Derek Carr Was 'Very Willing' to Accept Trade; Raiders Only Let Him Speak to Saints

Derek Carr wasn't steadfastly against a trade that would've allowed the Las Vegas Raiders to receive some compensation from his departure this offseason.

The New Orleans Saints announced Carr as their newest signing Saturday. During his introductory press conference, he told reporters he was "very willing to accept a trade":

"But I was only able to talk to one team. I was only given permission to talk to one team. As much as I love and respect those guys, [general manager Dave Ziegler] and [head coach Josh McDaniels] over at the Raiders, how do I make that decision when it's the only time in my career that I've been, or could possibly be free? I can't possibly make that decision without being able to talk to other people. But I still almost made the decision. I felt so much love here. Like, I still almost did it."

Coincidentally, Carr landed with the one team that was linked to a swap for him. The four-time Pro Bowler exercised his no-trade clause to nip the idea in the bud. That left the Raiders with no choice but to release him outright in February.

With Las Vegas clearly ready to move on at quarterback, the 31-year-old held all of the cards, and you can't blame him for maximizing his leverage. Becoming a free agent allowed him to fully survey his market and meet with prospective suitors.

Carr also did the Saints a bit of a favor because they got a quarterback they clearly valued and didn't have to give up anything in the process. He and New Orleans agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract, and that was all it took.

Everybody won, well except for the Raiders.