Derek Carr

Latest On Raiders’ QB Situation

December 26th, 2016 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders suffered one of the most crushing injuries a playoff team has ever seen when Derek Carr went down with a broken leg during Week 16, yet they still have a chance at claiming the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Oakland did not work out any quarterbacks today, preferring to go with Matt McGloin and rookie Connor Cook for now, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

Carr will undergo surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles, and Schefter tweets the recovery time should be around six to eight weeks. The ESPN.com reporter added (via Twitter) this will be the first instance of a quarterback winning 12 regular-season games and not starting in the team’s first playoff contest since the NFL began the playoff format in 1933. The league began playing 14-game regular seasons in 1961 and moved to 16 in 1978.

A fourth-year pro, McGloin has not started a game since the 2013 season, when he went 1-5 and completed 55 percent of his throws for a much worse Raiders team. The 27-year-old backup — to whom the Raiders extended a second-round RFA tender this offseason — has thrown just 55 passes in the past three years. Cook has been the Raiders’ No. 3 quarterback all season.

Carr, who will enter a contract year in 2017 if he’s not signed to the extension the team is prioritizing, was pondering a miraculous return if the Raiders were to advance to Super Bowl LI behind McGloin. However, Carr’s chances of returning this season are incredibly slim, CSNBayArea.com’s Scott Bair writes.

“He started doing the math in his head, and he said ‘That’s Super Bowl week,'” NFL.com’s David Carr said, via Bair. “As a fan, I’m thinking, do the Raiders have a chance without him? For him, Derek feels so much love for this team, and he really thinks they can go out and [reach the Super Bowl].”

Coupled with the injury issue, the Raiders would have to advance to the league’s February game without the services of a player who was an MVP candidate — and do so potentially without a first-round bye. Oakland winning or Kansas City losing gives the Raiders a bye, but the now-eliminated Broncos beating their division rivals in Denver and the Chiefs topping a reeling Chargers team would send the Raiders to the No. 5 line in the AFC bracket. Illustrating the fluidity of the Raiders’ standing, they can earn the No. 1 seed with a win and a Patriots loss in Miami, which occurred in Week 17 of last season.

Extra Points: Raiders, Carr, Bills, Pats, Rowe

December 25th, 2016 at 9:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from around the NFL as Christmas Day comes to a close:

Although the Raiders wanted quarterback Derek Carr to undergo surgery for his broken fibula today, that operation was unlikely to take place on Christmas Day because Oakland wants to use the best surgeons available, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Most of those doctors were likely occupied due to the holiday, so the Raiders want to wait and secure the best crew before putting Carr under the knife. However, the operation will apparently take place in the very near future. Any chance Carr has of returning for a postseason run would clearly be aided by quick surgery and recovery.
While a Rex Ryan firing is a “near-certainty,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that Bills‘ general manager Doug Whaley‘s status remains up in the air. The Bills could finish with a .500-or-better record in consecutive seasons for the first time since Wade Phillips’ 1999-2000 stretch, but the Ryan era has produced major turmoil and seen the Buffalo defense regress considerably from the Jim Schwartz season in 2014. The 2015 Bills ranked 19th in total defense, and the ’16 version sits there as well. While not horrendous, Jay Ajayi‘s monster day to eliminate the Bills notwithstanding, it’s well off the pace of 2014, when the team ranked fourth defensively.
Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown was demoted during Saturday’s game against the Jets because he was late for a meeting last week, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Head coach Bill Belichick has dealt harshly with tardiness in the past, but Reiss notes that Brown is valued as a mature player who likely just made an “honest mistake.” Brown, a 2015, first-round pick, has started 13 games this season.
Under the terms of the trade that sent cornerback Eric Rowe from the Eagles to the Patriots earlier this year, New England will be forced to ship a 2018 third-round pick to Philadelphia if Rowe plays in 50% of the Patriots’ snaps in either 2016 or 2017. Rowe won’t meet that mark this season, per Reiss, although Rowe could still reach that threshold next year. If he doesn’t, New England will only be required to send a 2018 fourth-rounder to Philly.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Raiders QB Derek Carr Has Broken Fibula

December 24th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio announced that Derek Carr has suffered a broken fibula. There is no timetable for Carr’s return, but he’ll undergo surgery tomorrow. Del Rio said that he is out “indefinitely” and did not formally rule him out for the year, but it’s hard to imagine Carr making a postseason return.

Carr went down in the fourth quarter of today’s game against the Colts after taking a sack. He grabbed his leg, screamed out, and motioned for team trainers. Instantly, it was clear that Carr had suffered a serious injury. Now we know the extent of the damage and it’s a crushing blow to a Raiders team that seemed poised for playoff success.

