6:55pm: Trade compensation is no longer believed to be an issue between the teams. The sides have agreed to that part of this deal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The Raiders had prevented Carr from speaking with teams that had not agreed on trade terms. That part of this process being checked off puts the ball in Carr’s court.
5:44pm: The Derek Carr guarantee vests in eight days, and the Raiders will allow their outgoing quarterback to meet with a team ahead of that date. The Saints will host Carr on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Saints-Carr buzz has built for a bit now, but the nine-year Raiders starter holds a no-trade clause. Both Carr and QB-needy teams have been connected to waiting out this trade process and going into free agency. But the Saints are at least exploring a trade.
New Orleans has been looking into Carr for a while now, and Rapoport adds Carr is doing his due diligence on the NFC South team. The Saints do not have any question marks when it comes to their offensive staff, with the team retaining offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael for a 14th season. After Sean Payton‘s 2022 exit, Carmichael stepped back into the play-calling seat — one he occupied during Payton’s 2012 Bountygate ban.
A trade would require the Saints to pick up the $40.4MM guarantee due Feb. 15. While Mickey Loomis has earned justified praise for his cap navigation, this would be a new challenge for the veteran GM. Of course, they were ready to add Deshaun Watson last year. The Saints, per usual, rank at the bottom of the league for cap space; they are more than $60MM over the $224.8MM salary ceiling. Loomis’ abilities here should not be doubted, but Carr’s AAV will be far north of Drew Brees‘ run of deals. The sides can certainly renegotiate, however.
This meeting will bring a reunion as well. Dennis Allen resided as the Raiders’ HC when the team drafted Carr in the 2014 second round. That partnership did not last long, as the Raiders fired Allen early in his second season. But the Raiders rolled with their rookie quarterback to start that season. This familiarity could appeal to Carr, though he also could also nix any trade and take his chances in an early free agency run. Should the Raiders release Carr before the guarantee vests, he would be free to sign at any point as a street free agent. Unrestricted free agents cannot agree to terms with teams until the legal tampering period begins March 13.
Allen and then-GM Reggie McKenzie gave the Raiders the longest-tenured QB1 in franchise history; Carr has missed just three career starts (counting a 2016 wild-card game) due to injury. But the Silver and Black’s new regime signaled a change was coming when it benched Carr ahead of Week 17. Carr left the Raiders at that point. His $40MM-per-year contract runs through 2025, but the Raiders building an escape hatch has become relevant.
The Raiders would be tagged with less than $6MM in dead money by jettisoning Carr, whose completion percentage fell by nearly eight points last season. Carr did complete 68% of his throws during his final year in Jon Gruden‘s offense, helping the Raiders to the 2021 playoffs despite Henry Ruggs‘ release and Darren Waller‘s midseason injury.
Increased buzz about a Saints-Carr union emerged at the Senior Bowl last week. That came after a report indicated the Saints were one of the teams doing homework on Carr. The Commanders and Jets were among that contingent, too, and any team that pursues Carr must also consider this early strike will effectively prevent a pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo or Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers is traded, it will almost definitely be to an AFC destination. That opens a Carr-to-NFC door now, and the Saints make sense as a suitor. They have not found a steady option at quarterback since Brees’ 2021 retirement.
After missing out on Watson, Saints re-signed Jameis Winston in March 2022. They gave their initial Brees successor a two-year, $28MM deal. But the team quickly decided to go with Andy Dalton, not giving Winston his job back after he returned from injury. Dalton started New Orleans’ final 14 games and did rank ninth in passer rating. The longtime Cincinnati starter finished 21st in QBR, however. The Saints signed Dalton to a one-year, $3.5MM deal in 2022. Should the team be interested in bringing him back to compete for the starting job, a raise would be in order. No known negotiations have taken place. At 35, Dalton is more than three years older than Carr, who turns 32 in March.
Last week, Carr confirmed reports the Raiders were not allowing him to speak with teams. But a subsequent report clarified the Raiders would allow Carr and his agent to talk with teams — but only suitors who had met the Raiders’ asking price. The Saints being granted permission to speak with Carr points to the parameters of a trade being worked out. Even if that is the case, Carr still holds the keys here. A major QB domino could hinge on Wednesday’s meeting.
Regarding trade capital, the Saints obtained a first-round pick from the Broncos for Payton. But that is not expected to be in play here. After Round 1, New Orleans holds the Nos. 40 and 71 overall picks.
