The Derek Carr decision has finally arrived, and the first domino of this off-season has fallen.
Carr agreed to sign with the New Orleans Saints on a four-year, $150 million contract that includes $100 million guaranteed. This means Carr will be making about $37.5 million per year, as expected.
The final two teams in on the former Raiders’ QB were the Saints and the Jets. It seemed like New Orleans made it clear Carr was their primary option, while New York didn’t make it as clear.
Nonetheless, Carr was the Saints’ best option, and the team now has the best QB in the NFC South. This division proved to be weak last year, and New Orleans is trying to take advantage of this. All four teams in the division will most likely have a different starting QB than last season, and the Saints have the best all-around roster now.
Carr didn’t have his best season last year, but he certainly wasn’t bad by any stretch. He threw for just over 3500 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while working with a terrible offensive line and defense.
In terms of talent, Chris Olave will be able to showcase his full potential with Carr throwing him the ball, and Alvin Kamara will return to his former self now that defenses will have to start worrying about the passing game again. With the inevitable release of Michael Thomas, the team will probably draft another threat at WR or TE to pair with Olave, and that could create a real threat offensively for New Orleans.
For the first time in his career, Carr has a stable base around him. General Manager Mickey Loomis is respected by all that he’s worked with, as is Head Coach Dennis Allen. A solid offensive line, a talented defense, and quite a few weapons will make Carr an exciting watch in New Orleans next season.