With Carr under center, the Raiders have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. They are 12-3 after today’s win over the Colts, but that’s little consolation for Oakland fans as they prepare to move ahead without their star QB. They will now start Matt McGloin with rookie Connor Cook behind him. The team may opt to add a third healthy QB in the coming days.

Carr has 25 touchdowns against six interceptions on the year, making him Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked QB in the league heading into today’s games.

Raiders To Focus On Carr’s Deal Before Mack’s

December 8th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are under the CBA-mandated minimum expenditure over the past four-year period. However, the Raiders have a few good ideas for how they can spend that cash, including new deals for quarterback Derek Carr and star linebacker Khalil Mack. The Raiders are currently expected to focus on signing Carr before Mack, a source familiar with the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT.

One might think the Raiders are prioritizing Carr because he plays a more important position, but the real reason is that the Raiders hold a fifth-year option on Mack because he is a first-round pick. As a former second-round choice, Carr has only one year left on his rookie deal. Without a new contract, the Raiders would be forced to use the expensive franchise tag to keep Carr away from free agency after the 2017 season.

It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Carr will look for from Oakland. Kirk Cousins, who is considered to be an above-average quarterback and will be 29 next season, is said to be seeking nearly $24MM/year on his next deal. Carr, meanwhile, doesn’t turn 26 until March and has been outplaying Cousins by just about every metric this season.

Mack, meanwhile, is having a monster season of his own with ten sacks and 58 total tackles through 12 games. The Raiders, ideally, would like to lock up both players before they get anywhere near the open market.

AFC Notes: Chiefs, Carr, Raiders, Dolphins

November 17th, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles landed on injured reserve Nov. 1 because he needed surgery on his right knee, in which he tore his ACL last season. It turns out Charles also underwent surgery on his left knee Thursday, but it actually increases the odds of a return this year, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Charles has now had the meniscus in each knee trimmed, not repaired, and could be a factor for the Chiefs if they make the playoffs. Despite having only gotten 12 carries from the four-time Pro Bowler this year, the 7-2 Chiefs are currently the AFC’s second seed and look bound for the postseason.

Raiders To Prioritize Derek Carr Contract

November 6th, 2016 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

Derek Carr will be eligible for an extension after the end of the 2016 season, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Raiders will indeed prioritize a new deal for their star quarterback in 2017.

Industry sources expect that Carr’s new contract will be in line with the mega-deal that Andrew Luck signed with Indianapolis this summer. Luck received a five-year, $123MM pact from the Colts, and Carr should be able to at least come close to that figure, though former NFL agent Joel Corry wonders if the Raiders will try to convince Carr to accept a “pay as you go” model (Twitter link).

Carr is having a tremendous season for the resurgent Raiders, who are showing rapid improvement under the steady and patient hand of GM Reggie McKenzie. Carr has completed over 66% of his passes this year and has posted a 100.9 quarterback rating, throwing for 17 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He and Amari Cooper have teamed up to form one of the best young quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL, and both players should only continue to get better.

Indeed, Carr has demonstrated marked improvement in each of his first three years in the league, and his gaudy numbers this season, combined with Oakland’s potential return to the playoffs, have thrust him into the middle of the MVP discussion. The good news for the Raiders is that they have managed the salary cap very well in recent years, so they should be able to meet Carr’s contract demands fairly easily.

However, they want to get a deal done quickly not just because they need to lock up Carr long-term, but because they will be facing several other major contract decisions in the near future. Cooper’s rookie deal is set to expire at the end of the 2018 season, and Khalil Mack‘s contract is up at the end of the 2017 campaign.

AFC Notes: Murray, Colts, RGIII

October 30th, 2016 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC:

Titans RB DeMarco Murray had an MRI on his toe after Thursday night’s victory over Jacksonville, and the prognosis is good, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport’s source indicated that Murray will be fine.
Kevin Bowen of Colts.com believes that Colts TE Jack Doyle has established himself as a starting-caliber tight end, and that his free agent platform year has come at a perfect time for him. Bowen says Doyle will be one of Indianapolis’ most important free agents this offseason and that he could pull down a contract with a $5MM average annual value.
Colts DE Kendall Langford, who has the the longest active games-played streak among all NFL defensive linemen (135), will see that streak come to an end, according to Andrew Walker of Colts.com. Langford continues to deal with a right knee issue that required minor surgery during training camp, and he will sit out an indeterminate amount of time to give that knee a chance to fully heal.
Neema Hodjat of OverTheCap.com examines what a potential extension for Raiders QB Derek Carr might look like. This is Carr’s third year in the league, so he will be eligible to receive an extension at the end of this season. Assuming he continues to play at a high level, Carr should command a five-year deal worth upwards of $110MM, according to Hodjat. And the Raiders, who have done a terrific job managing the salary cap in recent years, will be able to shell out that kind of money without much hesitation.
Browns QB Robert Griffin III does not need surgery at this time, so he could possibly return somewhere between the November 20 game against the Steelers and the Dececmber 11 matchup against the Bengals after the bye week, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cabot believes the Browns should get RGIII some action this year if possible, as they have to decide if they need to draft a quarterback in April.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe opines that the Patriots‘ recent trades for Kyle Van Noy and Eric Rowe indicate that the team is preparing for significant free agent losses this offseason. Both players are under club control through at least 2017, and they are playing on fairly inexpensive deals. Van Noy will serve as insurance should one or both of Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower depart in free agency, and Rowe will offset the potential losses of Malcolm Butler and/or Logan Ryan.
Volin tweets that Jacoby Brissett could be the Patriots‘ one player to return from IR this season.

