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Derek Carr with Maxx Crosby.
The Las Vegas Raiders have undergone some major changes in the last couple of seasons. Quarterback Derek Carr and running back Josh Jacobs were once thought of as franchise cornerstones but now both playing for other teams.
Jacobs is on the Green Bay Packers now and Carr is with the New Orleans Saints. The two teams played each other on Monday night and the former Raiders were able to link up after the game.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby played with Jacobs and Carr for several years and when he saw the video of the two together on Instagram, he commented “My Dogs.”
Notably, Carr is about to have his first reunion with the Raiders in Week 17 since they cut him. However, Crosby won’t be playing as he’s out for the season and Carr may be out due to an injury. It remains to be seen if Crosby will be able to make the trip out to New Orleans so that he can reconnect with Carr.
There’s no doubt that if the quarterback can play, he’ll do whatever he can to make it happen. The Saints won’t be in the playoffs this year but Carr has to like the idea of beating the team that cut him nearly two years ago.
Would Raiders Be Better off With Jacobs & Carr?
In hindsight, the Raiders have made a lot of mistakes. Carr is the team’s franchise-leading passer in every major statistical category. However, the team just wasn’t winning enough with him at the helm. The mistake wasn’t moving on from him, the mistake was paying him, giving him a no-trade clause, cutting him less than a year later and having no strong plan to replace him.
The Raiders are now in quarterback purgatory and they certainly wouldn’t be any worse if Carr was still in Las Vegas. Letting Jacobs go in free agency is the biggest mark against general manager Tom Telesco so far.
The Raiders have the worst rushing offense in the NFL this season while Jacobs is fourth in the league with 1,216 yards and also has 13 rushing touchdowns. Considering Las Vegas had major questions at quarterback in the offseason, it doesn’t make much sense why they weren’t willing to pay Jacobs.
Raiders Have Big Needs at QB & RB
Considering the Raiders have had some misses at quarterback and running back, they’re going to have to address both positions this offseason. Luckily, there are some intriguing prospects. If the Raiders continue to fall down the draft board, they could skip a quarterback and consider Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. He could potentially break Barry Sanders’ record for most rushing yards in a college football season and he’s the best running back prospect in the class.
If the Raiders can move back up in the draft, it’s likely they’ll target a quarterback. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has commonly been linked to the team. Las Vegas needs to upgrade both positions or it’ll be hard to see how they’ll be much better in 2025. The Raiders have one of the worst offenses in the NFL and need a serious influx of talent.
