QB Derek Carr, Retired (2 Viewers)

[Faust]

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

Saints have emerged as the front runners to sign former Raiders’ QB Derek Carr and an agreement could be reached as early as today, per league sources.

https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1632761979373862915?s=21

 

[Doug B]

NFL Network is calling it done:

Mike Garofalo
@MikeGarafalo

The #Saints are closing in on a deal with QB Derek Carr, sources tell me and @RapSheet. After nine seasons with the #Raiders, the four-time Pro Bowl selection is headed to New Orleans. The first QB domino is about to fall and one NFC South team has its starter.

EDIT: Garofalo originally had written "David Carr" ... whoops

 

[Chaka]

Could be a good landing spot for him.

Could also be a lateral move.

 

[Anarchy99]

Could be a good landing spot for him.

Could also be a lateral move.

Hmmm. AFC West with Mahomes, Herbert, and Wilson. Or NFC South with ?, ?, and ?. All the NFC South teams are unsettled at the QB position. But certainly the AFC West has some fierce competition at QB. And no team in the NFCS had a winning record last year.

 

[zeeshan2]

[Rapoport] The #Saints are giving their new QB Derek Carr a 4-year deal, source said. With a big QB number coming, they'll make it work with their cap situation.

 

[Boston]

Interesting move for both the Saints and Carr...I think it allows both parties to remain relevant (especially with the current state of the NFC South) but I don't see it putting them into legit contender status...I know the Saints had a rough cap situation...will be interesting to see the details on his contract and what the Saints are doing to clear room and if they can do anything else after this move.

 

[travdogg]

Interesting move for both the Saints and Carr...I think it allows both parties to remain relevant (especially with the current state of the NFC South) but I don't see it putting them into legit contender status...I know the Saints had a rough cap situation...will be interesting to see the details on his contract and what the Saints are doing to clear room and if they can do anything else after this move.

Saints always made the most sense. They are in no position to land a top QB in the draft, have no young QB who maybe could be the guy, and had clearly soured on Winston/Dalton. That said, I agree, its not much of a needle mover. Carr is only a slight upgrade over what they had, but he's an upgrade nonetheless.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Olave owners should be happy.

 

[Chaka]

Could be a good landing spot for him.

Could also be a lateral move.

Hmmm. AFC West with Mahomes, Herbert, and Wilson. Or NFC South with ?, ?, and ?. All the NFC South teams are unsettled at the QB positions. But certainly the AFC West has some fierce competition at QB. And no team in the NFSS had a winning record last year.

Good point. I was commenting only on the team around him.

 

[Boston]

Interesting move for both the Saints and Carr...I think it allows both parties to remain relevant (especially with the current state of the NFC South) but I don't see it putting them into legit contender status...I know the Saints had a rough cap situation...will be interesting to see the details on his contract and what the Saints are doing to clear room and if they can do anything else after this move.

Saints always made the most sense. They are in no position to land a top QB in the draft, have no young QB who maybe could be the guy, and had clearly soured on Winston/Dalton. That said, I agree, its not much of a needle mover. Carr is only a slight upgrade over what they had, but he's an upgrade nonetheless.

The x-factor to me for the Saints was whether they were gonna go for the full rebuild but obviously that is not happening...also, this seems like a good market for Carr...not sure he would have been a good fit for NYC.

 

[Chadstroma]

The Jets would have been the better landing spot for him but no one wants to be the second choice in pretty much anything.

The Saints are questionable right now- arguments can be made that they will be competitive or not. I wouldn't be surprised with either direction. They are in cap hell and will need to make more moves. There is no question that they are in a decline right now and will take a year or two to have financial flexibility.

The Jets are don't have much in cap room right now but next year clears a lot and they are very young.

However, the Saints being in a dome is likely better for Carr due to his history in cold weather games.

 

[Faust]

Saints agreed to terms with QB Derek Carr, formerly of the Raiders, on a four-year contract.​

Carr is reuniting with Dennis Allen as the Saints lock in their starting quarterback for 2023. Carr has seen his early best ball ADP settle in the double-digit rounds. He may not see much of a boost while joining what has been a very run-heavy team, but he will be very helpful for the Saints' weapons. Carr's signing is a huge boost for second-year WR Chris Olave, who impressed with his ability to consistently draw deep targets as a rookie. Carr should have more freedom to challenge deep than Jameis Winston did, and he has far more deep ball ability than Andy Dalton. The move could also make Michael Thomas more likely to stay in New Orleans, although that situation continues to be murky. Alvin Kamara could be facing a long suspension, but when on the field, his outlook is much stronger with Carr under center. Carr is likely to throw underneath, but should also operate a more potent offensive attack than Dalton did.
RELATED:

• Chris Olave
• , Alvin Kamara
• , Michael Thomas
• , Las Vegas Raiders

SOURCE: Mike Garafolo on Twitter
Mar 6, 2023, 10:19 AM ET

 

[-OZ-]

saints seem to make the most sense given everything. And suddenly they’re the top team in the weakest division.

 

[massraider]

This is relevant mainly to Olave and Kamara owners.

