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Saints To Meet With Raiders QB Derek Carr; Teams Have Agreed On Compensation

February 7th, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:55pm: Trade compensation is no longer believed to be an issue between the teams. The sides have agreed to that part of this deal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The Raiders had prevented Carr from speaking with teams that had not agreed on trade terms. That part of this process being checked off puts the ball in Carr’s court.

5:44pm: The Derek Carr guarantee vests in eight days, and the Raiders will allow their outgoing quarterback to meet with a team ahead of that date. The Saints will host Carr on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Saints-Carr buzz has built for a bit now, but the nine-year Raiders starter holds a no-trade clause. Both Carr and QB-needy teams have been connected to waiting out this trade process and going into free agency. But the Saints are at least exploring a trade.

New Orleans has been looking into Carr for a while now, and Rapoport adds Carr is doing his due diligence on the NFC South team. The Saints do not have any question marks when it comes to their offensive staff, with the team retaining offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael for a 14th season. After Sean Payton‘s 2022 exit, Carmichael stepped back into the play-calling seat — one he occupied during Payton’s 2012 Bountygate ban.

A trade would require the Saints to pick up the $40.4MM guarantee due Feb. 15. While Mickey Loomis has earned justified praise for his cap navigation, this would be a new challenge for the veteran GM. Of course, they were ready to add Deshaun Watson last year. The Saints, per usual, rank at the bottom of the league for cap space; they are more than $60MM over the $224.8MM salary ceiling. Loomis’ abilities here should not be doubted, but Carr’s AAV will be far north of Drew Brees‘ run of deals. The sides can certainly renegotiate, however.

This meeting will bring a reunion as well. Dennis Allen resided as the Raiders’ HC when the team drafted Carr in the 2014 second round. That partnership did not last long, as the Raiders fired Allen early in his second season. But the Raiders rolled with their rookie quarterback to start that season. This familiarity could appeal to Carr, though he also could also nix any trade and take his chances in an early free agency run. Should the Raiders release Carr before the guarantee vests, he would be free to sign at any point as a street free agent. Unrestricted free agents cannot agree to terms with teams until the legal tampering period begins March 13.

Allen and then-GM Reggie McKenzie gave the Raiders the longest-tenured QB1 in franchise history; Carr has missed just three career starts (counting a 2016 wild-card game) due to injury. But the Silver and Black’s new regime signaled a change was coming when it benched Carr ahead of Week 17. Carr left the Raiders at that point. His $40MM-per-year contract runs through 2025, but the Raiders building an escape hatch has become relevant.

The Raiders would be tagged with less than $6MM in dead money by jettisoning Carr, whose completion percentage fell by nearly eight points last season. Carr did complete 68% of his throws during his final year in Jon Gruden‘s offense, helping the Raiders to the 2021 playoffs despite Henry Ruggs‘ release and Darren Waller‘s midseason injury.

Increased buzz about a Saints-Carr union emerged at the Senior Bowl last week. That came after a report indicated the Saints were one of the teams doing homework on Carr. The Commanders and Jets were among that contingent, too, and any team that pursues Carr must also consider this early strike will effectively prevent a pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo or Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers is traded, it will almost definitely be to an AFC destination. That opens a Carr-to-NFC door now, and the Saints make sense as a suitor. They have not found a steady option at quarterback since Brees’ 2021 retirement.

After missing out on Watson, Saints re-signed Jameis Winston in March 2022. They gave their initial Brees successor a two-year, $28MM deal. But the team quickly decided to go with Andy Dalton, not giving Winston his job back after he returned from injury. Dalton started New Orleans’ final 14 games and did rank ninth in passer rating. The longtime Cincinnati starter finished 21st in QBR, however. The Saints signed Dalton to a one-year, $3.5MM deal in 2022. Should the team be interested in bringing him back to compete for the starting job, a raise would be in order. No known negotiations have taken place. At 35, Dalton is more than three years older than Carr, who turns 32 in March.

Last week, Carr confirmed reports the Raiders were not allowing him to speak with teams. But a subsequent report clarified the Raiders would allow Carr and his agent to talk with teams — but only suitors who had met the Raiders’ asking price. The Saints being granted permission to speak with Carr points to the parameters of a trade being worked out. Even if that is the case, Carr still holds the keys here. A major QB domino could hinge on Wednesday’s meeting.

