Mike Mayock talks up QB Derek Carr, reiterates Raiders evaluating every position
Mike Mayock knew that status of his quarterback Derek Carr would be the dominant subject at his press conference at the scouting combing Tuesday. It was the second question and found its way into a few other questions as well. Mayock did his best to focus on the positives with Carr and not go back on his stance that the QB position is under evaluation.
“I’m surprised that it took two questions to get to Derek, but thank you,” Mayock said in response to the inevitable question as to whether he is committed to Derek Carr as the Raiders QB.
“I mean bottom line is this; I think everyone needs to understand at what level Derek Carr played last year, ok. The guy completed 70 percent of his passes, he had almost a 3-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio. I think we’re number 11 in the league in total yards, we were 7th in third-down conversions. We did a lot of really good things on offense last year. The disconnect is we didn’t score a lot of points. You’re 11 in yards and 24 in points, there’s an issue. It’s defense, it’s special teams, it’s not scoring in the red zone, and it’s not scoring in goal to go. To me, those are the issues. Derek Carr played at a high level. I’m very happy with Derek Carr. What I told everyone that I’ve been in touch with since the day I took this job is we’re going to evaluate every position, every year. And if we can get better, we will. Guys get tired of me saying that, but that’s really what I told Mark Davis before I took the job. And that’s my mantra.”
This is what, in politics, they like to call ‘spin’. Many people can point to the negatives from last season, but Mayock wants you to see the positives. Those stats look great on paper. Mentioning them doesn’t automatically mean Mayock and the Raiders are blind to his faults.
Likewise, it doesn’t mean Carr is the future of the franchise. It could mean he wants other teams to focus on the positives in case those teams are looking to offer the Raiders something in trade.
Should the Raiders go down that road, they would need to replace Carr. The big-name that has been thrown around the most has been Tom Brady. Mayock was asked about his feelings on those rumors/reports.
“I don’t make anything of any rumors,” Mayock replied. “All I can tell you about free agency because I’m not allowed to talk about any of them anyway, is I’ve watched tape of just about every guy out there at every position, and all that does is uphold what I’m telling you is that every position gets evaluated every year and if we can upgrade it we will.”
There is a pressing dilemma facing the Raiders this offseason. Roll with Derek Carr or roll the dice and move on from him. The fans seem to be split on this decision. Not everyone for the same reason. My take is that there is only one wrong answer: …
There is a pressing dilemma facing the Raiders this offseason. Roll with Derek Carr or roll the dice and move on from him. The fans seem to be split on this decision. Not everyone for the same reason. My take is that there is only one wrong answer: to play it safe.
Let me explain this in the best way I can; through movies.
Probably the greatest film ever made was Shawshank Redemption (fight me). And the most famous line from that film was when Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) tells his friend Red (Morgan Freeman) that it comes down to a simple choice; “get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.”
This line naturally came across as pretty ominous to Red. Then came the morning when the inmates stepped outside their cells for roll call and Andy was not there, instantly Red’s worry was that Andy had decided to ‘get busy dyin.’
Red soon found out, after the warden ripped down a poster off the wall of Andy’s cell, that his friend Andy had other plans in mind.
Seeing as Shawshank is the second most televised film of all time (behind Mrs. Doubtfire), most of you are probably pretty familiar with the film. If not **SPOILER ALERT** Andy escaped from the prison. He broke open a sewer line and “crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.”
The lesson here is Andy was decisive. He didn’t play it safe. He took action to ‘get busy livin’. All he would’ve needed to do in order to ‘get busy dyin’ was to do nothing.
No great story was ever told by people playing it safe. Being great and overcoming the odds takes courage in your convictions.
Whatever Jon Gruden decides to do with Derek Carr, he must make that decision for the right reason. That reason can’t be because ‘Well…I guess there’s no better option so…” No. You make this decision based on whether you think Derek Carr is the guy who can lead you to the promised land. If he isn’t, you move on. Period.