West Notes: Bosa, Raiders, Cardinals, Palmer

August 11th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Joey Bosa‘s camp has reportedly made the latest offer in his contract battle with the Chargers, Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB doesn’t expect the team to blink in the two sides’ stare down. Instead, given that the third overall pick has no leverage, the Bolts will wait him out. The deadline for the Chargers to trade the lone holdout from this year’s rookie class passed Tuesday, so the ex-Ohio State star will either have to sign with San Diego or skip this season and reenter the draft next spring. If Bosa doesn’t sign by the Tuesday after Week 10, he won’t be eligible to play this year. The 21-year-old and the Chargers are locked in a dispute over signing bonus distribution and offset language in a potential contract.

More from the NFL’s two West-based divisions:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) believes the Raiders’ Reggie McKenzie will have as difficult a job as any general manager for 53-man roster cuts as his team boasts one of the league’s deepest rosters. For a full view of the Raiders’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
McKenzie has fared excellently in rebuilding the Raiders, but he’ll have his work cut out going forward while he tries to retain talent, as Joel Corry of CBS Sports details. If quarterback Derek Carr – whom the Raiders control through 2017 – signs an extension worth $20MM per year after this season, it will somewhat hinder McKenzie’s ability to maintain a deep roster. The same is true of superstar defensive end Khalil Mack, who could become the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year non-quarterback in either 2017 or 2018, writes Corry. Still, even if the Raiders allocate sizable chunks of spending room to those two integral cogs, they’ll still be a long way from the cap problems they had upon hiring McKenzie in January 2012, notes Corry. Since taking the reins, the GM has done a masterful job structuring contracts to avoid dealing with dead money.
One trade McKenzie made early in his tenure – a 2013 deal that sent quarterback Carson Palmer and a seventh-round pick to Arizona for a sixth-rounder and a conditional selection – looks to be among the best moves in Cardinals history, opines Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Palmer scuffled in Oakland, but he has revived his career with the Super Bowl-contending Cardinals, having helped the team to a 29-9 record in his starts while throwing 70 touchdowns against 36 interceptions. As a result, Arizona extended Palmer through 2018 last week.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC West Notes: McKenzie, Chargers, Sanchez

July 30th, 2016 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the heels of his four-year extension, Reggie McKenzie will be ready to discuss extensions for Khalil Mack and Derek Carr after this season, when the 2014 draft choices become eligible to negotiate long-term contracts with the Raiders. The fifth-year Oakland GM said there has been a “constant dialogue” with the two standouts’ representatives, ones who profile as the best players the Raiders have had the opportunity to extend in many years.

“The plan is to keep good players,” McKenzie told media, including Jerry McDonald of Ibabuzz.com. “Y’all could come beat me across the head if I let a Hall of Fame-type player leave this building. I’ll take [their agents] out to dinner any time I see him. We’ve fostered good relationships.”

McKenzie’s most recent offseason — one that featured the most notable Raiders free agent signings this decade in Kelechi Osemele, Bruce Irvin and others — centered around free agency, but in 2017, Mack, Carr and Gabe Jackson become extension-eligible. Both Carr and Mack could soon be $20MM-per-year players, McDonald estimates.

Here’s more from the Raiders, along with the rest of the AFC West.

