The Saints reportedly landed Derek Carr as their new quarterback on Monday, marking one of the most significant signings at the position in the history of the franchise.
Both Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that the Saints were wrapping up a deal with the former Las Vegas Raiders QB to bring him to New Orleans. Rapoport reports that Carr will receive a four-year deal with the Saints.
Drew Brees will be held up as the Saints’ quarterback standard for a long time, but Carr stands out as one of the most important quarterback acquisitions in the history of the franchise as a four-time Pro Bowler.
The #Saints are giving their new QB Derek Carr a 4-year deal, source said. With a big QB number coming, they’ll make it work with their cap situation.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2023
It remains to be seen if Carr can recover from a disappointing final season with the Raiders, but there is now reason for optimism in New Orleans as the team moves away from Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston at quarterback.
These are five reasons to believe Carr will put the Saints back on track for the playoffs:
Derek Carr has years ahead of him
There’s good reason to believe that Carr has plenty left in the tank as a 31-year-old.
He has proven to be one of the NFL’s more durable quarterbacks since entering the league in 2014, playing in 142 games over nine seasons – all starts for the Raiders.
While he’s regarded as a traditional pocket passer, Carr has some mobility to his game that will allow him to extend plays. He won’t be a stiff tackle dummy who lacks creativity.
However, he’ll have to cut down on turnovers and show that he can get the ball out on time.
Derek Carr has shown he can be an accurate passer
Carr’s dip in accuracy was significant during the 2022 season. A year after hitting 68.4 percent of his passes, he completed 60.8 – his worst clip since his rookie season.
The drop off is surprising considering he was coming off a strong four-year run as a passer, putting up completion percentages of 68.9, 70.4, 67.3 and 68.4.
However, it’s worth considering that Josh McDaniels was hired as the Raiders’ coach prior to the 2022 season, and his offensive track record as an NFL head coach is not great. During his two seasons as the Broncos head coach in 2009 and 2010, the Broncos put up completion percentages of 61.1 and 57.6.
While it may be a bit much to expect Carr to get back to completing 70 percent of his passes, he has a chance to make significant improvement in that area in New Orleans. He should have a solid offensive line and a receiving corps led by a young star, Chris Olave.
Derek Carr is a leader
After Brees set the tone with a clear and optimistic voice for 15 seasons, Carr should immediately step in as a prominent voice in the locker room as a well-respected leader from his days with the Raiders.
Demario Davis and Cam Jordan are the established leaders on the Saints’ defense, but it was hard to single out one or two leaders on offense in 2022.
Carr can be that man in 2023.
Saints will have talent around Derek Carr
Michael Thomas’s future with the Saints is uncertain at receiver, but Carr will have weapons to work with in New Orleans.
Star running back Alvin Kamara remains the centerpiece of the Saints offense, and it’s easy to see Carr doing a better job of getting him involved in a variety of ways.
At receiver, the Saints have one of the NFL’s top young talents in Olave. Also, Rashid Shaheed emerged as a free agent steal as a weapon at receiver and as a returner.
If the Saints can land another big, reliable target on the outside, Carr will have more than enough options to work with in the passing game.
The 2022 offensive line wasn’t as dominant as it’s been in recent years, but the group’s performance picked up as the season moved along.
Derek Carr will be best QB in NFC South
With Tom Brady retired as a Buccaneer, Carr can easily step in as the best quarterback in the NFC South.
The Panthers, Falcons and Buccaneers are sure to make moves at QB in the coming months, but landing an established quarterback puts the Saints back in the mix for the NFC South title entering the 2023 season.
The 2022 campaign was a down year for the NFC South, and it’s difficult to see a major turnaround in 2023.
If Carr simply plays up to the standard he set in recent seasons with the Raiders, the Saints are back in the playoff hunt.
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