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Atlanta Falcons News

Derek Carr to the Falcons isn’t Happening

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was loosely linked to the Atlanta Falcons reportedly by Adam Schefter.

Dov Kleinman quoted Schefter as saying about Carr “The entire NFC South is expected to be in the market for a new quarterback.”

Obviously the Falcons are in the NFC South, and they will be in the market for a new quarterback with Marcus Mariota expected to be cut in the coming weeks.

But the Falcons won’t be in the market for Carr, and it seems odd that a team would bother trading for him.

Carr carries roughly a $35-million cap hit for the Raiders in 2023 against just a $5.6-million dead-cap hit. Meaning, if the Raiders cut Carr, they’re only on the hook for $5.6-million.

This isn’t a Baker Mayfield situation with the Cleveland Browns last year, because Mayfield’s entire salary was guaranteed in 2022. It was well known the Browns had to move on from Mayfield after acquiring Deshaun Watson, but cutting him wouldn’t have saved the Browns any money.

Cutting Carr will save the Raiders nearly $30 million.

With a no-trade clause, Carr can dictate where he would want to go in 2023. Why would a team who wants him bother trading draft picks for a player who will be cut soon?

That said, Carr will have plenty of suitors, and the Falcons aren’t likely to get in a bidding war for a player that doesn’t particularly fit their offense and will require a significant financial investment.

According to ESPN, the biggest priority Atlanta faces heading into the offseason will be making a decision at quarterback. One of the top quarterbacks in the draft could fall to the Falcons at No. 8, forcing them to make a tough decision after just four games of Desmond Ridder.

Despite being willing to cough up a huge package for Deshaun Watson last year, it seems unlikely the Falcons would be willing to make a significant trade and financial investment in a quarterback this offseason.

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Scott Kennedy
Scott Kennedy is an Atlanta native and 20 year media veteran including time as Director of Scouting at Scout.com, Managing Editor at 247Sports, VP Content Operations at Sports Illustrated and more. Scott has appeared as a recruiting and NFL Draft analyst on dozens of media including ESPN, NFL Network, USA Today, NY Times, and more.
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