Regarding trade capital, the Saints obtained a first-round pick from the Broncos for Payton. But that is not expected to be in play here. After Round 1, New Orleans holds the Nos. 40 and 71 overall picks.

Latest On Raiders, Josh Jacobs

February 7th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Adam La Rose

The biggest storyline surrounding the Raiders at the moment is the future of outgoing quarterback Derek Carr. Another key member of their offense also faces the possibility of playing elsewhere, despite the mutual interest which exists to keep him in Las Vegas.

Running back Josh Jacobs is a pending free agent, but he made it clear last month that he would be in favor of a new contract allowing him to remain with the Raiders. When asked at the Pro Bowl weekend about upcoming negotiations with the team, the 24-year-old said he expected them to begin in the coming days (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

The former first-rounder is due for a new contract since the Raiders declined his fifth-year option last offseason. That move added to the financial pressures of the 2022 campaign from Jacobs’ perspective, and he responded in emphatic fashion. The Alabama product led the league in rushing and scrimmage yards, setting new career-highs across the board. That leaves him feeling comfortable with respect to contract talks.

“I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat,” Jacobs said, via Tashan Reed of The Athletic (subscription required). “I control the ship. However it goes, that’s how it’s going to go, you know what I’m saying? So, I’m not too much worried about it, but it’s definitely got to make sense.”

Jacobs played himself into a considerable raise this year, but his market value could shift in the near future depending on how other high-end backs set to hit free agency fare. The possibility of a franchise tag (valued at $10.1MM or an estimated $16.5MM, depending on if the team uses the non-exclusive or exclusive tag) looms, something which Jacobs unsurprisingly lamented. Nevertheless, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reports that a tag is the expected outcome of this situation.

Jacobs also cited the uncertainty Vegas is currently dealing with at the quarterback position as something to consider in his own negotiations. With Carr set to be either traded or released before the upcoming deadline brought on by the guarantee trigger in his contract, the Raiders will be searching for a new signal-caller this offseason. A change at that position will come with, presumably, several other moves aimed at upgrading what was a 6-11 team in 2022.

“Like I’ve been saying all last year, I feel like we were always so close,” Jacobs added. “That really just comes with [the front office] getting the right people in there and getting some more guys on defense and getting some more guys up front. And obviously, now the quarterback situation. I think that plays a big part of what I want to do, too, if I come back or not. It just depends.”

Saints Emerging As Potential Derek Carr Suitor?

February 4th, 2023 at 9:10am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have yet to grant Derek Carr permission to speak to other teams about a trade, but one potential suitor may be emerging. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that a Carr-Saints pairing “was buzzing a bit” this week during the Senior Bowl.

[RELATED: QB-Needy Teams Expecting Raiders To Release Derek Carr]

There’s a handful of reasons why the Saints could make sense. For starters, it seems clear that the Saints are seeking some more reliability at the quarterback position heading into next season. The organization has turned to five different starting QBs over the past two years, with 35-year-old Andy Dalton garnering 14 starts for the Saints this past year. Jameis Winston is the only experienced QB under contract heading into the offseason, but the Saints could easily cut him without leaving behind a debilitating dead cap number. The Saints are also rostering QB Jake Luton via a reserve/futures contract.

Further, the Saints now have some extra draft assets thanks to the Sean Payton trade with Denver. New Orleans got an extra first- and second-round pick in the trade, and while it’s unknown what the Raiders are seeking in a Carr trade, the extra selections could make it easier to part with their desired compensation. For what it’s worth, the Raiders slightly pushed back at Carr’s notion that the organization hasn’t allowed him to speak to potential suitors. Rather, the Raiders claim they have granted Carr permission to speak to other teams…but only teams that have shown a willingness to pony up the picks that the Raiders are seeking.

Finally, Saints head coach Dennis Allen has some experience working alongside Carr; Allen was the Raiders’ head coach during the QB’s rookie season in Oakland. Since then, Allen has worked in New Orleans, including a seven-year stint as their defensive coordinator.

The Raiders would owe Carr $40.4MM on Feb. 15, and with a dead-money charge of just $5.6MM due with a release, they can save $29MM-plus by moving on over the next week. As a result, teams are expecting the organization to ultimately release the veteran quarterback. Carr confirmed this week that he won’t restructure his contract to facilitate a trade, and it’s worth noting that his deal also contains a no-trade clause.

Raiders Hire Scott Turner

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:12pm: That was fast. Evidently, the Raiders will greenlight this hire early. The team announced Turner’s addition to McDaniels’ staff Friday afternoon.

