New Orleans Saints might get Derek Carr for a steal of a price

The Derek Carr jerseys are on clearance in Las Vegas, but they might soon be one of the hottest commodities in New Orleans. Ian Rapoport broke the news that the Raiders have given Carr permission to take a visit to New Orleans to meet with the Saints. He even went on Pat McAfee’s show at radio row and said the Saints are the “front-runners” for Carr’s services in 2023.

This would be an absolutely massive win for the Saints early in the 2023 offseason. Not to over-hype Derek Carr, but he’s clearly an above average quarterback which, in today’s NFL, you can win with. Acquiring Carr would come with its own new set of hurdles, but it’s not impossible for the Saints.

In fact, quite the opposite. It’s very possible.

Derek Carr to the New Orleans Saints would be a massive W

Ross Jackson, who covers the Saints for Locked on Saints points out in this podcast that the Saints can, in fact, afford to trade for Derek Carr despite being more than $60 million in the red, according to OverTheCap.com.

A couple of really good points made by Jackson in this video, starting with the fact that while a trade has not been officially agreed upon, it’s likely that a ballpark of compensation has been agreed to when it comes to making a trade. New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has already been very busy this offseason, striking a trade last week involving Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.

I, like I’m sure a number of you following these situations from afar, assumed that the Saints would turn around and use the first-round pick they just acquired from the Denver Broncos (29th overall) to send to the Raiders for Derek Carr. It doesn’t sound like that’s going to be necessary. As a matter of fact, the compensation that has been thrown around in exchange for Derek Carr? A third-round pick.

If you’re a Saints fan, you’ve got to be absolutely ecstatic about these reports.

• Derek Carr would waive his no-trade clause to come to New Orleans
• The Saints are Derek Carr’s first visit
• Derek Carr isn’t going to cost you a first-round pick

If you’re a Raiders fan, you’ve got to be losing your mind unless you are defending everything Josh McDaniels does with silver and black goggles clouding your vision.

• Trading away your franchise QB
• No Tom Brady
• Not even getting a first-round pick in return?

Derek Carr going to the New Orleans Saints would be a massive “W” for New Orleans. The connection there in New Orleans is obvious with Dennis Allen being the head coach of the Saints now as well as the head coach of the Raiders in 2014 when they drafted and inserted Derek Carr into the starting lineup.

The Saints trading for Carr is not a foregone conclusion just yet. Financially, how does this make sense? How could they add a player who has a massive trigger in his contract which is causing this kind of rushed move in early February? As Ross Jackson pointed out, there could be some “trimming” going on very soon to get under the salary cap. There’s also a lot of converting base salaries and roster bonuses into signing bonuses. As for players the Saints might say goodbye to in order to facilitate this trade?

• Andrus Peat, OL (post-June 1 cut or restructure)
• Jameis Winston, QB (post-June 1 cut)
• Michael Thomas, WR (post-June 1 cut)
• Will Lutz, K (cut)
• Tre’Quan Smith, WR (cut)

The good news for the Saints, regardless of what kind of salary cap gymnastics need to be done, is that they have done this kind of stuff a number of times in recent years. They have structured deals to be able to manipulate the salary cap as needed, so they’re not going to be out of the running for someone like Derek Carr because of any financial reason.

Getting Carr for just a third-round pick would be a steal for someone who could come in and help this Saints team reach the postseason sooner rather than later.