Derek Carr rumors: Expected signing timeline is bad news for Saints
By Josh Wilson
Derek Carr will become a free agent, and the timeline he’s expected to be on to make his decision is bad news for the New Orleans Saints.
Derek Carr is about to become a free agent, free to sign with whatever team he likes most and gives him the best opportunity to find success in the NFL. It’s been a rocky road with the Las Vegas Raiders, but Carr is still a good quarterback and a player that plenty of teams in the NFL could use.
Carr refused to waive his no-trade clause and the Raiders risked incurring a massive cap hit if they did not release him before the end of this week. As such, Carr will be released since Vegas has already decided it will go in another direction under center.
Multiple teams are already expected to pursue Carr, including the Saints who were the only known team to pursue him as a trade target. While they have a lead in the running now, the reported timeline puts that lead in peril.
The Saints had a head start on Derek Carr that will become nothing over coming days and weeks
The New Orleans Saints played a “skip the line” card when they agreed in principle with the Las Vegas Raiders to a Carr trade to get their permission to speak with the then-Raiders quarterback.
Carr was courted for two full days in New Orleans, but ultimately chose to make the right choice for his career which was to not void his no-trade clause, making a trade impossible, so he could entertain opportunities from more teams in the NFL.
New Orleans, as it stands, should still be considered the front-runner for Carr. They are the only team to have met him and had a chance to make it clear to him that they wanted him most as the only team to attempt to trade for him. That goes for something.
That said, the lead will evaporate quite soon because Carr is expected to take his time on free agency. Ian Rapoport said the soon-to-be free agent QB has no plans to rush his decision.
Expect #Raiders QB Derek Carr to receive significant interest when his release is official at 4 pm today, but the veteran won’t be in a rush to sign. He’s already visited the #Saints – who are still in the mix – and don’t be surprised if more visits follow before a decision.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 14, 2023
That means the Saints could quickly become an afterthought if another organization impresses Carr with location, money, winning culture, better pieces or any number of combination of motivators.
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