Pretty much everybody has been informed on the situation with Derek Carr. The three-time Pro Bowler had a good year in 2019 for the Oakland Raiders, but as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas it appears clearer than ever head coach Jon Gruden is interested in making a change. Most feel the only way this happens though is if the Raiders are able to sign Tom Brady, their interest being heavily rumored for two months.
This makes one think that the odds aren’t in favor of Carr going anywhere. Most experts agree Brady will either stay in New England or go to the Tennessee Titans at this point. NFL insider Benjamin Allbright though doesn’t think it’s quite Brady-or-bust for Gruden. He appeared on the Bears Banter podcast with Bill Zimmerman to talk about the QB landscape.
When discussing the Raiders situation, he mentioned there is another potential name out there that they might covet.
“They would be looking for some other options. It’s not necessarily contingent on Tom Brady. If Brady were to go to Tennessee, that puts Ryan Tannehill in the open market which Gruden would be very, very interested in. Which, again, pushes Carr onto the open market…
…From what I understand, it’s trending towards they want to bring in a veteran, draft a QB and kind of go in that direction rather than the direction they’ve been going.”
Derek Carr situation remains very much in limbo
Gruden actually has a history with Tannehill, sort of. The two grew familiar with each other back in 2012 when the coach worked for ESPN. He interviewed the Texas A&M quarterback for his QB Camp show and came away impressed with his size and his football intelligence. Since then Tannehill led two different teams to the playoffs including the AFC championship last season with Tennessee.
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Given Gruden’s love for veteran quarterbacks, it’s hardly a surprise he’d like somebody like him. One must also note that the Titans likely won’t franchise tag Tannehill. So he will reach the open market on March 18th. If the Raiders aren’t confident they can get Brady, then making a hard push for Tannehill would be obvious.
Such a move would send a pretty clear message. Carr is done in Las Vegas and would be open for business. Allbright already reported the Chicago Bears are interested in him. This scenario creates the opportunity they’ll need to make something happen.
