For the second time in two months, the Oakland Raiders have shocked the NFL world by trading a young player many figured to be a franchise cornerstone.
On Monday, Oakland dealt two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick.
While the compensation was much better than most expected, it now seems that the downtrodden Raiders are going into fire-sale mode ahead of the Oct. 30 trade deadline.
When pressed about this following Monday’s blockbuster trade, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie refused to say that starting quarterback Derek Carr was untouchable in trade talks.
McKenzie asked if anyone on roster is untouchable. “I’m untouchable.” Laughed. But yeah, he wouldn’t say Carr
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 22, 2018
Recent reports have suggested that Carr might in fact be on the block following a disastrous start to the season for the former Pro Bowl signal caller. The 27-year-old quarterback has put up seven touchdowns compared to eight interceptions en route to leading Oakland to the NFL’s fourth-worst scoring offense.
If Carr is in fact put on the block, it remains to be seen how many teams might show interest in his services.
The former second-round pick signed a five-year, $125 million extension with Oakland back in June of 2017. That’s a hefty price to pay for a struggling quarterback. Then again, there’s a lot of quarterback-needy teams out there. One squad in Florida comes to mind first.
This will certainly be something to watch between now and the trade deadline next Tuesday.