Derek Carr To The Bears? The Possibility Just Became Very Real

The Chicago Bears are in a desperate hunt for a franchise quarterback. Somebody who is a clear upgrade over Mitch Trubisky they can build their team around moving forward. As of right now, it appears Deshaun Watson is the big name everybody is pursuing. However, there is an interesting subplot. Could GM Ryan Pace use the allure of Watson to score himself another quality quarterback? Somebody like Derek Carr for instance. People didn't think the 29-year old would be available this offseason. Not after a career year in which he threw for over 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Yet it appears Jon Gruden's notorious nature for being finicky at quarterback is coming into play yet again. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there is a growing buzz that the Las Vegas Raiders could make Carr available in an effort to stockpile picks to make a massive push to get Watson.

The price tag is high but not nearly as prohibitive from the Bears' point of view.

"For that to happen, the Raiders would have to receive two first-round picks for Carr, which they would then package with their own first-rounders in 2021 and 2022 to present a compelling offer of four first-round picks to the Texans for Watson, who has reportedly asked be traded."

Some people aren't enamored with Carr. They don't view him as an elite-type QB. People can debate that all day. From the Bears' perspective? He'd be an instant upgrade over anything they've had in a long, long time. There are also some key factors in play. The cost to get him would be significantly lower than Watson. Two 1st round picks is much easier to survive losing than three 1st round picks and three 2nd round picks. The believed price for the Texans star. Also is the contract. Carr has two years left on his current deal. It averages out to just $21 million per year. That is chump change for a starting quarterback in the NFL and highly alluring for a team like Chicago who has some salary cap issues to deal with this offseason. Being able to add Carr wouldn't break the bank and still allow them to fill out the roster.

Derek Carr would absolutely interest the Bears

I reached out to a source regarding the teams' preferred list of options they'll be seeking this offseason. Watson obviously tops that list, but not much further down was Carr. They have people in the building who like him a lot and they were interested in him last offseason too. It's not a coincidence that rumors came out last week the Bears made a strong offer to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. They are serious about upgrading at quarterback. Derek Carr is an upgrade. He's played some really good football the past two years, completing 68.8% of his passes with 48 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. People get on his case about not making the playoffs either time. They often neglect to mention he was playing with defenses that ranked 24th and 30th in the NFL respectively. He was not the problem on that team.

As for the 1st round picks?

One of them is the 20th pick, which isn't exactly the highest value. The Bears would no doubt presume that second 1st rounder would also be later as well given Carr improves the offense and the defense manages to remain solid. From that point of view, they aren't giving up as much as people would think. Carr is a good quarterback. He may not be at Patrick Mahomes' level but he is good enough to make the Bears a better football team.