By: Reese Nasser

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr could soon find himself on a new team. With his contract currently set to end after the 2022 season, he could be a name to watch between now and the trade deadline. 

After seven seasons with the Raiders, Carr has never appeared in a playoff game and has won double-digit games just once. He also has a career record of 47-63, but that does not tell the whole story. In his time since entering the league, Carr has been very efficient with the ball. He has 170 passing touchdowns to just 71 interceptions throughout his career. 

Even without ever having a prolific receiving room, Carr has been a consistent playmaker. He had been a reliable QB1. He has also been one of the clutchest players in the league. He has 24 game winning drives in his career. 

When looking at all of this, it is clear to see why teams would be intrigued by adding Carr to their roster. He is still a solid quarterback who would be an upgrade at the position for most teams. Many teams believe that they have the roster in place for a super bowl run and are just missing a quarterback to get them over the hump. Other teams are just trying to find a piece to build around, and at just 30 years old, Carr could be just that. There would be no developing Carr, unlike what you would have to do with a younger quarterback. He is also coming off arguably the best season of his career. 

There are a few different teams that could be in a position to go after Carr. It could end up taking a large draft package to land the veteran quarterback. Some teams may be more willing to give the Raiders what they would like as opposed to others. Here are three  teams that could prove to be top destinations for Derek Carr. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers future at the quarterback position is unclear, to say the least. Longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is entering the final year of his restructured contract. He will also be entering his 18th season as the Steelers starting quarterback and is 39-years old. 

Outside of Roethlisberger, the Steelers have not seemed to create a concrete plan as to who will be their next quarterback. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph has been subpar in his nine career starts. He could be who the Steelers look to for their future, but he hasn’t yet shown that he can be a number one quarterback on a team. 

The Steelers also recently signed former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins this off-season. Haskins underperformed in his two years in Washington, recording a record of 3-10 and throwing just 12 touchdowns. He has struggled since entering the NFL, and much like Rudolph, hasn’t lived up to expectations up to this point. 

With no proven options past Roethlisberger, if there is a struggle at the quarterback position, the Steelers could look to go after a quarterback such as Carr. The Steelers have a team that is built to win now and can’t afford to have an offense being held back by poor QB play. Carr could play out his final two years of his contract in Pittsburgh and then sign a long-term deal to remain the QB1. 

Washington Football Team 

Washington currently has a surplus of quarters back on their roster, yet there is still no clear QB1. Ryan Fitzpatrick. Taylor Heinicke, and Kyle Allen will all have an opportunity to win the starting job. 

But Washngton may feel like none of these three quarterbacks meet their standards and this could cause them to go after someone such as Carr. 

Washington has assembled a potential top-10 defense and they have young and talented offensive pieces. With Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel preparing to become a top receiving duo and running back Antonio Gibson on the verge of stardom, this offense has all the making of a powerhouse. 

Carr could be what this team needs to take them over the top, and Washington is one team that could create a package that is good enough to land the quarterback. 

Miami Dolphins 

The Miami Dolphons coild prove to be an intriguing landing spot for Derek Carr. The decision to trade for him would also be baeed entirely on second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s performance in the first half of the season. 

Tua struggled on multiple occasions last season, being replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick on more than one occasion. But, it is still too early to move on from the young quarterback, at least for now. He scored 14 touchdowns in his rookie season and showed flashes of potential.
The Dolphins have a team that can win games, proving this last season by securing 10 wins for the first time since 2016. They also added quality playmakers on the offensive side of the ball through both the draft and free agency. 

Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will look to be a centerpiece for this team, and eventually Miami’s main target. Wide receiver Will Fuller will also receive a heavy workload for the Dolphins in his first season with the team. 

With a potential top receiving unit, the Dolphins may believe that they can’t afford to wait for Tua to develop. If he does struggle in the start of the season, they could center a package around him and send him to Las Vegas in exchange for Carr. 