One of McKenzie’s free agent signings hasn’t worked out on the field, but the GM said the Raiders plan to stick by Aldon Smith despite his pattern of unavailability, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. McKenzie did describe the sixth-year player’s situation as an “uphill battle,” though. “We knew his situation,” McKenzie said. “It’s not like we had blinders on. Going into last year, we knew a suspension was probable. It’s going to be an uphill battle for him. He’s going to have to fight the good fight, but we’re not going to bail on him. He has to do his part.” Oakland has now signed the mercurial pass-rusher twice in two seasons and could see the second commitment fail to result in any Smith playing time this season. The former 49ers All-Pro checked himself into rehab earlier this week.
McKenzie’s decision to cut bait on disappointing former first-round picks Michael Huff, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Rolando McClain, while absorbing a $13.7MM dead-money hit upon releasing Richard Seymour, helped the Raiders’ rebuild in 2013, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News writes. Those releases comprised part of the reason the Raiders held so much cap space the past two offseasons.
The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Chargers‘ downtown stadium initiative, Roger Showley of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. However, the backing might not mean too much since the measure, as of now, needs a two-thirds majority to pass in November.
That prospect remains a long-odds proposition, Union-Tribune’s Logan Jenkins points out. Jenkins doesn’t envision the measure passing at 50%. The California Supreme Court’s recent decision to review an appellate court’s ruling requires the measure to receive a two-thirds majority to pass. That 66.6% number is not finalized, however. Jenkins adds that the Chargers’ preferred downtown stadium not being likely to pass opens the door to a compromise in the form of a renovated Qualcomm Stadium. While the team’s efforts are being put into moving downtown, the Chargers will have options of becoming the Rams’ tenants in Los Angeles or making it work at their current Mission Valley site. Jenkins writes the latter choice would work out best for the Chargers’ standing in the community, staying in San Diego and not forcing what seems to be a largely unwanted downtown measure on taxpayers. A move to L.A. could decimate their fanbase as well, with the Rams having already set up shop there and the Chargers having essentially no footprint in the city.
Eric Fisher‘s contract extension — one that tacks on four years and $48MM to the left tackle’s deal — doubles as a huge leap of faith by the Chiefs, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com writes. Teicher points out the 6-foot-7 blocker from mid-major Central Michigan has been even more of a project than the franchise thought he’d be and that the team is rewarding Fisher for future performance as opposed to the modest production he’s shown.
Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian split first-team reps at Broncos practice Saturday, although the veteran’s command in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage is noticeable, Troy Renck of TheDenverChannel.com reports. Paxton Lynch took reps with the third team, per Renck.

Extra Points: Megatron, NFLPA, Patriots, Raiders

July 6th, 2016 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Had the Lions resided in better position within the NFC hierarchy, Calvin Johnson would have been more likely to consider returning. In an admission not unlike the circumstances surrounding Barry Sanders‘ 1999 retirement, Megatron told ESPN’s Michael Smith the Lions’ poor 2015 season and current status didn’t make leaving the game as difficult as it would have if they built on their 2014 playoff season.

“If we would’ve been a contender, it would have been harder to let go,” the former three-time All-Pro wide receiver told Smith during an E:60 profile that also delves into the injury issues that led to Johnson stepping away at age 30.

Johnson still amassed 1,214 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns last year but had to deal with ankle injuries the past two seasons. The potential Hall of Fame wideout also told Smith he’s had “a few” concussions.

The Lions made two playoff berths during Johnson’s nine years, losing in the first round of the 2011 and ’14 NFC brackets. Detroit went 7-9 in ’15, but its 1-7 start effectively dashed any playoff hopes. Johnson retired in March but said in June that while he has no plans to return, such a re-emergence would be with the Lions.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

In light of the NBA’s dramatic cap rise generating critiques of the NFLPA’s job during the 2011 lockout, NFL Players Association assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah attempted to clarify some points to Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com. The union floated the idea of negotiating the removal of the franchise tag but the owners’ concession demands would have been too high for their liking, Klemko writes. “Our system is designed to protect players as much as we can against a short career,” Atallah said. “So things like a higher minimum salary, injury protection, 89% minimum cap spending, post-career benefits that extend into forever. Our system is designed specifically towards the type of employee we have who is at risk of injury. That’s the best argument against comparing us and any sport; we just have a unique employee base.” While it’s difficult to reconcile Mike Conley making more than any NFL player at five years and $153MM fully guaranteed, Atallah pointed out the 53-to-15 roster imbalance between the leagues while emphasizing that the latest CBA stood to reward second- and third-tier players — i.e. Malik Jackson or Olivier Vernon — amid the franchise tag’s continued constraints.
It’s been six weeks since the Tom Brady and the NFLPA appealed the federal court ruling that reinstated the Patriots quarterback’s four-game suspension, and despite the second circuit failing to rule in the three- to six-week span expected, Michael McCann of SI.com anticipates Brady’s ban remaining in place. “The most likely verdict is the second circuit will not grant a re-hearing,” McCann said, via WEEI.com. “The second circuit grants re-hearings at less than 1% of the time. The odds are certainly not good for Brady.”
Andre Johnson remains interested in continuing his career, posting a video of a recent workout (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). The Colts released Johnson after one season in March, and we’ve heard nothing connecting the soon-to-be 35-year-old receiver to any teams at this point. PFR’s Dallas Robinson rated Johnson among his top-10 offensive free agents still available.
Although the Raiders ended up with both Khalil Mack and Derek Carr in the 2014 draft, Mark Davis pushed the front office to select Carr with the No. 5 overall pick that became Mack, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recalls. Carr ended up going at No. 36, with Reggie McKenzie and Co.’s decision allowing them to land one of the game’s best players in Mack.

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