 

[IHEARTFF]

what do we think terms will be - 4/$140 with $100 G roughly?

 

[travdogg]

Interesting move for both the Saints and Carr...I think it allows both parties to remain relevant (especially with the current state of the NFC South) but I don't see it putting them into legit contender status...I know the Saints had a rough cap situation...will be interesting to see the details on his contract and what the Saints are doing to clear room and if they can do anything else after this move.

Saints always made the most sense. They are in no position to land a top QB in the draft, have no young QB who maybe could be the guy, and had clearly soured on Winston/Dalton. That said, I agree, its not much of a needle mover. Carr is only a slight upgrade over what they had, but he's an upgrade nonetheless.

The x-factor to me for the Saints was whether they were gonna go for the full rebuild but obviously that is not happening...also, this seems like a good market for Carr...not sure he would have been a good fit for NYC.

I've always thought the Jets were all-in on Rodgers, just makes all the sense on the world. Maybe Jimmy G as a fallback, if Rodgers retires, but that seems like maybe a 10% chance at most.

 

[Boston]

Interesting move for both the Saints and Carr...I think it allows both parties to remain relevant (especially with the current state of the NFC South) but I don't see it putting them into legit contender status...I know the Saints had a rough cap situation...will be interesting to see the details on his contract and what the Saints are doing to clear room and if they can do anything else after this move.

Saints always made the most sense. They are in no position to land a top QB in the draft, have no young QB who maybe could be the guy, and had clearly soured on Winston/Dalton. That said, I agree, its not much of a needle mover. Carr is only a slight upgrade over what they had, but he's an upgrade nonetheless.

The x-factor to me for the Saints was whether they were gonna go for the full rebuild but obviously that is not happening...also, this seems like a good market for Carr...not sure he would have been a good fit for NYC.

I've always thought the Jets were all-in on Rodgers, just makes all the sense on the world. Maybe Jimmy G as a fallback, if Rodgers retires, but that seems like maybe a 10% chance at most.

Agreed...unless the connection to Jimmy G from San Fran is strong and they like the fact that there is zero compensation, Rodgers to the Jets seems like a very good fit.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

what do we think terms will be - 4/$140 with $100 G roughly?

That's a steal if the Saints can get him for that, especially when Danny Dimes is supposedly signing for $40mil/year.

 

[Joe Bryant]

FBG Instant Reaction: https://www.footballguys.com/article/2023-free-agency-derek-carr-saints

 

[Wingnut]

Poor Jameis.

 

[IHEARTFF]

Poor Jameis.

back to TB?

 

[ffmail4me]

Really good for Carr, in a dome, crappy division, Olave, maybe MT, Kamara, I really like it.

 

[Ilov80s]

Love this for Olave. Stock way way up.

 

[higgins]

If they release MT, remember the name Rashid Shaheed.

 

[DocHolliday]

Really good for Carr, in a dome, crappy division, Olave, maybe MT, Kamara, I really like it.

Carr is a good QB. He should do well with good weapons and lead the Saints to the playoffs.

 

[ghostguy123]

Love this for Olave. Stock way way up.

I have already seen him as a late 2nd round startup pick. How much higher will he realistically be drafted than that? I mean, his stock was already pretty high up there for dynasty.
Redraft he probably just moved up a round

 

[IHEARTFF]

Really good for Carr, in a dome, crappy division, Olave, maybe MT, Kamara, I really like it.

Carr is a good QB. He should do well with good weapons and lead the Saints to the playoffs.

best defense of Carr's career

 

[menobrown]

If they release MT, remember the name Rashid Shaheed.

Like most I assumed that was a foregone conclusion. Been hearing in past few weeks that may not be the case and fwiw he seems pretty stoked about the Carr signing on the twitter.

 

[Ilov80s]

Love this for Olave. Stock way way up.

I have already seen him as a late 2nd round startup pick. How much higher will he realistically be drafted than that? I mean, his stock was already pretty high up there for dynasty.
Redraft he probably just moved up a round

Yeah this makes sense

 

[wlwiles]

The Saints fan in me kinda hates this move strictly because it gives them a realistic chance in a weak division, and is going to create the illusion that we have a shot at doing anything.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

per MikeGarafolo on Sleeper, 4 yr 150M 70M guaranteed (60M at signing, 10M in year 3, vesting after year 1)

Carr strutures his deal to accomodate Saints' cap issues.

 

[Anarchy99]

If they release MT, remember the name Rashid Shaheed.

Like most I assumed that was a foregone conclusion. Been hearing in past few weeks that may not be the case and fwiw he seems pretty stoked about the Carr signing on the twitter.

NOS and MT restructured his deal for him to be released with the least amount of cap hit to the Saints. As it stands currently, Thomas is only set to make $1.1M in salary this year ($2M with bonuses) and $51.M next year (salary and roster bonus). If the Saints DON'T release him prior to the season, I don't see any way he agrees to play for $2M this season.

 

[menobrown]

If they release MT, remember the name Rashid Shaheed.