You do NOT keep Carr for fear that whomever you replace him with might also not be the answer.
Need proof that is the wrong approach? Let me tell you a story about another Andy who took a chance and ‘got busy livin’.’ One who happens to be an old friend of Gruden — Andy Reid.
A couple years ago, Andy Reid had it nice and safe with Alex Smith as his QB. The Chiefs made the playoffs four out of five years Smith was the starter. And they got one playoff win out of it. Reid wanted more. He didn’t want safe. He wanted a championship. And he knew Alex Smith wasn’t the guy to get it for him. So, he traded up in the draft to get Patrick Mahomes. A year later, Mahomes was MVP and a year after that, Reid had his Lombardi.
I hate to keep ragging on Alex Smith, but the same thing happened in San Francisco. They benched him – their former number one overall pick — in favor of second-year guy Colin Kaepernick and immediately went to the Super Bowl. Then they traded Smith for a second-round pick. The Chiefs later got a third-round pick and Kendall Fuller for Smith.
Keep in mind that Smith went his final 8 seasons without posting a losing record. He is the definition of a safe move. Carr has had one winning season in his six-year career.
Yes, yes, wins are not a QB stat. And I am not putting all those losses on him. What I am asking is, what safety are the Raiders getting? What exactly is there to be so afraid of? Dropping further below mediocrity?
In the end, if Gruden legitimately thinks Carr is the QB to run his offense to its full capacity and make this team into a Super Bowl contender, keep him. If he does not, then you trade him. Because if you keep him merely for fear of a lack of a better immediate option, and the Raiders end up back to hovering around .500 after next season, all you’ve done is put yourself back in the same situation, only this time with Carr holding less trade value and just one mid-first round pick instead of two.
Benjamin Allbright, who primarily covers the Broncos, has indicated that the Bears are quietly looking at quarterback options this offseason. While Allbright says Mitchell Trubisky will get a chance to be the starter this upcoming season, he won’t have the same job security he had in 2019.
But it was the discussion about Carr that seemed to catch everyone’s eye. While it’s no secret that the Bears would prefer to bring in a ready-to-play veteran, Allbright indicated that Chicago would be interested in Carr, should the Raiders look to trade him.
Bears are quietly looking at QB options.
Trubisky will still get the shot to be the guy, but much like Titans/Mariota last year, the leash is short.
They'd prefer vet ready-to-play, options. If Raiders were to move on from Carr ($21.5m cap hit vs $7.9 dead) theyd be interested.
Considering every free agent — and tradable — quarterback has been linked to the Bears in some way, why not Carr?
If the Bears are interested the question becomes, what would be the cost?
Would it take one of their second-round selections (where the Raiders could get back the No. 43 pick they traded to the Bears in the Khalil Mack trade)? What about a second round pick in 2020 and a third rounder in 2021? Obviously, the best-case scenario would be to acquire Carr as cheap as possible. But it would all depend on the market Carr would attract.
Given the Bears are in win-now mode with their championship-caliber defense, bringing in a not-elite-but-solid quarterback like Carr gives Chicago its best chance to get back to the playoffs — and potentially make a Super Bowl run.
We’re still 3 weeks away from the start of free agency, but rumors and speculation are rampant when it comes to QBs and the Bears.
We’re still three weeks away from the start of free agency, but rumors and speculation are rampant when it comes to quarterbacks and the Chicago Bears.
It seems half of the NFL’s passers have been linked in some way to the Bears, who are expected to bring in competition to push starter Mitchell Trubisky, who regressed mightily last season as he led the Bears to a .500 record. Now, one name that’s been floated as a possibility poured gas on the quarterback hot stove on Thursday morning.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, a player who is also in limbo, posted a message to his Instagram page embracing former teammate and current Bear outside linebacker Khalil Mack following their game in London last season. His brother David Carr, another former quarterback, commented simply: “#MegaPowers.”
