Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss and Rex Ryan are all reacting to the news of Josh McDaniels becoming the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The song is called "2:21." There is a fork in the road when it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders and the future of franchise quarterback Derek Carr. There are three distinct paths. Which one do they take? Time will tell. Which one should they take? Depends on your loyalties and common sense. If you were to take Carr at his word, the road should not be long. Take a walk with us. When I got here, my goal was to give everything I have to this organization, let our fans know that I am giving it all I have, and whether the situation is great or not. I want to do it here. I don't want to do it somewhere else. I would probably quit football if I had to play for someone else. I have been a Raider for my entire life. I will root for the Raiders for the rest of my life. I feel that strong in my heart. I don't think I need a perfect situation. I do not need a perfect situation to make things right. If I have to go down with a ship, I would rather do that. How the Steelers can avoid a rebuild.
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He signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the Raiders in June of last year and the Raiders guaranteed $19.8-plus million remaining on his deal for 2022.
The reasoning is that Carr's words spoke volumes so take him up on them. Maxx Crosby and Hunter Renfrow are Pro Bowl players and the Raiders need to sign them to extensions that are less expensive than a quarterback. When the Raiders took care of Carr, Jackson, Ellis and Roberts, a star edge rusher was put on the back burner. Raiders owner Mark Davis said at the time that he thought Mack would honor his contract and play under the $13-plus million fifth-year option in 2018, before the team would reward him with the richest-ever contract for a defensive player the following year. Nope. The Raiders traded Mack to the Chicago Bears after he held out into training camp.
Carr getting guaranteed money in the process gives the team financial flexibility to address other needs. It gives Carr and the new regime time to get to know each other without jumping into something that might not work long term for either party. What if Carr's skill set doesn't mesh with the system? The QB market and money will be there at the end of Carr's current deal. It is not about money, right?
I look forward to taking the first snap in that stadium, and I look forward to taking every snap from here until I'm done.
The Raiders jump the broom and commit to the guy who holds virtually every passing record in franchise history, but a career 57-70 record and no playoff wins in eight seasons, with an above-market extension.
The figures were bandied about last week and then nothing. Carr fans insist that he is worth every penny, that he led Las Vegas to the playoffs last season with an inordinate amount of adversity, and that he took a team-friendly deal to stay with the Raiders. It was the richest contract in the history of the league. The point is not whether he deserves it or not, but whether or not the others are willing to go down with the ship. Hopefully, for them, a title.
There is a big debate on social media about whether Carr is a top 10 quarterback or not. It was fair enough. It would be like buying a house without knowing how Carr fits into the offense. It would seem more acceptable to extend Carr's contract between $30-$35 million per season.
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Tim Younger is my agent and he has a great relationship with everyone in the Raiders organization. We communicate well and have a good back and forth about a lot of things. There have been many things to say this year. I don't want to be a face-to-face guy when the time comes. I will play quarterback. My message will be discussed. They can do what they want with it. I am not going to have dinner and say we have to do something. Carr said he would let his voice be heard in a different way after the playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The path requires Carr to be traded for a bounty of picks that include at least one first-round pick.
The Raiders building was a hive of activity last summer when Carr said he would probably retire rather than play for another team, and his quote about going down with the ship raised eyebrows. If the Raiders have seen all they need to from Carr, and if someone is willing to help the Broncos with a rebuild, what would be the holdup?
After kicking the tires on a starter-for-starter trade for Russell Wilson, the NFL Nation held a QB carnival, and after Brady Henderson of the Seattle Seahawks rejected the trade, it was done.
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I swapped Carr for the Commanders first-round selection this year and a fourth-round pick in 2023 that would become a second-round pick if Carr leads Washington to the playoffs. I re-signed Marcus Mariota to be the starter because he would be learning a new system under the new coach and would be willing to extend plays, a prerequisite in the red-zone offense. The new regime is up and running.
Since you would hope the Raiders would have a plan in place if they did move on from Carr, that is all easier said than done. With the Raiders going a decidedly different way in the coaching staff and front office, there are at least three quarterbacks who know the system and could be on the market soon. That is a different story for a different day.
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