4 Moves the New Orleans Saints need to make after signing Derek Carr
Derek Carr decided to New Orleans Saints instead of the New York Jets, but the Saints have to make a few more moves in order for Carr to have success.
Derek Carr decided not to play in the cold weather city in favor of a dome. The former Fresno State signal caller will sign a four-year deal according to NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Saints fans may be a bit conflicted about bringing in yet another NFL vet. Jameis Winston didn’t pan out because of injuries, while Taysom Hill was more of a gadget player who could spot-start. Of course, Andy Dalton was never going to be the answer—Carr is different. Sports media, like Stephen A. Smith, mocked the move as nothing, but the Saints got a vastly underrated quarterback.
In nine seasons on a franchise with a revolving door of coaches and offensive coordinators, Carr totaled 35,222 passing yards, 217 touchdowns, and 99 interceptions. The Raiders went 63-79 in 142 starts by the QB. However, the numbers don’t tell the full story.
Carr has shown he’s a leader during his days in Vegas. During a tumultuous season where Jon Gruden got fired, Carr helped his team into the playoffs under long-time special teams coach Rich Bisaccia. As a talent, Carr has in-pocket athleticism that allows him to escape would-be tacklers and plays on the move. He has a big arm with good accuracy and can make big-time throws in tight windows. Having Alvin Kamara in the backfield will help Carr. If Michael Thomas is healthy along with Chris Olave, Carr would have some excellent weapons at wide receiver. However, Carr won’t have success if the Saints don’t continue to build around him.
Moves the New Orleans Saints must make after signing Derek Carr
4. Keep the defense intact
On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints are good. They’ll probably end up having some cap casualties, but Cam Jordan should not and will not be one of them. If they traded Jordan, it saves only $2.2 million against the salary cap. Instead, they should look to extend Jordan and create more cap space. Their defensive line is taking a hit with David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport both being free agents. They’ll need to address the defensive line in the draft, which means Jordan’s presence is a necessity they cannot afford to lose. Drafting a defensive tackle is a must and getting a post-June 1 cut should be the net move.
They could use their first three picks on a corner, given how deep this draft is with scheme-specific corners. A player like Deonte Banks is a long corner with mirror ability who will probably be available on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. DJ Turner is another guy ideally suited for the Saints’ defense. He’s a sticky corner who can line up inside or out. His floor is a solid No. 2 corner with star potential. Carr’s addition should help the offense, but the Saints should continue to build their defense, by keeping their guys and adding linemen in the draft.