With the team failing to live up to expectations this season, questions continue to surround the Las Vegas Raiders and what they could do to make that leap into true Super Bowl contenders. Even though he signed an extension last offseason, the future of quarterback Derek Carr continues to be questioned, and that is especially the case with this year’s free agency class being loaded with quarterbacks, including arguably the greatest ever, Tom Brady.
Brady being interested in potentially joining the Raiders makes a lot of sense. He is very familiar with head coach Josh McDaniels from their time together with the Patriots, and the Raiders have a great collection of skill position players, including two things Brady has always thrived with an excellent slot receiver and a big, athletic tight end.
The question is whether the Raiders will look to move on from Carr in pursuit of Brady, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the franchise will make a real run at the future Hall of Famer:
“I think they’ll make a serious run at Brady. The Raiders don’t need a splashy hire to sell out games in Las Vegas, but adding the greatest player in league history is an economic boon for any team. Brady’s familiarity with McDaniels and the offense and the impressive group of playmakers are only a bonus. McDaniels already was fired once for getting his quarterback situation wrong in Denver. On top of all that, Brady would probably come at a lower cost than Carr over the next couple of seasons.”
Carr has had his ups and downs this season, and while there is room for improvement, it is hard to argue that he has been the main cause of the Raiders’ issues. Another question that would have to be asked is whether Brady even represents an upgrade over Carr at this stage of his career.
After an MVP-caliber season last year, Brady is struggling mightily this season. In fact, Carr has more touchdowns, a higher QB Rating and Total QBR than Brady this season. Brady does have a higher completion percentage and is throwing for more yards per game, but is also averaging a career-low in yards per attempt.
The Raiders can get out of Carr’s deal this offseason with very little against the cap, and that alone could push them towards moving on from Carr. Perhaps a move to Las Vegas is what Brady needs to make one last run toward a Super Bowl, but the Brady that we have seen this year wouldn’t seem to be much of an upgrade over what the Raiders already have.
