Derek took to Twitter this past Saturday to speak a little on the expected change. Take a look:
Thank you to all the people reaching out trying to give me their platform to tell my side of what happened. It's the hardest thing in the world not to jump on every interview and tell the whole truth. Thank you but I'm choosing to move on and give our next city our best. ðŸ™ðŸ¼
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 21, 2023
The “Whole Truth”
The “whole truth” will never be told unless both sides put everything out there. The odds of that happening are the same as Carr returning to the Raiders. You can guess that number in one try, I bet.
What rookie Brock Purdy is doing with the San Francisco 49ers as “Mr. Irrelevant,” the final pick in the NFL Draft, will put immense pressure on the team’s general managers and scouting departments to find a similar impact player. This is especially true for the Raiders, who don’t have a surefire starting quarterback on the roster – yet.
–Santa Clara, err… San Francisco lived up to its namesake and struck gold with Purdy. But what folks call an anomaly, the 49ers call proper scouting, coaching, and development. If the Raiders want to turn things around under head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, the team must do the same. Homegrown talent is paramount.
— Las Vegas’ special teams’ trio of kicker Daniel Carlson, punter AJ Cole, and long snapper Trent Sieg are elite. But what’s needed for Tom McMahon’s special teams’ unit as a whole is an impact return man. The NFL Playoffs showcased some strong return units, and it was exhilarating to see the respective offenses get solid starting field position. The Raiders need an electrifying return specialist.
*Top Photo: Yahoo Sports