Derek Carr is set to meet with several teams at the NFL Combines this week, and it seems that will include not one but two of those teams from the NFC South.
When the Las Vegas Raiders released veteran quarterback Derek Carr earlier this month, he became the belle of the pre-NFL free agency ball. Players won’t be able to officially hit the open market until March 15, however, the four-time Pro Bowler has been able to take a tour well before the market takes shape.
Carr has taken advantage of his moment in the spotlight with meetings so far with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. But the 31-year-old still has time on his side and is in no rush to make a decision. That is why he reportedly will also meet with several more teams at this week’s NFL Combines.
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On Tuesday, NFL Network league insider Ian Rapoport gave an update on the Derek Carr free agent sweepstakes with the nine-year veteran now in Indianapolis for his meetings. Surprisingly, two of the three teams on his schedule will once again be the Saints and Jets. However, Rapoport also revealed that another team has officially joined the chase: The Carolina Panthers.
The insider revealed more teams could also meet with Carr this week since many movers and shakers from the league will be in Indianapolis for the yearly event. However, this is still the first official word of a team meeting with him beyond just the Saints and Jets
Is Derek Carr a good fit for the Carolina Panthers?
If the Carolina Panthers had made a move for Derek Carr this time last year, it would seem like a better fit than it does right now. They still had Christian McCaffrey on the roster, Matt Rhule was starting his third year as head coach and there seemed to be more of a win-now emphasis around the team.
- Derek Carr stats (2022): 3,522 passing yards, 24 TD, 14 INT, 86.3 rating
However, after trading McCaffrey this season, firing Rhule, having a messy situation at QB, and a new coach in Frank Reich, the Panthers are a team starting from scratch. With the ninth pick overall in this year’s draft, it might be a better move for the team to draft one of the four QBs with first-round potential in the class, or trade up for top prospects Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.
However, it is not a bad move for the franchise to do their due diligence on Derek Carr with an offensive-minded new head coach leading the team.