Raiders quarterback Derek Carr visited the Saints this week, just days before Las Vegas will either have to trade him or release him to avoid paying over $40 million in guaranteed money. New Orleans appears to be interested in moving on from Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton and acquiring Carr, who will be 32 in March, either via a trade or signing him if he’s released by Las Vegas. But do the Bucs have any interest in Carr, or are they fine with the four-time Pro Bowl QB heading to a division rival?

For the Bucs, it comes down to value. It’s no secret that Tampa Bay is strapped by the salary cap, as the team is $55 million over the cap. But with $35 million still on the books from Tom Brady’s voidable years in his final contract, it wouldn’t be prudent to take on even more money for a quarterback that the Raiders are itching to part ways with.

Keep in mind, there is no clear heir apparent in Las Vegas behind Carr, so the team’s decision to part ways with him is all the more curious. Essentially, head coach Josh McDaniels and the Raiders are saying that Carr is not worth $40 million in guaranteed money – and perhaps the stats bear that out.

Is Derek Carr Worth The Money?

Bucs ILB Devin White and Raiders QB Derek Carr – Photo by: USA Today

Pewter Report published a “Pros And Cons Of Bucs Acquiring Derek Carr In 2023” article days ago and the fact that he is coming off a down season was a potential red flag.

With the way his contract extension was worked, Carr bet on himself in 2022 – and lost. Carr completed 60.8% of his passes last year, which was his lowest completion percentage since his rookie season in 2014 (58.1%). He also tied his career-high of 14 interceptions in 2021, but played in all 17 games that season and only 15 this year.

Carr had the highest interception percentage of his career (2.8%), while his TD percentage was 4.8%, which was fourth-highest of his career. He did not mesh well with McDaniels, the Raiders new coach, and he went 6-9 as a starter. Last year, the Raiders really underachieved and became the first team in NFL history to blow four double-digit halftime leads.

And it wasn’t like Carr didn’t have any weapons to throw to, either. The Raiders traded for Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams, who played with Carr at Fresno State, last year. Adams joined the likes of Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs and third-down back Kenyan Drake, who was featured in the passing game.

Is Derek Carr Truly A Difference-Maker?

Raiders QB Derek Carr – Photo by: USA Today

The fact that Derek Carr had a 63-79 overall record in the regular season and produced just two winning seasons in nine years with the Raiders gives the Bucs pause, too. Carr has squared off against Todd Bowles and the Bucs defense once, losing 45-20 in 2020 in Las Vegas. He completed 24-of-36 (66.7%) passes for 284 yards with two TDs and one INT in that loss.

There is a chance that Carr could be better than any quarterback the Bucs wind up starting in 2023. But at what cost? Tampa Bay will not be as active in free agency this year, wanting to spend the year clearing some cap space in 2023 and beyond. The Bucs will have several big contract extensions to process in the next year or two, including deals for inside linebacker Devin White, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and right tackle Tristan Wirfs. All three players have been to at least one Pro Bowl.

General manager Jason Licht and the Bucs pretty much went all-in for three straight seasons and that produced a championship in Super Bowl LV and two straight division titles. But continuing to add more dead cap money to future years would only mean that Tampa Bay would have to truly undergo a rebuild sooner rather than later. The Bucs want to avoid that, especially with the NFC South not as strong of a division as others in the league, and reload rather than rebuild.

Raiders QB Derek Carr – Photo by: Getty Images

Some reports suggest that the Saints are close to agreeing on compensation and will trade for Derek Carr. While others state that Carr, who has a no-trade clause, does not want to be traded and will stick it to his soon-t0-be-former team by rejecting any trades. That means Las Vegas won’t get any draft pick compensation and will just have to let Carr head toward free agency, where he might receive interest from multiple teams.

But with Carr’s salary averaging $40 million per season on his current deal with the Raiders, that’s simply a price the Bucs don’t seem willing to pay right now. Instead, look for the Bucs to try to develop Kyle Trask, a former second-round pick in 2021, and sign a cheaper veteran bridge quarterback like Jacoby Brissett or Baker Mayfield for the 2023 season.