It's the end of an era for the Las Vegas Raiders franchise. Derek Carr, who had been the Raiders' quarterback since they drafted him back in 2014, posted his farewell to the team on social media, confirming he will be wearing another uniform (New York Jets?) next season. This outcome seemed obvious after Carr's late-season benching, but it is now official.
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 12, 2023
Although Carr didn't have his best season in 2022, he's still a solid quarterback many teams would love to have. He will undoubtedly have many suitors looking to acquire him, with the New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders being two possible options. However, the best fit for Carr is certainly the New York Jets.
Even though the Jets missed the playoffs yet again in 2022, their future looks very bright. Their defense emerged as one of the stingiest in the NFL, and likely Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner is an instant star. They also have some very strong pieces on offense, with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson to name a couple.
However, the biggest thing holding New York back is lackluster quarterback play. Former second overall pick Zach Wilson has not developed as the team hoped, and there isn't a long-term option currently on the roster. If the Jets get just average quarterback play this season, there's a good chance they're in the playoffs.
That's what makes Carr such a great fit for New York. He would be an instant upgrade under center and could make the Jets playoff contenders right away. Of all the possible options for a new team, Carr would likely find the most success with the Jets.
But what would the Jets have to give up to acquire Carr. In this article, we're going to explore two possible trade packages the Jets must offer the Raiders for Derek Carr.
Derek Carr Trade Option 1: A QB Swap
For this first scenario, let's assume the Jets are ready to give up on Wilson after just two seasons. Despite Robert Saleh saying that Wilson will be around next year, it's not out of the question that he could be on his way out of New York. The Jets benched him multiple times throughout the season, and certain actions have reportedly rubbed teammates the wrong way.
For this trade to work, we also have to assume that the Raiders see something in Wilson. Las Vegas could enter a small retooling period with Carr's departure, so taking a flyer on the former top pick makes some sense. After all, he likely has more upside than Jarrett Stidham.
If the stars align, we could see these two quarterbacks swap teams. Now, what would such a trade look like?
Well, the challenge with this trade package is that there really isn't a good comparable in recent memory. Recent trades involving two quarterbacks have been blockbusters, such as the Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson trades, and this one doesn't have the same magnitude. Still, they're the closest comparisons we have, and with some tweaking, we get this trade:
- Jets get: Derek Carr
- Raiders get: Zach Wilson, 2023 second-round pick
Derek Carr Trade Option 2: Just draft picks
Now we get to the second (and more likely) scenario of the two. While the Raiders could enter a retool after trading Carr, what's more likely is that they go looking for an upgrade under center. Whether it be Tom Brady, a rookie or whoever else, Las Vegas likely has better quarterbacks in mind than Wilson.
This doesn't necessarily mean that the Jets won't move on from Wilson, but it won't be through this trade, at least. Carr is still a great fit in New York for all the reasons mentioned above, and the Jets should absolutely still target him this offseason. However, this trade package will look quite different from the previous ones.
Fortunately for us, there are far more trades involving just a quarterback and draft compensation. One recent example would be the Matt Ryan trade, where the Colts acquired him from the Falcons for a third-round pick. Carson Wentz going from Philadelphia to Indianapolis in exchange for a third and conditional first-round pick is also a possible comparison.
Of the two, the Wentz trade is the better comparison because it involves two picks. Carr is a better quarterback than Wentz was at the time, but he is also a few years older. That means he should go for a similar price, and the result is this:
- Jets get: Derek Carr
- Raiders get: 2023 third-round pick, 2024 conditional second-round pick (can become a first)
This trade would benefit everyone involved. Carr gets a fresh start and a talented young team, and the Jets get an upgrade under center to help them compete. On the other hand, the Raiders get some draft compensation and the cap flexibility to go big-game hunting this offseason.
If the Jets want to finally break their playoff drought in 2023, they must make this offer for Derek Carr.
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