As Chiefs Boast West’s Best QB, Raiders Search For New Answer

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This Saturday will mark yet another chapter in the storied rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders. There have been plenty of instant classics, close finishes and stretches of dominance for one team over the other in the history of this head-to-head meeting. However, there will be a new wrinkle to this rivalry in this year’s regular season finale. That is at least true for the first time in a long while.

Derek Carr will not be playing. According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, Carr had started in the last 17 consecutive games when the Raiders had faced the Chiefs. Matt McGloin was the last passer to don the silver and black that faced Kansas City, before this lengthy run of Carr.

It was announced last week that the Raiders were benching Carr for the final two games of the season. As mentioned by the organization, this change gives Las Vegas an opportunity to see what they have in some younger players on the roster. Point blank, their main objective was to keep Carr healthy, as they look to move on from him this offseason. After years of seeming like his Raiders tenure had run its course, the ending is now all but certain, when it comes to Derek Carr and this team.

During the Week 18 matchup, the Chiefs will be relying on one of the league’s best quarterbacks, let alone the best in the AFC West, Patrick Mahomes. While his brilliance continues, the Raiders are finally searching for a new answer. How will they go about moving off of Carr? Plus, which path will Las Vegas ultimately take when selecting their new signal caller? Let’s kick it off.

Time For A New Carr

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One Of Raiders Top Passers

Given the long struggles of the Raiders franchise, Derek Carr has certainly endured his share of disappointments. But let’s start with some of the positives that Carr offers, based on his ranks among team history. First and foremost, this quarterback has accomplished more than most quarterbacks that have worn a Raiders jersey, outside of playoff success. He leads the franchise in games played (142), passing yards (35,222), passing touchdowns (217), fourth quarter comebacks (28) and game-winning drives (33).

Beyond his statistics, Carr has generally been an accurate passer in the intermediate to deep passing game. He has been a great source of leadership, motivation and improvement for other teammates as well. On the other hand, the turnovers, lack of consistent decision-making and up and down aggressiveness has hindered his overall outlook. Simply put, there are times when Carr has simply reached his ceiling, while failing to grow beyond it. He has also faltered well below that capped ceiling, to boot.

Parameters Surrounding Possible Carr Move

So, what may a Derek Carr move look like this upcoming offseason? They can either trade or release the quarterback. Either way, Vegas would save $29.25 million in 2023 salary cap space. However, this only occurs if they move on from Carr by February 15, or his contract guarantees for next season kick in on the Raider ledger. Think back to the Alex Smith trade between Kansas City and Washington as a similar procedural move by a certain deadline. Obviously, the trade would not become official until the new league year in March 2023, if he were to be traded.

Vegas would endure a miniscule $5.625 million dead cap hit, if Derek Carr is traded or released. Finally, the signal caller does have a no trade clause. This means that he would have to officially waive his no trade clause, in order for a deal to be facilitated. In some sense, Carr would be somewhat able to choose where he may or may not want to go.

Does Josh McDaniels Go Down A Similar Path?

Similar to when Josh McDaniels was head coach of the Denver Broncos, he is now setting out to get his guy. Back in 2010, his staff drafted Tim Tebow as a first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Of course, McDaniels did not get to see that move take shape, due to his firing late in the 2010 season. McDaniels offered the Broncos a fresh style of quarterback play, nevertheless. This move for Tebow also created a new approach for the Denver offense.

As things currently stand in the 2023 NFL Draft, we are expected to see more quarterbacks go in the first round than we did in 2022. Surely, it will be difficult for teams to be so staunch with passing on developmental passers, only to see them slide so drastically, once again. That is especially true, when so many teams are in need of a new quarterback in their offense.

Entering Week 18, the Raiders own the 8th overall pick in the first round of 2023, according to Tankathon. Can McDaniels and Las Vegas sit and draft a guy in the top ten, if their selection ultimately lands there? Or, do the Raiders trade up a bit into the top five or so, in order to guarantee that they get the man they want?

Is Veteran Experience The Answer?

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On the flip side, the Raiders may feel more comfortable going after a veteran quarterback who provides experience. As we mentioned earlier, Vegas can gain significant salary cap space by moving on from Carr. Add in other possible trades or contract restructures, and the Raiders could literally and figuratively be playing with house money, when it comes to 2023 salary cap space.

That could make it easier to go after the big fish from the veteran quarterback market. If Tom Brady decides to continue playing and leaves Tampa Bay, could he reunite with McDaniels? The two had great success together in New England when McDaniels was the Patriots offensive coordinator for a lengthy stretch. The greatest quarterback of all-time would not necessarily break the bank, from the Raiders’ salary cap perspective.

But, there are other veterans that certainly could. Say the Lamar Jackson situation turns sour for Baltimore, and the Raiders swing for the fences to acquire him. If that were to somehow happen, Jackson would surely sign a monster contract extension after a possible acquisition, all in one fell swoop.

Lastly, there are other veterans that you could realistically see the Raiders taking chances on as well. This could include a name like Geno Smith, depending on if the Seattle Seahawks want to hand him a new contract.

Pointing To Positives

The struggles of the Raiders have been well documented during their 2022 campaign. Items like constant blown leads and plenty of one-score losses have put Las Vegas in a hole. Yet, this franchise still has some positives to point towards, when addressing their future at the quarterback position.

First of all, you have that bountiful salary cap space for 2023, just from moving on from Carr alone. As bad as it was this year, the Raiders were not as disappointing as the Broncos inside the AFC West. Offensively, weapons like Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow are rare weapons who can separate and win downfield in any one-on-one matchup.

Some of the other foundational pieces for the Raiders are either young or locked up long-term. This includes the constantly improving Maxx Crosby, as well as versatile defensive backs Nate Hobbs and Trevon Moehrig. If they can tighten up the trenches, a marginal improvement at quarterback could lead to a quicker fix than most may realize with this team that dons silver and black.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.