Can Derek Carr find NFL playoff success with New Orleans Saints?

One of the first big dominos has fallen this NFL offseason with Derek Carr signing for the New Orleans Saints.

The veteran quarterback has been with the Raiders for the entirety of his nine-year NFL career, making four Pro Bowls. While Carr has not yet had any playoff success, his time in Las Vegas was marred by coaching turmoil and bad defenses.

The Saints have given Carr a four-year, $150 million contract. While that is widely viewed as an overpay, he will be 32 years old at the start of the 2023 season and should have a few more good years left in the NFL.

And he will immediately walk into a good situation. The Saints crawled their way to a 7-10 record with a plethora of bad quarterbacks, so Carr will be an upgrade from the jump.

The Fresno State product will join an offense with a lot of talent. Alvin Kamara, while aging, is still one of the best running backs in the league and he should be in a position to succeed given Carr’s prolificacy of checking down.

Also, he will have Chris Olave and Michael Thomas as wide receivers. Thomas was the best receiver in the NFL three years ago but has not been able to stay healthy. If he can stay healthy, and Olave keeps improving, this could be a scary offense and one that Carr can thrive in.

Right now, the Saints are +4000 to win the Super Bowl, and that feels about right. Carr has not proved it in the playoffs and this Saints roster is solid but not at a Super Bowl level.

A bet we do recommend is for the Saints to win the NFC South at +140 with Bovada. Last year’s winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are in flux due to Tom Brady’s retirement, and the other teams in the division also do not have their quarterback situation figured out. The Saints may not be an elite team, but they have the talent to win a division where the winner last year only needed an 8-9 record.

As far as the team Carr left, it appears like the Las Vegas Raiders will be entering a rebuild. Considering they play in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, the Raiders hold no value heading into next season.

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