Tom Brady is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer now and that’s settled, but we’re starting to learn more about the process that ended in him landing there. It’s been reported that the Chargers and Buccaneers were the only two teams to make concrete offers, and that Brady also had the option of returning to New England. But while some have said the Raiders were never that serious in their pursuit, Las Vegas was indeed “sniffing around Brady as late as this week,” sources told Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
While Tafur acknowledges that the Raiders never made an official offer to Brady, he writes that “some ballpark numbers were made known to him at some point.” Tafur also reports that the Raiders weren’t willing to spend the $50MM guaranteed the Bucs ended up giving over two years as the “game film the last two years just didn’t warrant that in the Raiders’ minds.”
Had Brady signaled to the Raiders that they were a “serious finalist,” they would’ve started shopping Derek Carr, Tafur writes. But while they were interested in adding the legendary Brady, that doesn’t mean they aren’t satisfied with Carr. Tafur writes that the team won’t be pursuing another veteran, and they won’t be making a surprise trade up in the draft to take a quarterback early.
Of course, the Raiders ended up signing Marcus Mariota in free agency, but Tafur doesn’t view him as a serious threat to Carr’s job. Instead he writes that many in the organization feel Carr deserves a third year in Jon Gruden’s system. Carr’s numbers certainly got better in his second year under Gruden, but the offense as a whole wasn’t great and Carr once again received a ton of criticism for being too risk-averse.
Carr and Gruden clashed on the sidelines a number of times and while they both downplayed the incidents, both Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock hedged instead of committing to him this offseason. Tafur no longer thinks the Raiders are considering Utah State’s Jordan Love with either of their first-round picks, so it sounds like Carr will be entering 2020 as the starter no matter what. How long his leash will be is an entirely different question.
This salsa is too chunky.
Cuz people like to say salsa.
salsa seltza, salsa seltza
Losing out on Brady was the best thing to happen to the Raiders in a while. You would have to be pretty delusional to think they are one player away from being title contenders.
As a Raiders fan, thank you. It drives me mad that there is a portion of the fanbase that continues to beat the, “get another QB” drum. It’s not Carr. You drop Brady on the same team next year, maybe he’d have got them 1 additional win. He could decline, so maybe it turns out to be 1-2 less? The cap money needed to be spent as it is, on LB. Now get a WR in the draft, along with more defense, and this team will be better.
We’ll be good, just not KC-level good. Littleton & Kwiatkosky are real good additions for us. Still need that #1 WR, and this is the draft for it, a CB, and even after the signings, still another LB.
This is the third year the media has beat this Carr and Gruden don’t get along bullshit. First year it was Carr is too nice and won’t stand up to Gruden. Last year it was Carr and Gruden get along but crazy Chucky can’t help himself but to want Kyler Murray. This year it’s Carr and Gruden clashed on the sidelines. Yet here we are and Carr is till the quarterback.
Gruden has never started a rookie, and if he drafts one Carr would still be the starter until the rookie developed. He has also clashed on the sidelines with every quarterback. Anyone remember the Gruden/Gannon relationship? Gruden loves fiery quarterbacks that will snap back, hence all the headlines about Carr being to nice the first year. And all the Brady crap is just that, crap. The Raiders reach out and see what is available and for how much on many players that never become Raiders. That’s what all teams do. Carr is the Quarterback of the Raiders at least for another year. Both Gruden and Mayock have said this despite the media trying to spin another click of their stories.
The Raiders QB problem wasn’t Carr but the total lack of depth behind him. They’ve addressed that by adding Mariota who is a major upgrade over losers like Glennon, Peterman or Kiser.
I agree. I think Carr deserves another year with better receivers to prove he is the man. If not, then move on.