Could a Derek Carr trade happen sooner rather than later? Maybe, but he needs to find a team first. That step happened on Tuesday as the Raiders have granted permission to the Saints to speak with the former Fresno State passer.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Carr is set to visit with the Saints on Wednesday.
Sources: The #Saints invited QB Derek Carr for a visit and the #Raiders have granted permission for that to happen. The plan is for a visit tomorrow. Carr, who has a no-trade clause, is doing due diligence and no trade is imminent. pic.twitter.com/kMSPW2NKaT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 7, 2023
After the departure of Drew Brees, the Saints have rotated through several different quarterbacks including Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, and Andy Dalton. Carr is a clear upgrade over all three quarterbacks and would be very attainable considering the team doesn’t have a top-20 pick in this year’s draft.
The first pick that New Orleans owns is No. 30, but they also own picks No. 41 and No. 72. It’s possible that the Saints would only need to give up one of those picks to acquire Carr.
A contract would need to be reworked for the Saints to make this work, but it does make a ton of sense on the field. They have a quality offensive line on top of several playmakers including a second-year Chris Olave. In terms of landing spot, this would be ideal for Carr at this stage of his career.
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