3:34pm: Just as Mike LaFleur did recently, Scott Turner is expected to have another job lined up. The Raiders are planning to meet with the former Commanders OC, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes a hire is on track to follow (Twitter link).

Turner will meet with the Raiders next week. Should the second-generation NFL staffer join Josh McDaniels‘ staff, this will mark the second straight team to hire him after previously employing his father as head coach. Norv Turner was the Raiders’ HC from 2004-05. Scott Turner has a Las Vegas past as well, having played in college at UNLV.

Days after the season ended, the Commanders fired Scott Turner after three years. While the team’s issues at quarterback effectively capped what could be accomplished during this time, a host of Commanders voiced frustrations about the direction of Turner’s attack. Washington, however, has still not settled on a Turner replacement.

The Raiders have McDaniels and Mick Lombardi in place as their HC-OC duo, with McDaniels holding play-calling reins. But the team will soon search in earnest for a new quarterback. Turner should be expected to play a key role there, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com offering (via Twitter) a job overseeing the Raiders’ passing game is expected.

Turner, 40, finished the 2019 season as the Panthers’ OC and ended up rejoining Ron Rivera in Washington. Turner’s offenses never ranked inside the top 20 in scoring, with the team’s quarterback merry-go-round — featuring a large dose of former UDFA Taylor Heinicke — often sputtering. Dan Snyder kept Rivera for a fourth season, but Turner hit the job market.

The Raiders ranked 12th offensively in McDaniels’ oft-scrutinized debut — one marred by blown leads — but are now in the process of finding a Derek Carr trade partner and searching for a replacement. The Raiders did not have much luck with quarterback continuity between Rich Gannon and Carr, with Norv Turner’s stay overlapping with an unremarkable Kerry Collins tenure. The team will still have Davante Adams, who said he will not seek a trade despite its plan to deal Carr, and Josh Jacobs. Vegas is expected to retain Jacobs, who is a franchise tag candidate.

QB-Needy Teams Expecting Raiders To Release Derek Carr

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:05pm: Although Carr said Thursday night the Raiders have not granted he and his agent permission to speak to trade partners, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes (via Twitter) the team has done so — but only for suitors who have agreed to the team’s desired compensation. It is unclear if any team has offered sufficient compensation, but the Raiders are attempting to follow the Texans’ Deshaun Watson path. Vic Tafur of The Athletic points to no conversations having yet occurred (Twitter link).

Houston only let Watson meet with teams that met the trade price; four finalists emerged. The Carr process will unfold much differently. The Raiders will not land anything close to what the Texans did — three first-round picks and change — in the March 2022 sweepstakes, but they will let Carr discuss a fit with franchises that are willing to pay up.

10:54am: From what has become an alternate-heavy Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas, Derek Carr addressed his unusual situation with the Raiders. The nine-year veteran confirmed he has not been given permission to speak with other teams about a trade.

Rumored to be concerned Carr’s agent will use that permission to negotiate with teams about his client’s potential free agency rather than talking trade fits, the Raiders are attempting to maintain control of this process. But teams look to be willing to wait out Las Vegas here.

As of now, quarterback-needy teams are expecting the Raiders to release Carr, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Teams are recognizing the Raiders’ limited leverage here. The team made no secret of wanting to move on, having benched Carr for its final two games in an effort to prevent an injury affecting his contract. The Raiders would owe Carr $40.4MM on Feb. 15, and with a dead-money charge of just $5.6MM due with a release, they can save $29MM-plus by moving on.

Carr confirmed he will not adjust the uniquely structured contract to move the vesting date back, indicating (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) “I don’t think that would be best for me.” The longest-tenured QB1 in Raiders history could be less than two weeks from hitting the open market a month before the rest of this year’s lot of free agent passers. Teams are already doing work on Carr, with the Jets, Saints and Commanders three known suitors.

“That’s for [the Raiders] to talk about,” Carr said when asked about the Raiders’ refusal to permit talks with other teams. “I’m just obeying the rules. If it gets to the date [and I get released], then I’ll be able to talk to all my friends.”

Carr, 31, holds a no-trade clause, further limiting the Las Vegas’ options. Still, second-year Raiders GM Dave Ziegler said during a SiriusXM Radio interview (via NFL.com) he expects teams to begin contacting him on a Carr trade. A few prospective Carr suitors — the Buccaneers, Commanders and Titans — have yet to hire an offensive coordinator, adding another complication to these slow-moving midwinter trade sweepstakes.

