Trading Derek Carr may be more difficult than the Raiders expect.
“The Raiders have very little leverage as Carr has a no-trade clause and interested teams believe they can sign Carr for a more favorable deal,” wrote The Atheltic’s. Jeff Howe.
If a team trades for Carr, that team will inherit a three-year contract and an average salary of $40.5 million, according to Spotrac. However, if they wait until Carr is released, they can renegotiate and sign a cheaper contract.
Teams also know Raid lacks negotiating power because they need more time. They must free Carr by February 15, or his remaining wages will be activated. His release earlier only resulted in a $5.6 million cap.
The Raiders can be renewed on this term if Carr approves. However, in a press conference on Thursday, he said he would not extend the deadline for the Raiders. “I don’t think that would be best for me,” he say.
The Raiders’ options are limited, so they may have to restructure Carr’s deal to reactivate the commercial interest.
“I have a feeling that some teams will want to rework this deal to facilitate the transaction,” Written ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
It’s not clear if Carr is willing to renegotiate his current deal, but he may prefer a deal “because the optics of trading are better than being cut”, Written Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Regardless, the market for Carr is cooling, reducing the probability of a trade and increasing the likelihood of him being released.
