By Jordan Long
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to release former franchise quarterback Derek Carr. He wasn’t willing to accept a trade to another team, so the Raiders had no choice but to cut ties with the quarterback. He is now a free agent and can sign with any team. The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be interested in the quarterback.
Carr has been in the league since 2014 when the Raiders picked him in the 2nd round. In that time, Carr has proved he is a franchise quarterback, tossing for 35,222 yards and 217 touchdowns. He doesn’t turn the ball over often with 99 interceptions.
This past year, Carr tossed for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Those are pretty good numbers even though the Raiders ended at 6-11, missing the playoffs. It was a surprise Carr wasn’t going to be back. Now he has options for where he could land.
The Panthers are searching for a franchise quarterback. The two on the current roster are Matt Corral and Jacob Eason. Corral is a rookie who didn’t see any action this past season. Eason on the other hand has thrown 5 passes in the NFL with 2 completions for a total of 10 yards. He has yet to throw a touchdown but has been picked off twice.
Carr landing with the Panthers gives the franchise a veteran quarterback. They have a new coach, Frank Reich, who is an offensive-minded coach. Adding Carr would give this offense a boost.
Tampa Bay, as we all know, had Tom Brady retire. That could pave the way for Carr to land there. They have weapons on offense for Carr to throw the football to. These include Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. If Carr’s play is the same as last year, it gives Tampa Bay a chance to go back to the postseason in 2023.
Carr is going to weigh all of his options. He wants a place where he will succeed. NFL free agency opens up on March 15th. Carr is one of the best quarterbacks in free agency. Teams will be interested in him. Hopefully, wherever he goes, Carr can lead them to have a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
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