Derek Carr Rumors: Saints Buzzing as Trade Suitor for Raiders QB, May Rework Contract

After acquiring extra draft capital by trading Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints could be a player in the trade market for quarterbacks this offseason.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Saints were "buzzing" as a potential landing spot for Derek Carr among NFL scouts and executives in Alabama this week for the Senior Bowl.

Fowler noted some teams interested in Carr will look to rework his contract to facilitate a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Carr's time with the Raiders has almost certainly come to an end, barring some last-minute reconciliation between the two sides. He was benched for the final two games of the regular season, in part because his 2023 salary would have become fully guaranteed if he suffered a serious injury.

The four-time Pro Bowler sent out a farewell message to Raiders fans on Jan. 12:

Carr followed that up with a cryptic tweet on Jan. 21 that it was the "hardest thing in the world not to jump on every interview and tell the whole truth" about what happened at the end of the season with the Raiders.

If the Raiders are going to trade Carr, they will likely want to find a partner before Feb. 15. That's the date his $32.9 million base salary for next season and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary becomes fully guaranteed.

Carr said during the Pro Bowl Games on Thursday he has no intention of extending that deadline.

"I don't think that would be best for me," he explained.

As has become an annual occurrence with the Saints, they will have to do some extreme cap maneuvering to make any significant roster additions this offseason. They are currently $57.4 million over the 2023 salary cap with Jameis Winston and Jake Luton as the only quarterbacks under contract.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Saints will acquire the No. 29 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and a 2024 second-round pick from the Denver Broncos for Payton and a 2024 third-round pick.

Tom Brady's retirement has left the NFC South wide open. All four teams in the division will likely be looking at the quarterback market this offseason.

The Saints used Winston and Andy Dalton as their starting quarterbacks this season. They combined to throw for 3,729 yards, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Carr threw for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 starts for the Raiders during the 2022 season.