A Derek Carr trade became a subject of serious talks in the Chicago Bears community when word began to filter out that the Las Vegas Raiders were in on Tom Brady. It’s apparent that head coach Jon Gruden has seen enough of the 29-year old starter and wants a QB of his own choosing. Despite attempts by GM Mike Mayock to dissuade the idea of a trade happening, all signs point in this direction. The big question is would the Bears be involved if that happens.
There is a growing buzz that the answer is yes. Benjamin Allbright of the Pro Football Network said a few weeks ago that Carr was a name they were interested in. Now Paul Crane, a former reporter for CNN and host of the Scout’s Honor podcast revealed that the Raiders are looking to trade their quarterback before the start of free agency and that Chicago is a team they’re talking to.
Crane has also worked on multiple sports television networks. So he appears to be pretty well-connected in the industry. One should not jump to conclusions here, but it is another sign that the Bears might be more aggressive than expected to move on from Mitch Trubisky.
Derek Carr trade is a best-case scenario for the Bears
People can talk about Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ryan Tannehill and others all they want. The truth is a trade for Carr is as close to perfect for the Bears as it gets. Here’s a quarterback who is in his prime. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler who has topped 4,000 yards passing each of the past two years. He has ties to the coaching staff with quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo who worked with him as a rookie in 2014. Not to mention head coach Matt Nagy seeing him for year while in Kansas City.
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Last but not least, there is his contract. Carr has three years left on his current deal that average out to $21.167 million per season. That is a lot of money, yes. However, when compared with some of the deals other top quarterbacks are getting lately, it’s an outright bargain. The Bears would be able to control him during that time, during which the salary cap is expected to rise significantly with the ratification of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Everything about it makes sense. It comes down to whether Pace is willing to give up the pick(s) needed to make it happen. Given his track record, it shouldn’t be a huge concern.
