Derek Carr has been one of the top free-backs this season. For teams looking to add to that slot, Carr is one of the stronger picks, so he’ll likely have a lot of followers once free agency officially kicks off.
It appears to be currently a three-horse race. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Carr has lined up visits with three teams, including two that he visited with.
Rapport tweeted:
“When QB Derek Carr arrives in Indianapolis today, he’ll have live free agent meetings with 3 teams: The Jets, the Saints and Panthers. He’s visited New Orleans and NYJ, now he’s adding Carolina and possibly more. Coach, GM, owner are all in the same position this week.”
Rapoport said that Carr met the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. The Carolina Panthers are new to the team, but all three teams need a quarterback.
Which team is most likely to sign Derek Carr?
All three of those teams need a midfielder. Derek Carr, while not having a stellar year in Las Vegas in 2022, is a pretty viable option. However, one of these teams is more likely to sign him.
The Jets looked at every option in midfield. They are said to be interested in swapping Aaron Rodgers and are considering Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Carr is probably their best choice of the three. Garoppolo may struggle to get rid of Kyle Shanahan and Rodgers will ask for an astronomical trade package and he has a great contract.
The Saints might splash Carr, but he probably doesn’t represent a big enough upgrade from a healthy Jameis Winston to worry about investing in. Carr could be the one-year deal to try and compete while they have the likes of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas signing big. Whether Carr is willing to sign a one-year contract is another matter.
The Panthers are the least likely candidate here. They’ve been looking for a midfielder since its release Orange Newton in 2019, this is probably a move not to do.
They threw everything at a number of different veterans and it didn’t work, so they tended to pick one this time around. That’s especially true because they can get top picks from Chicago bear.
