Ryan Tannehill rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

3. Las Vegas Raiders

Jon Gruden has never seemed all that enamored with Derek Carr, and the Raiders have an easy exit path this offseason. They can clear $16.5 million in cap space by trading or cutting him before June 1, while absorbing $5 million in dead money. The $2.9 million that has already become fully guaranteed to him is subject to offset language, when/if Carr were to land with another team and they go way over that to sign him if he were simply cut.

Assuming he hits the market in mid-March, the Raiders plan to pursue Tom Brady. Whether that’s realistic pursuit or not is another conversation. But Brady does seem intent on seeing what else is out there, and any team in warm weather location (on or near the West Coast?) could be firmly on his radar.

But the odds of Brady going to the Raiders feel very slim, and they’ll have to move quickly to other options if he’s not absolutely locked in to come aboard very early in the free agency period. Tannehill and some others who will be available may be seen as hardly an upgrade over Carr, and that’s the case for just keeping Carr another year. But moving on from Carr feels inevitable, and among the most realistic options who will be out there the Raiders could easily pair Tannehill with a rookie they draft (move up to draft?) in April.

Whether that kind of situation, a short deal somewhere with a plan to replace him instantly put in place, would be appealing to Tannehill is a separate question. But there are worse things than going to Las Vegas, and playing for Gruden.