Why Derek Carr Chose the Saints
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The Saints were able to land Derek Carr, finally putting an end to a long quest to find their future. New Orleans signed the free agent on Monday, beating out the Jets and Panthers in the process. It's a four-year deal that will work with their salary cap. Needless to say, there's been a huge void at the position ever since Drew Brees retired. Here's a few reasons why the deal got done and why Carr coming to the Saints made sense.
COMBINE INTEL: Mickey Loomis Takeaways | Dennis Allen Takeaways | Saints Rumors and Buzz
THE VISION: Carr is viewed as a long-term solution for the Saints.
Mickey Loomis said at the Combine, "I think if we were lucky enough to get him, I think he's a long-term solution. About as long as if you had a draft pick and hit on it right away, although you still got to re-sign them at some point."
He's their guy. Never say never, but don't expect New Orleans to use any of their top two picks on a quarterback right now. What remains to be seen now is whether or not the team keeps Jameis Winston as a backup at a $15.6 million cap hit. They certainly could look elsewhere, but he's technically still under contract.
THE BELIEF: Carr has the trust of Dennis Allen, and offers upside at the position.
Allen said at the Combine, "Look, I got a great relationship with him. I drafted him in the second round with fifth pick, and I think he's highly competitive. I think he's highly intelligent. I think he's got great work ethic. I think he's an outstanding leader. And so yeah, those are all the qualities that I like about him and those are qualities that we like in the quarterback position. So you know, we'll certainly let that process take place. But, we like the player."
Pete Carmichael certainly took a lot of fire from last season, but the Saints elected to keep things going with him because of his track record. New Orleans also feels like they have a better understanding of how to utilize Taysom Hill next season, which will certainly help the process.
THE PATH: The Saints offer a much better path to get into the playoffs right now.
Carr wants to win a Super Bowl, which is hardly a surprise. New Orleans plays in a dome, and getting into 'the dance' is going to be a bit easier playing on the Saints. The team also boasts are strong defense, and Carr has never had anything better than a Top-20 unit with the Raiders. The pass-catching weapons are also strong, with a potential for Michael Thomas to come back. However, the Saints will need to ensure they lock up a big-bodied possession receiver.
Carr had good visits with the Saints, and ultimately New Orleans did their job in landing him. They were willing to let the process play out some, but always remained hopeful that he would choose them in the end. They made their best pitches with their top people, and now Carr has a big opportunity to help lead the Saints into a more encouraging era of football for years to come.