Aaron Rodgers‘ status figures to also affect certain teams’ Carr pursuits. With Rodgers a candidate to be traded well after Carr, teams that believe they can acquire the future Hall of Famer may be willing to wait. The Jets come to mind here, but the Packers’ disinterest in sending Rodgers to an NFC team would make that conference’s QB-needy franchises more likely Carr fits. Tom Brady‘s second retirement, which he chose over coming back to the Bucs for a fourth season, would stand to make Tampa Bay an interested party. Ditto Washington, New Orleans and possibly Atlanta. The Commanders attempted to engage the Raiders in Carr trade talks last year, and they are open to adding a veteran yet again.

It appears one of these teams will add a starting quarterback early, following the likes of the Rams in 2021 (Matthew Stafford) or Washington in 2018 (Alex Smith). Will said team end up acquiring Carr in free agency?

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 2nd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, the NFL revealed its 2023 salary cap. Teams can now budget for their offseasons, knowing a $224.8MM ceiling is in place. This year’s nonexclusive franchise and transition tag numbers also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here is where every team stands in terms of cap space:

  1. Chicago Bears: $90.91MM
  2. Atlanta Falcons: $56.42MM
  3. New York Giants: $44.28MM
  4. Houston Texans: $37.56MM
  5. Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55MM
  6. New England Patriots: $32.71MM
  7. Seattle Seahawks: $31.04MM
  8. Baltimore Ravens: $26.87MM
  9. Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78MM
  10. Arizona Cardinals: $14.47MM
  11. Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96MM
  12. Detroit Lions: $13.83MM
  13. Indianapolis Colts: $12.59MM
  14. Denver Broncos: $9.07MM
  15. San Francisco 49ers: $8.28MM
  16. Washington Commanders: $8.24MM
  17. Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24MM
  18. Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03MM
  19. New York Jets: $1.31MM over the cap
  20. Dallas Cowboys: $7.18MM over
  21. Carolina Panthers: $8.94MM over
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $14.19MM over
  23. Cleveland Browns: $14.64MM over
  24. Miami Dolphins: $16.45MM over
  25. Green Bay Packers: $16.48MM over
  26. Buffalo Bills: $17.88MM over
  27. Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38MM over
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars: $22.35MM over
  29. Minnesota Vikings: $23.43MM over
  30. Tennessee Titans: $23.67MM over
  31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $60.47MM over

These figures (courtesy of OverTheCap) will change dramatically in the coming weeks, but this is where each team stands ahead of Super Bowl LVII. After that point, cap-casualty cuts can begin taking place. Restructures, extensions and trades will commence as well, with the Saints of recent years doing well to prove there are a few roads to cap compliance.

While New Orleans is in its usual February place, the team actually was further over the 2021 and ’22 caps at this point on the NFL calendar. Using void years to load up its roster during Tom Brady‘s three-year stay, Tampa Bay has seen much of that bill come due. If Brady does not re-sign a procedural deal, which would allow for the Buccaneers to spread out his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1MM dead-cap charge this year.

The Browns led the league by a wide margin in cap carryover from 2022, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cleveland carried over $27.6MM in cap space. The Browns paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, bracing for the Deshaun Watson contract’s spike. As of now, Watson’s cap figure will balloon from $9.4MM to $54.9MM. No NFL player has ever played a season on a cap number higher than $45MM.

The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders rounded out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8MM to $6.7MM. Chicago ate considerable dead money via the Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team is still paying most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to secure a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have quite the opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles‘ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have $12MM-plus in Deion Jones dead money on their 2023 payroll, but the team is rid of Matt Ryan‘s record-setting dead-cap hit ($40MM).

Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. GM Eric DeCosta said he has not decided if the team will place the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the nonexclusive number — $32.42MM — will dramatically change the Ravens’ budget ahead of free agency. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in just north of $45MM.

Raiders Yet To Grant Derek Carr Permission To Speak With Teams

January 30th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few factors look to be holding up Derek Carr trade talks. While the Raiders are set to explore dealing their nine-year starting quarterback, they are not letting Carr control the process at this point.

The Raiders have not given Carr’s agent permission to speak with other teams about a deal, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. Carr holds a no-trade clause and will not be on Las Vegas’ roster by mid-February; his $40.4MM guarantee vests Feb. 15. But the Raiders might be leery of letting Carr’s agent discuss potential landing spots for his client in free agency.

