Category: Derek Carr

Derek Carr’s Saints wish list starts with catching a Taysom Hill TD pass

Derek Carr probably has a long New Orleans Saints wish list, but it starts with joining the exclusive club to catch a Taysom Hill touchdown pass:

There are a lot of NFL defenders who can say they’ve been outrun by Taysom Hill (or run over by him) on a touchdown-scoring play, but there aren’t many guys who can say they’ve caught a touchdown pass from the do-it-all New Orleans Saints utility player. Last year, Hill became the first player since the AFL-NFL merger to score at least 10 touchdowns as a passer, runner, and receiver, including the playoffs.

Derek Carr probably has a long list of items to check off on his Saints to-do list, but he’d really like to join the exclusive group who have hit paydirt on a pass from Hill. Carr made his case now that they’re teammates during an appearance on his nephew Austin’s Harvester Sports Podcast. Carr has only caught a single pass in his NFL career, losing 9 yards on a reception back in 2018, but he’s undeterred.

“I need a catch,” Carr laughed, turning to the camera. “Taysom, bro, I’m ready. Whip that thing to me.”

Tight ends Jared Cook and Adam Trautman have each caught a pair of touchdown passes from Hill, and he’s also connected with running back Alvin Kamara and wide receivers Rashid Shaheed, Emmanuel Sanders, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Deonte Harty, as well as Tre’Quan Smith on his 10 career touchdown throws. He and Drew Brees joked about trying it for years, but they never got the look they wanted on the rare occasions when the plan was run during games.

So it would be pretty sweet if Hill and Carr could pull it off. It’s something to watch out for when they share the field in 2023. Hill proved he could be more of an asset as a runner last season, posting his highest totals in rushing yards (575) and carries (96) while matching his career-high 34 first down conversions on the ground. He wasn’t as big a part of the passing attack as a receiver, but his history of injuries in that phase of the game make dialing it back worthwhile. Let him go out and do what he does best. Maybe that can help set up a surprise touchdown pass to his new quarterback.

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Derek Carr impressed by New Orleans Saints’ crafty salary cap accounting

Derek Carr impressed by the Saints’ crafty salary cap accounting, says of cap guru Khai Harley: ‘That man’s wheeling and dealing’ in free agency

There’s been a bit of an adjustment period for Derek Carr after he signed with the New Orleans Saints. Not just in moving his family from the communities they’ve lived grown up in, over in Southern California and Nevada to New Orleans, but in seeing how differently one NFL organization can be run compared to another. After spending most of a decade with the cash-strapped Raiders, he’s been blown away by how big of spenders the Saints have been in free agency.

Carr made a guest appearance on his nephew Austin’s Harvester Sports Podcast, where he noted how impressed he was by the team’s crafty salary cap accounting. Football administration vice president Khai Harley continued to prove his worth in a surprisingly-busy free agency experience for New Orleans. While catching up on the latest news, Carr was thrilled to see the league’s touchdown runs leader Jamaal Williams arrive to share the backfield with him and Alvin Kamara.

“You see the guy who had all the touchdowns, and first of all, where’d we get all the money? Where’d we get this money?” Carr laughed. “My man Khai in New Orleans, that man’s wheeling and dealing. It’s funny. We signed him and I’m like, dude, this is awesome.”

It’s a big difference from what Carr experienced on the Raiders, whose owner Mark Davis is notoriously cash-poor; his team’s shoddy financials was at least a partial factor in the decision to trade superstar pass rusher Khalil Mack back in 2018 rather than sign him to a lucrative extension. Despite also hailing from a small market, the Saints always seek to max out their resources and field the most competitive team possible.

Carr pointed to some of the other names the Saints brought in during free agency — a pair of new starting defensive tackles, and quality depth in the secondary, plus his former teammate Bryan Edwards at wide receiver. One free agent pickup Carr singled out was defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr., who he’s eager to compete against in practice over the summer.

“This guy’s a baller, I’ve always loved him,” Carr gushed, “He’s so talented. And then we sign him, and I’m like, I was right! They think so too.”

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Derek Carr says he reached out to Cam Jordan, Demario Davis before signing with Saints

Derek Carr says he reached out to team leaders like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis before signing to get a feel for the Saints locker room:

It’s understandable that Derek Carr would commit his due diligence before signing with the New Orleans Saints, but it’s refreshing to hear his side of the story that brought him to the black and gold. Carr joined his nephew Austin’s Harvester Sports Podcast to reflect on the busy weeks he’s experienced as a free agent before landing with the Saints, and one anecdote he shared was some communication with leaders of the team before pens went to paper.

