Derek Carr has officially been released, can sign immediately

On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders ended a nearly decade long tenure with Derek Carr, cutting ties with the veteran quarterback, who is now a free agent.  The Derek Carr sweepstakes are going to be interesting, in my opinion.

Depending on who you ask, Carr is either “bad” or someone who was constantly dragged down by a dysfunctional organization.  I happen to fall into the latter, and I think Carr is much better than people give him credit for.

At this point, though, I do not think a team is going to sign him with the idea that he can be a long-term option for them.  Carr now may fall into the tiers of Tyrod Taylor and Alex Smith, two veterans who held a starting job for a few years, helped get their clubs back to the playoffs, but were later dumped for a higher-ceiling player.

Since the league year has not ended yet, Carr is free to sign with a team immediately.  He does not have to wait until free agency begins in about a month from now.  This may give him a massive advantage as he could land into a very advantageous situation and even get a month head start with his new club.

Apparently, the Carolina Panthers are expected to have interest, and I cannot think of a better destination for Carr than “Carr”olina.

See what I did there?

The Panthers hired Frank Reich as their head coach, and since then, Reich has added Duce Staley and Jim Caldwell to the offensive staff.  Staley and Caldwell are excellent coaches and will certainly do a ton of good for that side of the ball.

Carr joins a free agent quarterback class with Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, Jimmy Garoppolo, Lamar Jackson, and potentially Ryan Tannehill.  Carr should be at the top of any team’s list who are looking for a QB boost.