This post may also just be a shout out to Carr’s good friend and nothing more. But rumors regarding a trade involving the Raiders’ career passing leader have been prevalent ever since head coach Jon Gruden returned to the team two years ago. Carr currently has two years left on his deal that he signed back in 2017. He’s set to earn $19.25 million in base salary next season.
It’s unlikely anything will happen to Carr until March when free agency opens and the Raiders can go after Brady. But until then, Bears fans are left wondering and speculating who their next quarterback could be come September.
If QB Derek Carr becomes available to trade for, the Bears should be first in line for his services.
Next month’s free agency is gearing up to be a doozy, especially when it comes to the quarterback position.
With so many big-name quarterbacks set to hit the open market, there are no shortage of options for the Bears to bring in a veteran quarterback to challenge or replace Mitchell Trubisky.
But there could be another veteran quarterback on the trading block that the Bears would serve well to target in Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
According to Minnesota media member Larry Fitzgerald Sr., the Raiders are prepared to offer Tom Brady a two-year deal and $60 million to become their new starting quarterback, which would mean the Raiders would be looking to trade Carr.
Last season, Carr completed 70.4% of his passes for 4,054 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had a QBR of 62.2, which was 10th best in the league.
If Carr becomes available to trade for, the Bears should be first in line for his services. While it’ll likely cost a pretty penny in draft capital — probably a 2021 first-round pick — adding Carr to Matt Nagy’s offense would be an absolute game-changer.
The Bears and Raiders have worked together before, as they orchestrated a trade for All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack in 2018. But could we see the two teams make another trade this offseason at the most important position?
The Raiders’ quarterback for the last six seasons, Derek Carr, is just 28 years old and has performed well throughout his career. But he was hand-selected by the previous general manager, Reggie McKenzie, not the current GM, Mike Mayock.
According to one anonymous NFL executive quoted by The Athletic’s Mike Sando, the Raiders provide Brady with a potential landing spot if the nearly 43-year-old QB doesn’t re-sign with the Patriots, with whom he’s won six Super Bowls.
They don’t need the bang the way the Chargers do, but I think they would like it and I do think where there is smoke, there is fire, and some of that stuff that comes out about Carr and Gruden is probably true.
The Raiders become a fallback position for Brady in my view. If it turns out Brady really wants to get away from Bill Belichick and he is out of there no matter what, then I think the Raiders become the next best possibility.
As a “fallback” option, it’s very likely that the Raiders are being used as leverage for a new deal for Brady in New England. It’s not hard to believe the Raiders are interested, but Brady will command a hefty salary, especially for a team that is rebuilding.
If Brady did sign with the Raiders and was their first quarterback in their new Las Vegas home, it would be one of the largest NFL storylines in recent memory. Brady is perhaps the league’s most recognizable star and would make a splash in Las Vegas big enough to empty the water reservoir in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
It’s anyone’s guess how much serious interest the Raiders have in Brady, however. With coach Jon Gruden’s reputation for being a quarterback guru, or maybe just an admirer, the Raiders will always be connected to available quarterbacks until they sign one to a long-term contract, which they haven’t done with Carr.
And though Mayock hasn’t said Carr is his franchise quarterback, he’s been complimentary of Carr and pointed out the many other needs on the team, such as nearly every position on defense and also at wide receiver.
Also, if the Raiders did acquire Brady, they’d still likely have to draft a young signal-caller to groom for the position, exhausting more resources.
But the Raiders are looking at every option, and Brady appears to be one they could pursue. Gruden’s success with other veteran quarterbacks, such as Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson, only adds fuel to the speculation. Don’t expect any such quarterback chatter to stop until the Raiders’ roster is set for training camp, or they make a move in free agency or the draft.
ESPN predicts QB Derek Carr will stay with Raiders in 2020 season
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Raiders entering the 2020 offseason comes at the quarterback position. There have already been whispers that the team will pursue Tom Brady, if and when he officially becomes a free agent.
