It’s no secret that the Washington Commanders need a quarterback. Washington has essentially stated that second-year passer Sam Howell, who has attempted 19 career passes, is the starter heading into 2023.
With new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, everything is now possible for the Commanders. While no one expects Washington to make a big splash on a veteran quarterback after acquiring Ryan Fitzpatrick and Carson Wentz in each of the last two years, never say never.
Last offseason, everything was on the table. This time around, the Commanders will examine different possibilities but likely will not offer the farm for anyone. So, despite the rumors, don’t expect a pursuit of Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers.
But what about Derek Carr? Remember, the Raiders released Carr, so any team that signs him doesn’t have to offer draft compensation or assume his old contract.
CBS Sports recently did a free agency mock draft. Instead of using the current draft order, CBS used projected cap space to give every NFL team one free agent. The purpose of doing it this way was so that every team could have one free agent since not every franchise has a first-round pick.
In this exercise, amazingly, Washington has the No. 16 pick, which it also holds in the 2023 NFL draft. And with the No. 16 pick, the Commanders sign……Derek Carr.
Our first QB off the board! Washington might rather draft and develop here, but they’re not supremely positioned to secure a top prospect, making Carr the next-best thing among proven starters. While more serviceable than special, the ex-Raiders leader has the gutsy mentality Ron Rivera would endorse. Paired with Eric Bieniemy and Terry McLaurin, maybe he could surprise.
Regardless of what you think about Carr, he’d be an upgrade, at least in the short term, for Washington.