“One thing that’s important to me, is how do y’all feel about it?” Carr recounted in conversations with the Saints’ defensive captains. “Because (the front office and coaches) can want me all they want. But if I walk into that locker room and y’all are like, ‘Man, I don’t know,” just tell me. Tell me exactly what you think. Because I want to walk into a situation where people are excited to have me. I’m going to prove that every day. I get to reinvent myself again, walk into a new spot, and show them my work ethic.”

Jordan was actively recruiting Carr on social media when news broke of the Saints’ interest in the quarterback during free agency, and Davis also lobbied for him while making the media rounds at the Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas. They both threw their support behind him, and now Carr is their quarterback.

Hopefully the Saints can continue to stack talent around him and build a situation everyone can benefit from. But it’s worth noting that both Jordan and Davis are closer to the end of their playing careers than their heyday. Jordan is entering the final year of his contract and will turn 34 this summer. Davis is already at that age and will enter the final year of his own deal next season. It’s important that they’ve both held down leadership positions for New Orleans, but it’s important that the Saints identify successors for both of them in the near future, too. The upcoming 2023 NFL draft will give them ample opportunity.

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Derek Carr confirms his New Orleans Saints jersey number

Derek Carr confirmed his New Orleans Saints jersey number, but what about Blake Gillikin? The free agent punter has a tough decision in front of him:

This is a tough scene: if he’s back with the New Orleans Saints in 2023, young punter Blake Gillikin won’t be wearing the same jersey number. NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett reported that the team’s big free agent pickup Derek Carr will continue to wear the No. 4 jersey he’s used all throughout his playing career, which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson.

Gillikin’s contract with the Saints expired, making him a restricted free agent, though he’s a good pick to return to the team on a new deal. And when he does, he’ll be wearing a new jersey number (Triplett adds that Gillikin gave Carr his blessing to pick No. 4, which was a nice gesture).

What number Gillikin will pick if he returns is anyone’s guess: he wore No. 93 in college at Penn State and No. 33 in high school, neither of which are eligible for NFL punters. Best of luck to him in sorting that out, but first he and the Saints need to hammer out a contract.

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Saints QB Derek Carr and his family draw cheers at Pelicans-Thunder game

Saints QB Derek Carr and his family drew cheers from the home crowd in New Orleans at Saturday night’s Pelicans-Thunder game, via @DillySanders:

Newly-signed New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr took his family to the New Orleans Pelicans game on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Smoothie King Center. They were able to sit courtside, and were welcomed by the home-crowd fans with an uproar of applause.

Carr and his sons Dallas, Deker and Deakon along with daughter Brooklyn and wife Heather have been given the superstar treatment by the Saints and Pelicans organizations for his first day in the city.

The Pelicans would go on to lose the game to the Thunder by a score of 110-96, giving him a realistic outlook on the current state of the team. Maybe he can make another trip when Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram return.

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4 moves Saints should make after signing Derek Carr and Juwan Johnson

Now that the Saints have their next quarterback and retained key talent, here are 4 more moves they should make, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

It’s been a busy week on Airline Drive for the New Orleans Saints. They now have their starting quarterback in 9-year veteran Derek Carr. Then, following his introductory press conference, the team retained one of their must-keep outgoing free agents, tight end Juwan Johnson. During Carr’s presser, head coach Dennis Allen outlined the plan for the remainder of the offseason. A plan that should not surprise anyone that knows how the Saints operate.

“I think first and foremost, we’re trying to see what we can do within our own building,” Allen said. “In terms of trying to get some of our guys, that would be option A. We’ll see what’s out there in terms of the market. I don’t see us going out in the first day or two of free agency and having some big splash acquisition. I think we’ll do what we’ve always done here.”

While the Saints may not be looking to reel in another big fish, aside from Carr at least, there are still some important things to get done. Here are four moves New Orleans should get done after landing Carr and re-signing key free agents like Johnson and safety J.T. Gray.

Photos, quotes from Derek Carr’s introductory press conference

Photos and quotes from Derek Carr’s introductory press conference as quarterback of the New Orleans Saints:

The New Orleans Saints introduced Derek Carr as their new franchise quarterback on Saturday, fielding questions from a room full of local media after Carr officially put pen to paper on his four-year contract with the black and gold. In attendance were Carr’s family as well as Saints executives like general manager Mickey Loomis, football administration vice president Khai Harley, head coach Dennis Allen, and team owner Gayle Benson.

Here’s a quick recap of the best quotes and photos from Carr’s introduction as the starting quarterback for New Orleans. You can find the full video of the presser at this link.

Look: Derek Carr puts pen to paper on his new Saints contract

Look: Derek Carr puts pen to paper on his new Saints contract ahead of introductory press conference, via @DillySanders:

Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr made it official with his new team, the New Orleans Saints, as he signed his contract before holding his introductory press conference with local media on Saturday with his wife and children in attendance, as well as Saints brass like head coach Dennis Allen, general manager Mickey Loomis, and team owner Gayle Benson.