For that reason alone, the status of Derek Carr with the Raiders remains a question mark. While Carr improved dramatically in Year 2 under Jon Gruden, many wonder if the team won’t move on from Carr in favor of a more proven veteran or for a young, talented rookie.
In a recent article by ESPN, all 32 of their beat writers made a “bold” prediction ahead of the 2020 offseason. For Paul Gutierrez, he predicted that the Raiders will hold onto Carr for at least one more season. Check out his explanation below as to why Carr will continue to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2020:
What, the purported franchise quarterback keeping his job isn’t bold enough for you? Well, Carr has become the most polarizing figure in recent franchise history, and predicting that the team would move on from him for the likes of (gulp) Tom Brady as it sets sail for Las Vegas would seem, well, trite. Plus, as Carr has pointed out, he is coming off career bests in passing yards (4,054) and completion percentage (70.4%) and he expects to excel playing in Jon Gruden’s offense for the third consecutive season … so long as the Raiders add a WR1.
While Brady would undoubtedly be an intriguing option, it doesn’t really seem likely that he would leave New England. And if Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden wanted to truly upgrade the quarterback position, they would want it to be a longer-term option than what someone like Brady would have to offer.
Even if the Raiders do select a quarterback at any point in the 2020 draft, it would be surprising for Carr to be replaced right away. At this point in time, it’s safe to assume Carr will be given at least one more chance to show he’s the right man for the job with the Raiders.
Kansas City sits atop Touchdown Wire’s final 2019-20 Power Rankings, but coaching moves spur movement up and down our postseason list.
When we compiled the last Touchdown Wire Power Rankings of the regular season, we based them strictly on how teams fared in the 2019 season. That’s a tried and true formula and a fair way to judge how a team performed in that season.
Now, we’re going to take a slightly different approach. That’s because there already have been a lot of changes this offseason — coaching changes, changes at the top of the quarterback hierarchy and plenty of speculation about potentially significant player movement when the league year starts in March.
That’s why we’re taking a different approach to our postseason rankings. Yes, what a team did during the season will play heavily, but changes in 2020 also matter.
For example, the Washington Redskins were No. 31 in our rankings at the end of the regular season. But they’re moving up with the arrival of coach Ron Rivera, who will bring a sense of order that was previously lacking.
Now, that the Super Bowl has been played, it’s time for the final Touchdown Wire Power Rankings for the 2019-20 season.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
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(2-14; Previous rank: 32)
The Bengals were consistently dismal all season, and that’s why they’re holding onto the No. 32 spot. Head coach Zac Taylor is lucky to be returning for a second season, but owner Mike Brown has been unusually patient through the years. Maybe that patience will pay off this time. The Bengals get a great reward for being so bad. They earned the first pick in the draft, and it’s almost universally believed they’ll use it on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. Burrow might make a big difference right away. But he needs help. The offensive line needs an overhaul, and it’s imperative that the team re-signs receiver A.J. Green, who can make Burrow look good in a hurry.
31. Carolina Panthers
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(5-11; Previous rank: 26)
We dropped the Panthers to No. 31 because they’ve had so many changes. And none of them are clearly for the better. Owner David Tepper continues to put his stamp on the team, and things are likely to get worse before they get better. Tepper fired coach Ron Rivera late last season. Rivera is highly respected around the league. Tepper replaced him with Matt Rhule, who has a reputation as a program builder on the college level but has never been an NFL head coach. Throw in Luke Kuechly’s surprise retirement and the parting of ways with tight end Greg Olsen, and the roster is worse today than at the end of the season. Plus, there’s no telling what the Panthers will do with injury-plagued quarterback Cam Newton.
30. Detroit Lions
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(3-12-1; Previous rank: 30)
Head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn held onto their jobs despite a disastrous season. The only reason I can see for that is that owner Martha Ford gave Patricia a pass because he played much of the season without quarterback Matthew Stafford. The veteran Stafford isn’t a world beater, but he puts up stats and keeps the Lions competitive. Stafford’s return will help the Lions, but Patricia and Quinn have to go out and acquire more talent if they’re going to contend for a playoff spot. If they don’t, they’ll be gone.
