New Orleans Saints Plan to Keep Derek Carr As Quarterback
The New Orleans Saints brought in a new Head Coach this offseason, and with that comes a whole bunch of questions. As the team welcomed new Head Coach Kellen Moore, one of the biggest questions the new coach faced was about the top quarterback on the depth chart. Not because he's a bad player, but because he has a giant contract.
Derek Carr is the biggest number sticking out of a Saints salary cap nightmare. For the last decade, the Saints have continued to "kick the can down the road" with their cap issues. Restructuring deals over and over, cutting players here and there, and trading pieces to slide under the cap. With their quarterback having a massive $51.4 million cap number, that seems like the first place you should look to fix things.
But its not that easy. If you cut Carr, you still take a cap hit. Trying to trade him wouldn't return much from the other team, and you'd still take a cap hit. Keeping him on the roster might be the smartest cap move, because you still get to use him.
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis actually told reporters at the NFL Combine that the team isn't just content with keeping Carr as their starter, they're "excited about it."
Carr will be 34-years-old when the Saints kick off their season, so he's not a young player, he's an established veteran. He has made 4 Pro Bowls in his career, and has put up some big numbers in the past. In the 2016 season, Carr finished 3rd in MVP voting, and put up 28 touchdown passes to just 6 interceptions. While throwing for 3,937 yards that season. As the Raiders starting quarterback that year, he led the team to a 12-4 record, and a trip to the playoffs.
Its not that Carr is a bad quarterback. He's been good enough to lead teams to winning records, playoff appearances, and has thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season 4 times. The biggest issue for Carr since he arrived in New Orleans has been his health. If he can stay healthy, a coach like Kellen Moore might be able to unlock that 4,000 yard-per-season potential.
Not to mention the NFC South isn't the strongest division in football. Its very winnable for a quarterback like Carr. If the Saints are able to fortify their offensive line in the draft, and do everything they can to keep Carr healthy, you might see a Saints playoff appearance sooner-rather-than-later.