Carr is Miami’s offense could be lethal and this team could be positioned to make a legitimate playoff run. 

The post Three potential trade destinations for Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Derek Carr, the pocket passer that holds the most late-game comebacks in a quarterback’s first several seasons (20), has been in controversial trade rumors over the past couple of seasons. It’s unclear if Carr will follow in the footsteps of past former elite QBs like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, likely Aaron Rodgers, in switching uniforms in a high level of his career. 

As of right now, Carr is dedicating all of his energy to obtaining a Lombardi trophy in Las Vegas. Carr is so fixated in marriage to the Raiders that when asked about getting traded, this is how he responded, “I’d probably quit football if I had to play football for someone else”.

Carr’s allegiance to Las Vegas is unquestionable. The real inquiry is, “do the Raiders want Carr to be the face of their franchise forever?”. My response to that question: I believe so. 

I will outline the three reasons why Carr will remain the Raiders QB until the death star (Raiders stadium) is inhabitable.

1. Carr will be the best “long term option” available 

The Raiders signal-caller isn’t only an elite caliber of talent, but he is only 30 years old. Carr is the same age as Taysom Hill, two years younger than Russell Wilson, and two years younger than Kirk Cousins. Carr has at least a decade of quality football left in him. 

As long as Carr is the franchise QB, the Raiders will have an excellent floor each season. The Raiders have improved from four wins to seven victories, to eight wins, under Jon Gruden’s reign. Even if the Raiders miss the playoffs or have an early postseason exit, they should be in a tough spot to acquire a decade-like talent at QB in the draft each year.

There have been talented QBs on the trade block, but the available QB options are no longer available, or the steam has left the QB’s camps. Deshaun Watson doesn’t appear tradeable at this point, Russell Wilson is staying in Seattle, Aaron Rodgers appears to be in a Denver uniform or staying in a Packer jersey, and Tua Tagovailoa will be a franchise QB in Miami if he improves, or below dealing for if he sinks.

To sum it up, Carr will always be the best long-term offseason option to start for the team moving forward. 

2. The Raiders need to seriously focus on improving the defense

Gruden knows that improving a defensive unit that ranked 25th in 2020 is the highest priority on the horizon. The Raiders had issues against the pass (26th ranked) and opened the floodgates against the run (24th). The Raiders have made this defensive emphasis clear with four defenders getting drafted in the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL draft. 

LV acquired pass rusher Yannick Ngakouye and cornerback Casey Hayward in free agency this offseason. Holes still lie in the secondary for the Raiders defense. CB Damon Arnette hasn’t proven his worth as a first-rounder, while the safety position was an Achilles heel in 2020. Corey Littleton was a sneaky good signing last offseason at LB, but the team desperately needs more consistent production in the LB unit. 

In an AFC West division featuring MVP Patrick Mahomes, OROY Justin Herbert, and potentially Aaron Rodgers, the Raiders have to be featuring a competitive defense (at the very least) in the divisional gauntlet. A lackluster defense with a young, different face at QB could also put the Raiders in a massive hole in their very own division.

3. Jon Gruden is a Derek Carr supporter

There have been false claims of Gruden wanting “his own guy” or in search of a different QB. This common, false report, can be put to the grave. Gruden AND Mayock firmly stand strong behind their QB held on a high pedestal. 

They’ve expressed their gratitude and defense for their QB after putting on a fantastic showcase in the 2020 season. Carr displayed a career high passer rating (101.4) last season. His personality of grittiness is also very similar to Gruden’s style in the locker room. 

Carr told Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal that his relationship with Gruden is often misunderstood. He elaborated by saying “what people don’t understand is how close we are. Not just football, but off the field. Whether it’s him texting videos of his dog and what they’re doing, and I’m sending videos of my kids hitting baseballs in their first game. People don’t understand that.”

The young Carr had an amazing season of production in 2020. If Carr ousts another year of mastering the offense and capping elite numbers, the connection should only continue to grow in the upcoming years.

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