Derek Carr proposed trade packages: What do NFL teams like the Jets need to bring Raiders QB on board?
Derek Carr's time with the Las Vegas Raiders has come to an end, as the quarterback waived goodbye to the franchise and its fans on Thursday, ending a nine-year partnership since he was pícked in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
His time with the Raiders didn't lead to much playoff success, but he provided stability in the quarterback position while not demanding elite quarterbacks' money. For now, anyone who wants to get Derek can propose a trade to Las Vegas; reports say he'll be released from the team if he's not traded by Feb. 15.
For teams like the New York Jets, this represents a massive opportunity to upgrade their quarterback position while not spending a ton of draft capital. Let's analyze this scenario:
Proposed Trade: The New York Jets trade their 2nd round selection (43rd overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders for QB Derek Carr
Why the Jets should trade for Carr?
Because the Jets' quarterback position is a mess.
They can say that they haven't given up on Zach Wilson as much as they want, but listen... Wilson hasn't been great or anywhere close to it. As soon as you admit you've made a mistake, the sooner you can recover from it. The Jets know they've messed up.
The roster is really good. Young guys such as Alijah Vera-Tucker, Garrett Wilson, Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner were all excellent in 2022. The team was close to getting into the playoffs, and a competent quarterback would surely get them over the line — if they were close to doing so with Wilson, they'd do it with Carr.
Get a competent quarterback in 2023, find out where your roster really is, and then upgrade the rest.
Carr is an above-average quarterback who's coming from a disappointing season and will be cheap. Not many opportunities can be better than this.
Who will be the winners and losers from this trade?
There will be two clear winners from this trade: Carr and the Jets.
For the quarterback, it's a much-needed change of scenario to play with an excellent roster that's ready to compete. For the Jets, they'll upgrade massively in the quarterback position with an above-average veteran with a team-friendly contract. If he does not live up to the expectations, you can just cut him.
If a team were to trade for Derek Carr, here is what it would owe him on his current deal:
2023: $32.9M base salary + $100K workout bonus = $33M cap hit
2024: $41.9M base salary + $100K workout bonus = $42M cap hit
2025: $41.2M base salary + $100K workout bonus = $41.3M cap hit
The clear loser for this deal would be Zach Wilson. After two awful years, trading for Carr would mean that the Jets have completely given up any hope of Wilson becoming a franchise quarterback. He'd be traded for a fifth- or a sixth-round pick for any team and be an instant backup.
The Raiders will be in the middle ground here. Although they'd probably downgrade in the quarterback room, the cap space available would allow them to be aggressive and pursue other options in the market, such as trying a reunion between Josh McDaniels and any of his former quarterbacks, like Jimmy Garoppolo — or, you know, a guy named Tom Brady.