There isn’t a bigger roster need for the New Orleans Saints than at quarterback. They learned the hard way that they need a better approach to the game’s most important position than what they attempted last year. It’s vital that they find someone who can liven up the offense.
And one name being linked to theme early and often is Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Las Vegas has made its intentions of trading Carr well-known around the league, and Carr has reportedly already begun looking into prospective trade partners (he had a no-trade clause written into his contract, so he has some agency here).
That’s proven a divisive issue. Carr never won a playoff game in nine years with the Raiders, and he wasn’t able to get it done this year with the likes of Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs in his supporting cast. But he is a very experienced passer and something of a proven quantity, which would be an upgrade for the Saints. The point is that everyone has their take on his outlook in black and gold after nearly a decade in black and silver. The latest take comes from Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, who names New Orleans as the best landing spot for Carr:
“The Saints need stability at quarterback. After 15 seasons with Drew Brees at the helm, the organization treaded water with the likes of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill and Andy Dalton.
A trade for Derek Carr can bring back a proven veteran option, who’s still in the prime of his career. A falling out between Carr and how Josh McDaniels wants to run the Raiders organization shouldn’t be viewed as a negative considering the latter’s track record. Whereas, Carr already has four 4,000-yard passing seasons under his belt with 3,500 more this past year.
The Saints’ quarterbacks combined didn’t post 4,000 yards this year or 3,500 the previous season.
Carr is very much a rhythm passer, who should fit in nicely with Pete Carmichael’s offensive scheme. Furthermore, the Saints have some special talent around the quarterback position in Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Chris Olave and some intriguing pieces along the offensive line.
The biggest concern in potentially acquiring the current Raider is New Orleans’ lack draft capital, specifically a first-round pick, to possibly get a deal done. Even so, it’s the right path for the franchise to take.”
Much of that checks out. It’s easy to see Carr linking up early and often with Olave and Juwan Johnson, and maybe getting more out of Kamara than the quarterbacks before him were able to. It would be a surprise to see Thomas back in 2023 after restructuring his contract to facilitate a clean release, and a first rounder shouldn’t be considered good value for Carr’s services at this stage in his career, but this is a decent enough premise.
But, man. If Carr had so much time to show he was special with the Raiders and he couldn’t do it, how much faith should fans have that he can elevate the Saints? There’s a lot to consider here, and decision-makers in New Orleans have to be weighing all of their options. The stakes are too high for all involved.
