3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Derek Carr If the Raiders Sign a Quarterback

In the 2016-17 season, Derek Carr finished tied with Ezekiel Elliott for third in the NFL MVP ballot. That was the last time the Oakland Raiders made the playoffs, and the only time during Carr's tenure as the starting QB that he led them to a winning record (12-3). Sadly, a season-ending injury kept Carr from playing in his first postseason game, and it has been rather downhill since for both Carr and the Raiders.

When Jon Gruden took over in 2018, this arranged marriage always brought up questions about Carr's future with the team. Now that the organization is officially moving to Las Vegas this season, and possibly looking to re-brand itself, 2019 seemed like it could be Derek's last opportunity to prove he is the Raiders' franchise quarterback. With the Raiders 6-4 record putting them in an AFC Wild Card position with six weeks to play last year, Carr could only muster up one win against four teams with sub-500 records, losing five total to finish 7-9.

This collapse might spell the end for Carr in silver and black. If Gruden decides to make a change, here's where Derek Carr might end up via trade.

1. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are currently in an organizational overhaul, after hiring college program-rebuilder Matt Rhule to be the new head coach. Rhule got a lengthy contract, so he won't necessarily be desperate to prove himself right out of the gates in year one, but he will want to stay competitive. With a legitimate possibility that the organization could be moving on from Cam Newton spurred from statements with the press, Carr's stability might be just what Rhule is looking for while management searches for a the new long-term face of the franchise. Kyle Allen surprised last year, but he didn't show the skill-set needed to be an NFL starter, and rookie Will Grier was a bust altogether, so expect either of these two QBs to prove viable options in that regard for 2020 and beyond. Paired with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady (LSU & Joe Burrow's quarterback guru in 2019), and MVP-caliber running back Christian McCaffrey, maybe Carr could be in for a renaissance with the Panthers.

2. Indianapolis Colts

Like most quarterbacks, Carr has seen his most successful season behind a dominant offensive line in 2016. With this tremendous blocking in front of him, he threw for 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Despite throwing for more total yardage in 2018 and 2019, that was Carr's top TD-to-INT ratio throughout his career. He was also sacked a career low 2.8 percent that season. The Indianapolis Colts' offensive line has been viewed by many as one of the sturdiest units in football the last two seasons, finishing neck and neck with the Raiders in the top-10 fewest sacks allowed in 2019. General manager Chris Ballard has already publicly stated that he needs better execution from his offense in 2020, maybe Carr's experience can provide that for Indy.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Philip Rivers could still be the top target for Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but if they miss on the veteran because he chooses somewhere like Indianapolis, they may still be looking elsewhere for some experience at the position. Arians has stood by Jameis Winston publicly, but the dissatisfaction with the erratic QB's poor decision-making has also been clear from management. This year, the Bucs' starter threw for 5,109 yards and made NFL history as the first ever 30/30 quarterback (with 33 TD's and 30 interceptions). The season ended on an overtime pick six to add that final tally. Being that consistency is the major concern for Tampa when inking Winston to a long-term deal, the safer option may be passing on the raw talent for a player that has been much more tempered and controlled in his style of play. Carr has never thrown more than 13 interceptions in a season, but hasn't come close to 5,000 yards either. You might say he is the opposite of Winston, which might be just what Arians is looking for after the 2019-20 season.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.