Las Vegas Raiders: Darkhorse trade destinations for Derek Carr
Las Vegas Raiders: Darkhorse trade destinations for Derek Carr
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers were one of the strangest teams in the NFL this season. They finished the season 7-10 but were not eliminated from playoff contention until Week 17 despite being 3-8 after Week 11. They started three different quarterbacks with varying degrees of success but they looked best when Sam Darnold was under center.
Darnold was not active until Week 12 but it is easy to imagine a scenario where he plays all 17 games and they make the playoffs.
Now with all of their quarterbacks at the start of the season on other teams or heading toward free agency, the Carolina Panthers become an intriguing suitor for Derek Carr. They had only a top-20 scoring defense but have lots of young talent on that side of the ball including Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, and Jaycee Horn.
On offense, they let go of their best weapon in Christian McCaffrey, but received a nice haul of draft picks in return and have a potential star receiver in DJ Moore. They have an intriguing young player in Terrace Marshall Jr. as well and could use their extensive draft capital to add even more weapons depending on what they give up for Carr.
What makes Carolina an especially intriguing option is that they have a new owner that has been desperate for success and stability at quarterback. He has rolled the dice with the likes of Baker Mayfield, Cam Newton, Sam Darnold, and many more and none have been especially impressive.
Bringing in a stable veteran like Carr could help them capture a wide-open NFC South in 2023 that will have no standout QBs with the impending departure of Tom Brady. They could offer the Raiders a solid trade package but would need to make some corresponding moves to get under the cap.
The cap is likely the biggest hurdle for Carr to be wearing silver and black with a dash of teal next year but we have seen teams work magic to make room under the hard cap. The second hurdle is related to coaching as the Panthers are currently under the leadership of interim head coach Steve Wilks. Wilks has impressed by reviving this team’s playoff hopes, but Carr is reportedly looking for a stable situation, and having uncertainty at head coach makes the destination less attractive.
The Panthers definitely have the resources to make the trade happen, but the coaching situation may keep this from happening which is completely understandable given Carr’s reported requirements.