If the Las Vegas Raiders decide to trade quarterback Derek Carr in the 2022 offseason, which teams make the most sense as landing spots?
What does the future hold for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr?
It likely includes an average annual salary of around $40 million, but it also might not include nearly as much silver and black.
With Carr likely to get a long-term extension in the near future, you can’t help but wonder if the new management with the Raiders will decide to trade Carr for a great package and move on with their own guy at the position.
Why would new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels trade Derek Carr? In the AFC West, Carr clearly has proven that he gives the Raiders a chance to compete. However, on a long-term deal worth $40 million per season, is that the route the Raiders want to go as they compete with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert for the next decade?
That complicates things just a tad.
Which teams might covet Derek Carr in a trade in 2022?
If the Raiders do decide to trade Carr, I think they would get a pretty awesome package in return for him worth at least two first-round picks, or the equivalent of two first-round picks.
Here are the teams that I think would be the best long-term landing spots for Derek Carr moving forward.
Derek Carr landing spot No. 1: Indianapolis Colts
I’ve got to talk about this one first because of the fact that it seems rather unlikely the Raiders would trade Derek Carr into the AFC if they trade him at all.
With that said, the Colts don’t play in the AFC West and they could offer the Raiders pretty much whatever they would want in the 2023 and 2024 NFL Draft as far as picks go.
The Raiders could trade something for Jimmy Garoppolo in this scenario, send Carr to the Colts in a separate move, and move forward with plans to reload at the position in 2023 or 2024 through the NFL Draft.
Josh McDaniels is going to build this thing his way. While he could simply just work with Carr, you could argue that there’s a ceiling on what Carr can give you and the Raiders might hold out for the next big thing to come along in the NFL Draft at the QB position if they have the option.