Like most I assumed that was a foregone conclusion. Been hearing in past few weeks that may not be the case and fwiw he seems pretty stoked about the Carr signing on the twitter.

NOS and MT restructured his deal for him to be released with the least amount of cap hit to the Saints. As it stands currently, Thomas is only set to make $1.1M in salary this year ($2M with bonuses) and $51.M next year (salary and roster bonus). If the Saints DON'T release him prior to the season, I don't see any way he agrees to play for $2M this season.

I think they are keeping him.

This guy is one of the best beat writers. I'd pay attention to what he says and MT's social media reactions: https://twitter.com/nick_underhill/status/1632803459085811716

 

[Faust]

Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
Presumably, this means Derek Carr gets $60 million over the first two years (plus $10 million guaranteed in Year 3) from the Saints. He was set to make $75 million in 2023-24 on his Raiders' deal—which is good context on why Vegas couldn't trade him.

(*Corrected.)

https://twitter.com/albertbreer/status/1632808261752684544?s=21

 

[Anarchy99]

I think they are keeping him.

They may end up keeping him, but IMO, they will have to redo his contract again. Thomas griped about his contract several times in the past. I highly doubt he'd be down with only getting a $1.1M salary this season.

ETA: Thomas has made $66M in 7 seasons. I don't know what he would want for a salary, but the big cheeses at WR make $25-30M these days.

 

[-OZ-]

The Saints fan in me kinda hates this move strictly because it gives them a realistic chance in a weak division, and is going to create the illusion that we have a shot at doing anything.

It’s the NFC and you have a good defense. You never know. Other than SF and Philly it’s wide open.

 

[-OZ-]

I think they are keeping him.

They may end up keeping him, but IMO, they will have to redo his contract again. Thomas griped about his contract several times in the past. I highly doubt he'd be down with only getting a $1.1M salary this season.

I get that, but with 77 targets over 3 years He’s probably not worth much more.

 

[menobrown]

I think they are keeping him.

They may end up keeping him, but IMO, they will have to redo his contract again. Thomas griped about his contract several times in the past. I highly doubt he'd be down with only getting a $1.1M salary this season.

Yes he'll need to redo his contract for them to keep him but that's what the Saints will require because his current contract locks him into $37M in future guarantees if he's on the roster on March 17th so they are not keeping him if they can't work that out. As of right now I'm not even 100% sure they are keeping him, but my belief is they have already ironed out the details and keeping him is the way this is most likely heading.

I think Saints see a weak NFC South, not an overly strong NFC, and right or wrong they are trying to gear up to make a run in the next 1-2 years. Also why I think we've not been hearing reports they are mulling cutting Kamara like we are seeing and hearing out of Cincy and Minny.

 

[IHEARTFF]

what do we think terms will be - 4/$140 with $100 G roughly?

 

[Doug B]

what do we think terms will be - 4/$140 with $100 G roughly?

That was pretty much on the money: 4/$150 M, $100 in guarantees.

 

[massraider]

2 years, 60 mill.

 

[IHEARTFF]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

 

[ghostguy123]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

Sooooooô, what needs to happen for the guarantee not to be guaranteed?

 

[menobrown]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

Sooooooô, what needs to happen for the guarantee not to be guaranteed?

Cut him around or before the new league year starts in 2025.

 

[ghostguy123]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

Sooooooô, what needs to happen for the guarantee not to be guaranteed?

Cut him around or before the new league year starts in 2025.

Doesn't sound like he got 100 million guaranteed then

 

[menobrown]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

Sooooooô, what needs to happen for the guarantee not to be guaranteed?

Cut him around or before the new league year starts in 2025.

Doesn't sound like he got 100 million guaranteed then

He did not and something I've been preaching around here, maybe just in the Lamar thread, and something people need to keep in mind when FA starts next week.

Fully guaranteed is not the same thing as guaranteed. He got $60m fully guaranteed.

Carr essentially got a 2 year $60m contract with a team option for the third and fourth season. With one caveat of he does have a guarantee for injury for the 2025 season(so if risks getting benched again in 2024)

 

[ghostguy123]

2 years, 60 mill.

yeah that other 40 is a soft guarantee, but barring a disaster will get locked in

Sooooooô, what needs to happen for the guarantee not to be guaranteed?

Cut him around or before the new league year starts in 2025.

Doesn't sound like he got 100 million guaranteed then

He did not and something I've been preaching around here, maybe just in the Lamar thread, and something people need to keep in mind when FA starts next week.

Fully guaranteed is not the same thing as guaranteed. He got $60m fully guaranteed.

Carr essentially got a 2 year $60m contract with a team option for the third and fourth season. With one caveat of he does have a guarantee for injury for the 2025 season(so if risks getting benched again in 2024)

Then people who report this stuff need a dictionary.

 

[Faust]

Derek Carr Might Not Be the Upgrade the Saints Think They’re Paying For

 

[titusbramble]

Olave owners should be happy.

What about if I own Carr as well?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Olave owners should be happy.

What about if I own Carr as well?

I think it’s kind of a lateral move for Carr, but a stack is always fun.