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10 do-or-die decisions NFL teams must make this offseason

By Sayre Bedinger

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 28: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

6. Raiders replacing Derek Carr at the QB position

The Las Vegas Raiders are starting off the 2023 NFL offseason in a not-so-spectacular fashion. After rumors that the team would trade Derek Carr, Carr flexed his no-trade clause and forced the team to release him. Why the Raiders ended up in that predicament in the first place?

Well, that’s a fascinating question.

Did this decision to move on from Derek Carr come from a motivation to ultimately try to acquire someone like, say, Tom Brady?

Well, we know that’s not happening. Brady has retired from the NFL, this time for good. Brady’s filed the paperwork this time around and seems set on his decision to move on from the game. Although you can never say never, it feels like the Raiders perhaps moved off of Derek Carr prematurely.

At any rate, this is the way Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler are choosing to run things. They viewed Carr as the one that was holding the franchise back, and they’re going to build the QB position their own way together. When it comes to “do-or-die” situations, there might not be a more significant one in the NFL than this.

The Raiders had a viable, above-average option at the QB position, and they couldn’t find a way to make it work for any length of time. Derek Carr will likely go out now and help some other team be really good in 2023, but where does that leave the Raiders? Especially without Tom Brady as a viable option, are they going to look to another former McDaniels disciple such as Jacoby Brissett or Jimmy Garoppolo to fill the void for a year? Will they move up in the 2023 NFL Draft?

When you make a bold decision to move off of a player like Derek Carr, you’d better have a pretty good option in mind to replace him.

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