On Wednesday afternoon, breaking news came forth that Josh McDaniels would bench quarterback Derek Carr ahead of Sunday’s game. The Las Vegas Raiders will start Jarrett Stidham in his place against San Francisco. The speculation from this move is that the Raiders will move on from Carr after this season. It has been a disappointing 2022 for the veteran quarterback, who was expected to smash Raiders records after the acquisition of former college teammate Davante Adams. However, Carr has thrown 14 interceptions, including three in a must-win game against Pittsburgh last week. Could the New York Jets be a potential trade partner for the Raiders to deal Derek Carr? I’ll weigh the pros and cons of this potentiality.
The Pros of the New York Jets Acquiring Derek Carr
A Veteran in the Backfield
The first pro of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is having a veteran quarterback. Yes, he’s 32 years old and would join a team full of young talent. But the last two quarterbacks the Jets have drafted have been giant, flailing swings and misses. Sam Darnold wasn’t able to stay healthy, and Zach Wilson could neither stay healthy, nor was he progressing like they wanted. Carr brings veteran leadership to a young offense that desperately needs it. All the way back in 2008, the Jets acquired Brett Favre to be the veteran to lead a young team. They started 8-3, but lost four of their last five games and missed the playoffs. If the Jets acquire Carr, the hope is he’ll lead them to an ever-elusive Super Bowl and I imagine the hunger to get there is still present for him.
Proven Durability
The second pro of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is durability. As mentioned in the last paragraph, the Jets have lacked durability at the quarterback position. The last time a starting quarterback played every game in a season was Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015. Here is a list of who has started at quarterback since then:
- Geno Smith
- Bryce Petty
- Josh McCown
- Darnold
- Luke Falk
- Trevor Siemian
- Joe Flacco
- Wilson
- Mike White
That’s nine quarterbacks in seven seasons. Carr, meanwhile, has been the epitome of durable. Since his rookie season in 2014, he started in every game in six of eight seasons. You cannot expect to go to the playoffs let alone win a Super Bowl if your quarterback can’t be healthy. Carr gives you durability. (Jets fans need to pray the offensive line can keep him upright, though.)
Carr Finally Gets a Top-Tier Defense
The third pro of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is having a top-tier defense. Head coach Robert Saleh and his staff have crafted one of the best defenses in the National Football League in 2022. The Jets’ defense is tied for ninth with 40 sacks and tied for 13th with 12 interceptions. As of this writing, the Raiders are 30th in sacks with 25 and 30th in interceptions with five. Over the course of his career, the Raiders have never finished in the top ten in total defense. The Jets’ defense, meanwhile, are approaching top ten defense status this season and are projected to be one of the best in the NFL going forward. The defense can only carry the team so far and adding Carr could help the Jets go further.
The Cons of the New York Jets Acquiring Derek Carr
The Cap Hit
We can’t have the pros without the cons and the first con of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is the cap hit. General manager Joe Douglas has done a tremendous job in keeping the Jets’ salary cap from getting bloated. He has managed to sign free agents to team-friendly deals since coming on as general manager in 2019. Prior to Douglas’ reign, the Jets would pay “The Jets Tax” to convince free agents to play for them. According to Spotrac, the remainder of Carr’s contract is as follows: $33M in 2023, $42M in 2024, and $41.3M in 2025. By the time his contract is up, Carr will be 35 years old. If acquiring Carr doesn’t translate to a Super Bowl, it would arguably be the biggest “Jets Tax” in franchise history. It would also likely cost Douglas his job.
Mortgaging the Future
The second con of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is mortgaging the future. In addition to salary cap management, Joe Douglas has also drafted well. His 2022 draft is widely regarded as one of the best in franchise history. The Jets have built the foundation to get to the next level with the last two drafts. Potential is great, but results matter more in the National Football League. If the Jets are going to even be close to a Super Bowl, they need a franchise quarterback. Drafting quarterbacks has backfired for the Jets over the past two decades. Douglas’ plan to build through the draft can only take the Jets so far and he would have to sacrifice the future to win now. What would the Raiders ask for Carr? At least one first-round pick – probably in 2023 – and a second-round pick in 2024.
The Dreaded No-Trade Clause
The third con of the New York Jets acquiring Derek Carr is the no-trade clause. I attempted this trade simulation on FansPo:
The Jets receive: Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams
The Raiders receive: Zach Wilson, wide receiver Elijah Moore, the Jets’ 2023 first-round pick, and the Jets’ second-round and fourth-round picks in 2024
The trade failed: Carr has a no-trade clause. I even released wide receiver Corey Davis – who is oft-injured and drop-prone – and edge Carl Lawson – a disappointing underachiever with an albatross of a contract who has already missed a season. If the Jets opt out of both contracts (among other contracts that will come off the books), the Jets could free up enough cap space to acquire Carr – and perhaps Adams. Can Carr be convinced to drop the clause? Time will tell.
1 Comment
I love the idea of getting Derek Carr for next year. If not Carr, how about Jimmy Garappolo?