Yes I know what you’re thinking, and I can hear the comments now. “There’s no chance Derek Carr comes to the Houston Texans, why would the Texans trade for him when they have the #1 overall pick and 2 QB’s that are good options just sitting there waiting to be selected”.
Just hear me out.
Alabama QB Bryce Young and Ohio State QB CJ Stroud are almost universally the top 2 QBs on everyone’s draft board, and with Houston most likely having the 1st pick in next April’s draft, are in prime position to draft whichever quarterback that Nick Caserio thinks would fit his scheme and culture better and truly get this rebuild rolling after the Deshaun Watson fiasco.
Okay, now stay with me here.
Alabama also has another stud player that will probably go Top 3 in the draft, a man by the name of Will Anderson Jr. The Alabama linebacker is a guaranteed beast and would tremendously help this Texans defense that was terrible against the run and average against the pass this season. He would be one of Houston’s best defensive players instantly and keep opposing offenses up at night trying to game plan against him.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say Nick Caserio could potentially fall in love with him as a prospect and seriously consider drafting him at #1 overall. As much as Houston desperately needs a steady QB, they also need a playmaker up front to wreck havoc and they currently don’t have that (Also, Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr look like excellent picks already in their young careers and are amazing building blocks for this young defense).
That’s when Derek Carr comes into the picture.
If Nick Caserio decides that they are going to go with Anderson Jr. at #1, there’s a chance that the Houston Texans dial up the phone and give the Raiders a call about Carr. Despite his struggles this season, he has been a steady QB for many, many years and has been the Raiders cornerstone piece until just recently when they decided to bench him in favor of Jarrett Stidham. Carr has stepped away from the team and there is a really good chance he will not be back with them next season.
This season, Derek Carr has a 61% completion percentage while throwing for a little over 3,500 yards to go along with 24 TDs and 14 INTs and an 86 passer rating.
The craziest part about Derek Carr? He’s only 31 years old. It seems like he’s been in the league for forever, but he is right in the middle of a QBs prime years. So if Nick Caserio and the Houston Texans were to trade for him, it’s not like this is a 1 or 2 year rental. Carr could be a realistic long term option for the Texans if it were to work out and allow them to build other areas of their team while having a steady presence in the QB room.
But would Derek Carr even want to be in Houston? I’m not so sure.
Derek Carr is one of the few players in the NFL that has a No Trade Clause, which basically means that he can pick and choose where he would want to go. If the Raiders and Texans had an agreement to trade Carr to Houston, but Carr didn’t want to go to the Texans then all he has to do is not sign off on the trade and the Raiders won’t be allowed to go through with it.
David Carr went onto NFL total access and said Derek Carr is looking for a situation that is a "Stable situation between their Head Coach and Ownership". pic.twitter.com/V5pQsVUQdG
— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) January 3, 2023
Derek Carr’s brother, former Houston Texans QB and current ESPN Analyst David Carr, went on a bit of a rant about the whole situation between Carr and the Raiders:
“So, when I look at this it wasn’t Derek that changed, it was the Raiders that changed. So, when I go forward with Derek that conversation of him being retired or a Raider is no longer an option. He’s playing football again. He’s reinvigorated. He’s going out and the Raiders are going to seek a trade, they’re going to bring trades, which Derek has a no-trade clause, and they’re going to listen. And he’s going to look for teams that have a stable situation between their head coach and their ownership, right? Stable. He’s also going to be looking for a team that is also looking for a quarterback that has a reputation for game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks. I’m excited. Maybe he’s the missing piece for someone. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited for my brother’s future. I’m a little upset. That’s what happens.” (Via David Carr, ESPN)
The sentence I highlighted above is the reason why I think Carr to the Texans doesn’t make sense and probably won’t happen. Odds are that Lovie Smith is gone after this season and Houston will be looking for their 3rd Head Coach in as many years. Why would Carr want to take his talents to the Houston Texans when they have been one of the most unstable franchises in the last few seasons? I just don’t see him waiving his No Trade Clause for an obvious rebuilding team like the Texans are. It doesn’t make much sense for him at this point in his career.
So, go ahead and rejoice Texans fans. It looks like your starting QB will be either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud, or maybe Nick Caserio has a different trick up his sleeve.