The Oakland Raiders have already traded away two of their core players in the nine short months that Jon Gruden has been with the team, and some believe Derek Carr could be the next to go. Assuming the head coach is telling the truth, that is not going to happen this season.
On Wednesday, Gruden told reporters that he does not anticipate making any more trades prior to the Oct. 30 deadline. He said that is “certainly” the case with Carr.
Jon Gruden: “I don’t see us making any more trades. Certainly, I don’t see us trading our quarterback.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 24, 2018
And Gruden says he is not just saying that publicly, as the Raiders have also assured Carr in private that he is not going anywhere.
Derek Carr speaks regularly with Raiders brass, including Jon Gruden. And re: speculation of him possibly being traded, he’s been assured “that’s not something we even talk about.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 24, 2018
Carr’s salary cap hit for 2019 is scheduled to be $22.5 million, but the Raiders could save $15 million if they decided to part ways with him this offseason. It seems unlikely that the franchise will give up on Carr after he signed a five-year, $125 million extension last summer, but Gruden now has three first-round picks in 2019 after trading away Khail Mack and Amari Cooper. If the coach wants to draft a QB, he’ll be in a great position to do that.
While you might be inclined to think Gruden is lying about not intending to trade Carr, keep in mind it sounds like one of the star players he dealt wanted out. That does not appear to be the case with Carr.