29. New York Giants
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(4-12. Previous rank: 28)
Head coach Pat Shurmur was fired, and that’s not a bad thing. But he was replaced by Joe Judge. That likely prompted many New York fans to say, “Joe Who?” because Judge wasn’t a household name. Judge was the special teams and wide receivers coach for the Patriots. His New England pedigree undoubtedly helped him land the job. But this is a tough gig. Shurmur and predecessor Ben McAdoo failed miserably. Judge doesn’t have a lot to work with besides quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
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(6-10. Previous rank: 29)
The Jaguars move up one spot in our rankings — mainly because they kept coach Doug Marrone but got rid of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin. That should take pressure off Marrone, because Coughlin was a control freak and loomed over every move the coach made. Now this truly is Marrone’s team. His first big decision will be whether to start veteran quarterback Nick Foles or second-year pro Gardner Minshew. Neither is a bad choice.
27. Washington Redskins
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(3-13. Previous rank: 31)
Washington scooped up former Carolina coach Ron Rivera to replace the fired Jay Gruden and interim replacement Bill Callahan. That was the best coaching hire of the postseason. Now, the Redskins have an adult running the show. Rivera, a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, is known as a players’ coach. That’s only partly true. He also is a no-nonsense coach, who is firmly in control of his team. His specialty is defense, but his first task in Washington will be to find out if the Redskins can win with second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
26. Miami Dolphins
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(5-11. Previous rank: 27)
Remember all the early talk last year about how the Dolphins were tanking and could go 0-16. That looked like a possibility for a bit. But coach Brian Flores held his team together, and the Dolphins started winning games, including the season finale at New England. They took themselves out of contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. But they still could land their quarterback of the future with the fifth overall pick — perhaps Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert. In the meantime, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be around to guide the offense until a replacement is deemed ready for action.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
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(5-11. Previous rank: 25)
Next season will be one of change for the Chargers. They’ll be moving into a new stadium they’ll share with the Rams. More importantly, they should have a new look on the field. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers is almost certainly done after 16 seasons with the franchise. That has fueled wild speculation that New England quarterback Tom Brady could be coming to the Chargers. There’s some logic to this one. Brady has said he’s open to playing for another team. He owns a home in Los Angeles. The Chargers need wins. They also need help at the box office. There might not be a bigger drawing card than Brady. Maybe this is a pipe dream, but it’s not an impossibility.
The 2020 offseason looks really promising as the Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas, and the team has several high draft picks and an excessive amount of cap space. However, there is one big question mark hanging over the Raiders; what is the …
The 2020 offseason looks really promising as the Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas, and the team has several high draft picks and an excessive amount of cap space. However, there is one big question mark hanging over the Raiders; what is the future of Derek Carr?
After two seasons playing under head coach Jon Gruden, it’s fair to wonder just how long the two will be tied together. While Carr has been perceivable during that period, it’s relatively obvious that Gruden wants more out of the quarterback position.
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he names Carr’s future has the team’s biggest question mark hanging over the team in 2020. Take a look at Knox’s reasoning why the team could decide to move from Carr this offseason:
Though he is under contract through the 2022 season, the future of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has regularly come into question. Head coach Jon Gruden inherited him and has never appeared truly sold on him. The fact that Carr can be cut this offseason with just $5 million in dead money doesn’t help his job security. The reality is that the questions are going to continue until either Carr is no longer employed by the Raiders or the team makes a move for another signal-caller. Until then, his future will remain a major question mark.
With several intriguing free agent quarterbacks set to hit the market and a deep draft class available at the position, this would appear to be the right time for the Raiders to move on from Carr if they choose to do so.
All of their other free agency plans must be put on hold until they figure out what to do at the quarterback position. If the Raiders truly want to compete now and into the future in the AFC, they must figure out what to do at this position sooner rather than later.
