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Derek Carr top 7 team fits in 2023 after saying goodbye to Raiders

By Sayre Bedinger

Nov 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates following a 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates following a 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Derek Carr 2023
Derek Carr 2023; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) during warmups before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Derek Carr top 7 team fits in 2023: Atlanta Falcons

Speaking of the NFC South being “wide open”, how about the Atlanta Falcons as an option for Derek Carr in 2023 and beyond?

General manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith did a good job of putting together a competent enough crew in 2022 that we actually saw Marcus Mariota have a measure of success for a streak of time with Atlanta. This is the same Mariota that Smith was part of benching in 2019 when they were both members of the Tennessee Titans.

Drake London was as-advertised in his rookie season with the Falcons. You obviously expect that Kyle Pitts will continue to take steps forward as one of the top young tight ends in the game. You have Tyler Allgeier coming off of a 1,000-yard season in his rookie year and Cordarrelle Patterson who has become one of the league’s most versatile NFL weapons.

The Falcons definitely need more pieces in the passing game but they have a good foundation right now and they need a quarterback to come in and elevate what they’ve got. The big question for this team in the 2023 offseason will be how much they buy into the future of Desmond Ridder and how he potentially impacts their plans going forward.

Ridder showed pretty well in the opportunities he was given down the stretch late in the season, but it took him until his fourth game to record a touchdown. Would the Falcons pass on a guy like Carr to roll with Ridder? It may not boil down to that, but it might be something they have to consider.

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