“But the Saints are way over the cap!”
– fans for the last 4 years.
So, Crackback Reggie is weak on the till?
Carr should do the right thing – and make sure the Raiders have to release him without a trade being consummated. Otherwise it shows he is too weak-willed to be an NFL quarterback.
You can’t seriously be implying that every QB that agrees to be traded is weak-willed…some of those guys are in the HOF.
Does he get more money being released or traded?
I can’t see the Saints giving up a 2nd round pick and taking on Carr unless his contract is restructured.
Everyone knows he will be cut by the 15th.
Stupid.
Everyone that is saying for them to just wait until he’s cut seem to think that the Saints are the only team looking for a QB this offseason
That doesn’t mean you go out and trade for a QB that’s due 40mil on the 15th.
Is $40M that much for a QB? As a Raider fan, if we can’t reach an equitable deal, I’d keep him. He’ll be back to normal if Renfrow & Waller return to form.
It appears that a contract restructuring is in the cards regardless of where he decides to go so I don’t think that number is a huge factor
The voodoo that Loomis and the front office cap guys do is beyond comprehension for the “mere mortal”. What it may mean is that the Saints get a QB, and every other player gets a “signing bonus” or new contract of deferred 20 years. As long as a core can remain, Saints have a shot. Still say Dalton wasn’t the problem last year (except Cardinals game) but lack of OL and red zone difficulties and defensive lapses early in the season were.
If I’m Carr, I force that trash bag franchise in LV to cut me. Go where you want, get a better deal in terms of structure and stick it to Lloyd and Hoodie Jr.
Agreed, if you are Carr. Makes sense for saints to try to convince to come now, though.
Could be a lot cheaper to get Carr before he is cut and desperate teams like Washington, Jets, Colts, join the bidding. Then, like others mentioned, restructure the contract. The Saints have a lot of work to do to get under the cap. Could be sending players/salaries back to Raiders as well as draft picks??
Dude was staring down the barrel of becoming a Jet or a Panther or a Colt…
How excited must he be to end up a Saint instead?
He wasn’t really staring down the barrel of any trade, while holding a no trade card.
OK, but he still can’t trade himself.
If the Jets were the only landing spot…
New Orleans must look like paradise to him.
He can’t trade himself, no. He could veto any trade to somewhere he doesn’t want to to go, though. It’s not Carr that wants to leave Vegas. It’s that pathetic joke of a franchise that wants to willingly enter into QB no-man’s-land. So unless anyone believes Lloyd is going to pay Carr 40m dollars to be a backup next season, Carr can just wait to be cut. And I think a lot of teams are just waiting that out, as they should. The other owners know Lloyd is the brokest joke in the room.
A) Wait until most or all of the starting jobs are filled to hit the free agent market to get peanuts on a Baker Mayfield like prove it deal and hope for the best.
B) Get traded with your current overpaid contract to be the starter for a perennial good team.
This is also not a hard choice.
The Raiders have to cut him before Feb 15th if they can’t swing a trade to void the 40m for next season. Do you anticipate every starting QB job being filled somehow before free agency and the draft starts? Please, explain.
If the Raiders cut him after the 15th, they owe Carr his money. He wins even if his next deal is “peanuts”.
He’s not overpaid, either. For crying out loud, look at the QB market. Do you see what Carson Wentz makes? Carr is twice as good. He’s pushing the door on being a top 10 QB, but easily top 15. You don’t get those for 10m a year.
If you’re a Saints fan, I’m not dissing on your team or the fit. I think it’d be a good landing spot for Carr. This narrative that Carr has two options though is false.
This might be the dumbest argument I have ever been involved in on these sites, and that includes Covid.
If you want to argue he can somehow find a better landing spot for more money…
Knock yourself out.
This is as good as it will get for him and I imagine he’s doing everything he can to make it happen ASAP.
Trust me, I’m sitting on the other side thinking the exact same thing about the argument because you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about here.
After Feb 15th, Carr’s contract looks like this moving forward in terms of guaranteed money:
2023 salary + $7.5M of 2024 salary fully guarantees 2/15/2023 (injury guaranteed at signing)
So while it may look like 121m, it’s not. He’s basically guaranteed roughly about 40m over two years. If he sees the rest of that money is nothing more than hope and promise.
