NFL rumors: 4 teams that should acquire Lamar Jackson this offseason and why

Essentially trading Derek Carr for Lamar Jackson would be a win for the Raiders

Even with the struggles of the Las Vegas Raiders in the first year under head coach Josh McDaniels, it was quite the shock to see the team bench Derek Carr and set the wheels into motion to move on from the veteran quarterback this offseason. At the same time, however, it might be the right decision for the future of the franchise.

Now, to be clear, it remains to be seen what the future will hold for McDaniels and if he’s cut out to be a head coach — though his time and Denver and first season in Las Vegas aren’t promising. With that being said, this team has made big investments in the likes of Davante Adams, Darren Waller and others, so they could try to make one last big swing to upgrade at quarterback.

Carr very much falls in a similar bucket to Cousins in that he can put up numbers and make some plays, but he is limited in a way that ultimately limits the ceiling of the team that he’s starting for. Though Lamar Jackson has not had much postseason success, his talent level and the unique dynamism he offers at quarterback could conceivably upgrade the offense as a whole.

Pairing Jackson with Adams, Waller and potentially Josh Jacobs, depending on what happens with him this offseason, could be something special. It would offer McDaniels more flexibility and give the Raiders a true shot at going for it. And even if the head coach fails, the fact of the matter is they would still have a young franchise quarterback with higher upside than Carr.