[RELATED: Raiders Looking Into Tom Brady Addition]

With Carr having the power to shoot down any trade, Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes the team could be aiming to maintain control of this process out of concern negotiations for a Feb. 16 free agency agreement would take place rather than trade talks. Carr moving the guarantee vesting date back could improve his chances of landing elsewhere via trade, but Tafur notes he has no plans to do so. Carr and the Raiders are still on decent terms, however, per Breer. This process is not guaranteed to end with a trade, but with the Raiders prepared to move on anyway, Carr having the chance to both pick his new team and sign another contract could be in the cards.

This year’s Senior Bowl will take place Feb. 4, and teams are arriving in Mobile, Ala., for the run of practices that double as a meeting ground. But this year’s slow-moving head coaching carousel may well be affecting Carr talks. Four teams have not hired a head coach. Perhaps more importantly in Carr’s case, others — including the Commanders, Buccaneers and Titans — have not hired an offensive coordinator. The 31-year-old passer will undoubtedly want to discuss his potential fit with teams before agreeing to a trade, and with some potentially interested parties not having their ducks in a row yet, relevant information has not yet emerged.

Another robust QB market is also likely affecting Carr’s pre-free agency sweepstakes. Daniel Jones, Geno Smith and Lamar Jackson are technically on track for free agency, but those QBs’ teams are unlikely (or dead-set against, in Baltimore’s case) to let them hit the market. Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo certainly appear open to changing teams, and teams will be interested in them once the market opens in mid-March. Aaron Rodgers trade winds are blowing again, and these look like stiffer gusts compared to the 2021 and ’22 offseasons. Teams interested in Carr would need to make this commitment early, thus removing themselves from adding other available arms.

The Commanders, Jets and Saints have been linked as early Carr pursuers, though the Jets are now understandably — given the Nathaniel Hackett component — being tied to Rodgers. But Gang Green is still looking into Carr. The Commanders discussed Carr with the Raiders last year and make sense as a suitor this year as well, even if they are interested in further evaluating Sam Howell. It will be interesting to see what teams are willing to send the Raiders assets now for Carr and which prefer to weigh their options once the market opens. It will also be worth monitoring if teams will be prepared to pay that $40.4MM or if a Carr trade will be contingent on a new deal or a restructure. For now, the Raiders are sitting tight and hoping for clarity.

Latest On Jets’ QB Pursuit

January 29th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Since the Jets’ 2022 season crashed to a halt amidst their quarterback struggles, they are widely expected to be active in pursuing a veteran addition at the position. The team has been very public about doing so, and clarity could be emerging with respect to the names they are targeting.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that New York is “evaluating” Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr. While he adds that the process is in its early stages, meaning more names will no doubt be added to that list, it comes as little surprise that those three are included in it. Rodgers was mentioned as a trade candidate for the Jets even before Nathaniel Hackett became the team’s new offensive coordinator, but increasingly so due to their connection with one another dating back to the latter’s time with the Packers.

Garoppolo was widely thought to be on his way out of San Francisco last offseason with the team turning its offense over to Trey Lance, but he ultimately remained on a re-worked contract. Now a pending free agent, he would not require trade compensation (as would be the case with Rodgers). His play after taking over for Lance appeared to help his value on the open market, but the 31-year-old then suffered what was initially believed to be a season-ending ankle injury. He may have been able to return in time for the Super Bowl, though the result of today’s NFC title game now makes that a moot point.

As for Carr, his days in Vegas are thought to be numbered, as the three-time Pro Bowler personally alluded to recently. He has begun doing “homework” on potential landing spots in a trade (since he has a no-trade clause), though the possibility remains that he get released and chooses his next team as a free agent.

That trio of passers is also one which Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network lists as targets for the Jets. New York showed signs of being a playoff contender in 2022 with a strong defense in particular, and a number of encouraging performances with a healthy Mike White at the helm of their offense. Interestingly, Pauline notes that “several” Jets players implored general manager Joe Douglas during their exit interviews to move on from Zach Wilson as their starting QB, in addition to firing offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

The latter move has already taken place, with Hackett now set to play a role in identifying the team’s top options to provide stability at the position relative to Wilson’s inconsistencies (although Pauline also notes that owner Woody Johnson still sees the 2021 No. 2 pick as salvageable). As the QB market takes shape, the Jets are sure to be key players in the case of several veteran passers.

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