He’d get more than 40m guaranteed on the open market. I don’t know if he’d beat 121 overall, but it’s not what they promise you, it’s what they’re obligated to pay you that counts. Look no further than the Raiders stupidity.
Have fun with that.
Jets have a better defense and more upside in the skill positions.
They’re also the Jets.
So you have no substantive reasoning? Kinda weird to value the past more than the present. It would be the same as suggesting the Lions are bad because they used to be.
Ignore the history of the Jets all you like.
Clown franchises with clown owners rarely defy it.
But you are free to believe if you want, just like unicorns or angels.
New Orleans offers Carr chance to play in a dome and in good weather or domes most seasons. He is a terrible cold weather QB. Carr makes no sense for the Jets. Jets are all in on Rodgers and/or hope Ravens only offer Lamar the transition tag. Jets will go all in on Lamar if he is only offered transition tag if Rodgers stays with GB or prefers being traded somewhere else..
For all the talk about waiting to be cut, is that automatic? If I were the Raiders, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping him. He won’t tank to force a trade. Then all the teams that are waiting for a release now have to decide whether they want to ante up, or go with whomever they have.
They can go after Rodgers (old and expensive), Garappolo (injured and might be expensive), or Jackson (young but will cost $$ and picks).
I think the Raiders have more leverage than they are being given credit for. But in the past five years, they have shown no instinct for gambling.
If they’re spending 60m or more -very likely more- at the QB position just to spite Carr, they can kiss Jacobs goodbye. Adams and two high paid QBs would be half their cap alone. I mean I hope the Raiders do nothing but fail, but as inept as they are, I can’t imagine even they’d be foolish enough to try that.
I’m not overly informed on how they arrive at the annual caps, but I thought his current year hit was $40.5M? If they keep Carr, then the backup would be cheap.
It is 40.5m for this season. I misunderstood what you were saying possibly. Are you saying they could keep Carr as the starter? It’s the second part of your comment that threw me. Of the 3 QBs you listed, I’d imagine Jimmy G would be the cheapest. He’d probably get 25m bare minimum. That’s how I got to the 60m mark, believing you meant they could employ Carr + whoever.
Since it wasn’t my primary point, I might’ve jumbled it a bit. My idea is that, if we don’t reach an agreement, just keep Carr and start him. I’m a fan, but not a huge fan, but I have to believe that missing (26?) games from Renfrow & Waller had a huge negative impact.
The $40M is high, but not crazy high, and we don’t really have a lot of elegant alternatives. If we had an owner and a FO that could keep their mouths shut for 5 minutes, it never would have come to this. Seattle & Wilson were getting a divorce, but it wasn’t a fraction as public as this.
I’m a big fan of Carr. He has attributes you just can’t teach. He’s not Mahomes, but no one is. The Raiders have really done him dirty though, and I think he’s catching a lot of blame for things that aren’t his fault. That franchise is frankly delusional if they thought they were championship contenders this past season. The defense was bad and the OL was suspect.
The biggest problem with the Raiders though is something you already said: ownership and the FO/Coaching. They never should’ve moved off coach Rich. Every time they get just a little taste of success, Davis has blown it up to chase the rockstar HC candidate. I feel bad for the players but the franchise honestly deserves to fail.
It’s also fitting you brought up Wilson because the Raiders learned nothing from watching Denver. The Raiders are going to chase Rodgers, but they’ll end up with someone like Jimmy G. That’s going to be a huge downgrade from Carr.
So many unfortunate and painful truths. The number of mistakes they’ve made over the past 5 years is becoming astronomical.
Ferrell picked 10 slots too high, S/H traded back.
Arnette-the #2 CB on a team without a huge amount of competition. Not rated above the 2nd round.
Leatherwood was a joke. Even if they loved the guy, they could’ve trade back 10 slots, and then taken either Leatherwood or Darrisaw. One of them was falling to the Raiders.
And now Carr. It doesn’t matter whether you like him or not. The joke around the NYMs in the mid-80s was that every conversation started with “If you’re calling up about xyz, I’m going to hang up on you. But just for fun, what do you think he’s worth”.
The idea being that, even if you absolutely hated the player, you treat him like a family member. Watson & Wilson landed a king’s ransom, as will Jackson if he gets traded. Those guys might be better, but not definitely, and not by a lot. The Raiders are screaming out that they have to get rid of Carr, and that’ll cost them.
Management continues to be ridiculous.