Earlier this month, there were some reports via The Athletic that teams have been calling the Raiders about Derek Carr. While it seems highly unlikely that the team moves on from him, they haven’t necessarily said “no” yet as it is possible that a team could blow them away with an offer that they couldn’t refuse.
Still, Carr is the overwhelming favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2021 season. He’s coming off the best season of his career and he is on a very manageable salary for the next two seasons. If the Raiders are going to trade a quarterback, it isn’t likely to be Carr. The same might not be true for their backup, however.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, several teams have called about Marcus Mariota. After signing a two-year deal with the Raiders last season, Mariota is finally healthy and looked impressive in his only performance last season. Rapoport says that the interest around the league in Mariota is “legitimate” and there is “real interest in Mariota.”
It likely wouldn’t cost a ton for the Raiders to move Mariota (likely a Day 2 pick) and he still offers so much upside as he is just 27 years old and has five playoff starts under his belt. For a team looking for a “quick” and “cheap” fix at the quarterback position, Mariota would be a reasonable solution.
However, the Raiders still value Mariota quite a bit and believe he is a starting level quarterback in the NFL. They certainly won’t give him away, but don’t be surprised if the Raiders ultimately move him in the next month or so for a draft pick.
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