1. Mitchell Trubisky
Speaking of the Chicago Bears…I know, I know. It sounds a bit crazy, but this isn’t the first time a potential Carr-for-Trubisky trade proposal has been thrown out there. In fact, it makes a ton of sense for the Raiders AND the Chicago Bears. According to insider and Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio on The Pat McAfee show, this is a legit possibility.
“Well, I think Derek Carr is not going to be the quarterback of the team next year,” Florio said. “I think they seriously considered finding another quarterback this year. Mike Mayock, the GM of the team, basically said so when explaining why they kicked the tires on Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins before the draft.
“If you find the right quarterback, you got to take him. You got to do what’s right for the team. I just don’t think Jon Gruden and Derek Carr was ever a good fit. I think they tried to make it a fit. I don’t think it works and I think they’re going to look for whatever’s out there.”
Oakland will have two 1st round picks, putting them in a great position to go after a QB of their choice either in the draft or via trade. For a team like the Bears, it would be hard not to have some interest in Carr and, for the Raiders looking to rebuild at the QB position, a one-year marriage between Trubisky and Gruden makes sense, especially for what will be a fifth-year rookie contract ($9,237,591 cap hit compared to Carr’s $21,500,000).
Worst case, you give Trubisky a season to perhaps develop under a superior quarterback developer like Gruden while also bringing in a rookie to compete. Both come cheap and the salary savings by trading Carr to the Bears would allow Gruden to make needed repairs elsewhere. If Trubisky flops (mind you, he has just as many division titles and has played in more playoff games than Carr in his short career — one), you can move on without any major hits and begin with your draft pick who has had a year to learn as a backup.
I mean, mock Trubisky all you want, but his postseason boxscore doesn’t look like this:
It’s a possibility, especially how athletic Trubisky is and how Gruden loves passionate quarterbacks who play the game with joy and intensity. Trubisky has struggled under Bears coach Matt Nagy’s erratic playcalling and a coach like Gruden is more than capable of crafting his offense around one of the league’s most mobile quarterbacks.
Don’t be shocked if this is a deal that gets some looks this offseason.