As a bonus, we got a rare glimpse of the man behind the Saints’ salary cap magic. Football administration vice president Khai Harley is the league’s best-kept-secret, and he worked his magic yet again with Carr’s contract, getting his initial cap hit down just $7.2 million in the first season. It’ll go up to $35.7 million next season, but this allows the Saints to make more moves with the immediate future in mind.

Carr’s contract, worth a maximum of $150 million over four years, has him ranked as the 10th-highest-paid player in the league. Everyone else above him is also a quarterback, which includes Daniel Jones who just signed a new deal with the New York Giants. The Saints have a potential out in the contract after the second year, but hopefully Carr plays well enough to where that isn’t a consideration.

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TE Juwan Johnson’s contract extension is just the latest in Saints successes

The Saints continue recent track record of acquiring and maintaining targeted talent with Juwan Johnson’s new contract, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Another day, another dollar. Well, unless you are New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson in which case it’s more like, another day, another $12 million. The Saints and their latest undrafted success story reached a two-year deal intended to keep the converted wide receiver in New Orleans through 2024.

Johnson was a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Saints had the upper-hand in keeping Johnson around. But instead of leveraging one of three RFA tenders they could have placed on him to assure his roster spot for 2023, the team chose to show the big pass-catching target that they value him with a two-year deal. We now have an early look at the contract’s structure as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The Saints three tender choices could have paid Johnson up to $6,005,000. Instead, he gets a 2-year, $12 million agreement with a maximum value of $14.5 million based on contract escalators. He also gets $8.5 million guaranteed over the life of the deal.

Re-signing Johnson has long been considered an offseason must for the Saints. And much like they have shown a penchant to do over the last couple of seasons, they got it done without much fuss. The organization is sure to be excited to have their big-bodied pass-catcher back for the foreseeable future.

Johnson reeled in 42 catches, 508 receiving yards and 7 touchdown catches. As he has continued to develop after transitioning to tight end just a season ago, he’s sure to take another step forward in 2023 and new starting quarterback Derek Carr knows it. “The athleticism that he has a tight end,” Carr said of Johnson while discussing the Saints offensive weapons. “And the way he can move. There’s just so much potential (on the offense).”

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Derek Carr believes he and Saints wideout Michael Thomas can “face the world”

#Saints quarterback Derek Carr feels that he and wideout Michael Thomas can “face the world” together, via @RossJacksonNOLA

In an interview on the Harvest Sports Podcast, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s brother David Carr detailed that Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was a key part of his brother making the decision to sign with the Saints. And through the courting process, Thomas made quite the impression on Carr. Both players played high school football in California. Thomas played his high school football at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Callif., a suburb outside of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Carr spent his time at Bakersfield Christian High School located in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. 

Carr began his high school football career in Texas at Clements High School before transferring ahead of his senior year. During his lone year at Bakersfield Christian, Carr led the team to a 12-1 record tossing 46 touchdowns to just 9 interceptions. Thomas brought in a whopping 86 catches for 1,656 receiving yards and 21 touchdown catches during his senior season in 2010. While Carr and Thomas did not play against each other’s teams when the other was rostered, it didn’t keep the two from crossing paths at other times.

“Michael Thomas, they go way back,” David Carr said of Thomas’ relationship with his brother. “And they have history. So, when Derek became available, they were like ‘No, you’re coming here.’” During his introductory presser, the new Saints quarterback described the interaction in more detail.

“The first time I talked to him on the phone, I don’t think he wanted me to get off the phone,” Carr said. “I really enjoyed talking to him, and I told Mickey (Loomis), you talk to Mike Thomas and you feel like you two could go out there and face the world.” Apparently, Thomas wasted no time with strategic courting and cut straight to the chase with the veteran quarterback.

“When he started recruiting and talking to me, he wasn’t even trying to recruit me,” Carr recounted. “He was just like, ‘When are we getting to work, we’re wasting time, time is ticking.’ I was like, ‘Dude, I’m the same way.’ We’ll get there. But I think that our relationship has grown through the process, and I’m looking forward to hopefully making that relationship grow even stronger.”

So, there you have it. Thomas and Carr have are clearly excited about the opportunity ahead. And it’s not jus Carr. Thomas is without a doubt feeling the charge as well. As evidenced by his recent talks with the team. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported earlier in the week that the Saints and Thomas were in productive conversations about a possible contract extension.

Thomas celebrated the signing of Carr when the news broke early last week. Considering that and his involvement in courting Carr to the Big Easy, there is reasonable optimism externally that a deal could get done.

The deal would have to be an incentive-heavy one to protect the team in the case of any further injuries after Thomas has been able to appear in only 10 games over the last 3 seasons. But, it would provide him the opportunity to earn his keep with a quarterback he is excited to work with, and with which he has now established a strong relationship.

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