Derek Carr world tour thread (updated with combine visits)
I would like to pushback halfway.
There’s this line of thinking that tearing the entire franchise apart, trading everyone for draft picks and tanking for the number one pick is an automatic way to a franchise QB.
Mahomes wasn’t picked at one.
Hurts wasn’t either.
Allen wasn’t.
Yes, but here's QBs in the first round since 2018:
2018 - Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson
2019 - Kyler Murry, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins
2020 - Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love
2021 - Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones
2022 - Kenny Picket
Some years you have one or two hits. And some years you have squat. And in the last 5 years you only have 2 elite QBs, with Hebert and Allen not too far behind. How many of those guys will be worse than Carr?
Yes, you can find an elite QB in the first 2 rounds, but you just have to be lucky. And you won't know if the guy you drafted is "the guy" till about year 3. And, guys like Cam Jordan and DD are likely gone and there's no telling if the defense will still be as good with those guys gone. And if he's not the guy, you're set back 3 years. The chances of being bad for a long time are pretty high.
Finding someone on the level of Burrow or Mahomes or Hurts is possible, but the odds of getting a Baker Mayfield is greater. So, if you have a chance to get a guy like Carr who will immediately be the best QB in the NFCS and one of the best QBs in the NFC, you jump on it whatever it costs. Especially if you're a coach that's going to be fired if you get it wrong.
With the right moves, Carr can get the Saints to the NFC Championship game. I don't think they win that game until DA can figure out how to defend Hurts, but that's as good as we've had since 2009. I'll take that as opposed to relying on a rookie and only winning 4 or 5 games.