General Manager Mike Mayock apparently thinks of his quarterback with the Las Vegas Raiders. He named Derek Carr one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in a video conference with reporters on Wednesday.
“I think Derek Carr had his best year so far under Head Coach Jon Gruden,” Mayock said, continuing, “I think he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and we couldn’t be happier with him. And me I tell you every year that we re-evaluate every position. “
Mayock didn’t put a stop to the circulating trade rumors about Carr in this offseason: “I have no idea who could call me about a trade and who couldn’t. So you have to rate every player, both on your own team and on your own across the league. You have to put all your cards on the table and understand what the worth of every player across the league is. And that’s exactly what we do. “
About Carr, Mayock said, “If you ask me about Derek in particular, I think Jon Gruden and I would stand side by side and stand up for Derek Carr.”
In his third season under Gruden, Carr set career highs with 4103 passing yards and a 71.0 total QBR. In addition, there were 27 touchdown passes with only 9 interceptions. Carr signed a $ 125 million contract extension in 2017 that will tie him to the Raiders until the end of the 2022 season. If traded before June 1, the Raiders would save $ 19.6 million in Cap Space.
Right now, however, it is more likely that Carr’s backup, Marcus Mariota, will leave the team, either via trade or a layoff. Both of these would free Cap Space for $ 11.35 million.
Las Vegas Raiders: Trent Brown before parting
Meanwhile, offensive tackle Trent Brown is about to leave. He had signed a four-year contract worth $ 66 million in 2019, which was a record for an offensive lineman at the time. After a weak 2020 season, the Raiders could fire him or trade him again, which would save $ 14 million in Cap Space.
Mayock told Brown that “when Trent is in shape and hanging out there is no better talent out there than him.” But with that he also indicated that Brown sometimes lacked the necessary discipline and fitness. Corresponding rumors have been circulating for a long time.
