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Major announcement from a surrogate:
“Free-agent quarterback Derek Carr will be meeting with a ‘handful’ of teams this week in Indianapolis during the NFL Scouting Combine, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport announced on Monday.
“Carr has a very good PR machine out there where he will get his story to people out there to make it look like he was a lot of leverage,” former NFL GM Mike Lombardi said. “Pellisaro, Rapoport – all those guys – there all attuned to it. [The agent] is telling them what to say and the gullibility of the media, they just write what he says. It’s all give and take – everyone is rubbing each other’s backs. That’s the system.”
Why do I keep running those quote? In an effort to help people understand how the sausage.
On Tuesday morning, Rapoport announced that Carr will have in-person free agent meetings with the Jets, the Saints and the Panthers in Indianapolis.
Carr is 63-79 as a starter, and in his last start at a Las Vegas Raider last season, he threw three interceptions in 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in late December. Josh McDaniels and Mark Davis had seen enough and he was benched for the final two games. That was his final start and was released on Feb. 14.
Is the fact that the surrogate is telling you he’s meeting with a “handful of teams” perhaps some kind of attempt to show you how strong the market is?
Look, there are teams in interested in him, but $35 million for a QB who is 63-79 as a starter is absurd. Unless one or two of these teams think that Josh McDaniels, the long-time New England OC, can’t evaluate quarterbacks. He moved on with no clear replacement at this point.
Yes, we reported yesterday that the Panthers weren’t that interested. Well keep in mind, they passed on bringing him in for a visit to Charlotte. Meeting with somebody at the combine is not a big deal. A lot of meetings happen there. It’s like an NFL convention with so many key people in town.
The Panthers would only be interested if he lowers his asking price significantly.
Any team that would pay Carr his asking price clearly doesn’t respect Josh McDaniel’s QB evaluation skills,
For me, a Carr deal would be, a one-year, $10 million contract, like Andy Dalton, who has a winning lifetime record, got from the Chicago Bears two years ago. I know that is unrealistic, and he’s going to get a lot more, but I’m just telling you how I view the value.
There is some confusing information being floated. Rapoport announced that he expects Carr to sign with a team before the March 15 start of free agency. However, Derek’s brother, David, who also works for the NFL Network, said Derek will do his “due diligence” and said it would be a “long process.”
How signing before the March 15 start to free agency a “long process?”
Whatever, the Jets decide at QB, the best thing for the Jets is if Woody Johnson lets Joe Douglas make this decision. When Christopher Johnson hired Douglas, he told Douglas he’d take a “light” touch. I was told this by an impeccable source.
The Jets should stick to the original promise, and take a “light” touch, even though Woody is now back and didn’t hire Douglas (and Robert Saleh).
When owners get involved in QB decisions, it usually doesn’t end well. It’s not in their wheelhouse.
Woody Johnson was the force behind the Brett Favre and Tim Tebow trades.
So many of these first-round reaches for quarterbacks are done by owners. It will probably happen with Will Levis and Anthony Richardson this year.
Woody should follow through on his brother’s vow to Douglas.
Whatever the Jets do at QB, let Douglas make the move.
And don’t let the surrogate propaganda impact what you offer.
February 28, 2023
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