Derek Carr is a talented player whose messy ending with the Raiders is causing some undue criticism of his skill.
But he might have to take a few leaps if he wants to reach the ceiling the Jets supposedly envision for him.
Carr is set to become a free agent after Las Vegas decided it wanted to move on. So far, he’s taken meetings with the Saints and Jets. His meeting in New York took place over the weekend, and clearly Joe Douglas and Co. went the flattery route with him.
“I heard it went really well from both sides,” ESPN NFL insider Dianna Russini reported Tuesday. “They were pretty clear with him. They told him he’s a great quarterback, they believe he (would have) a legit surrounding cast of players. They went through the top D, the strong, young skill guys, the explosive run game.
"They ran through top to bottom why Derek Carr can step in here and take this team not just to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl. And they made it really personal, too. They said we believe if you come to New York and win, you could be a first ballot Hall of Famer."
That last sentence was met with incredulous looks from panelists and former NFLers Marcus Spears and Tedy Bruschi – probably not too dissimilar to the look on most of our faces.
That’s not to say Carr couldn’t win in New York. The Jets had a solid defense last season, and their offense does seem to be just a quarterback away, with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson highlighting some of the up-and-coming talent. It is conceivable that Carr could go to New York and win a Super Bowl.
But unless his numbers and personal accolades see a drastic jump, he’ll need more than one Lombardi Trophy to secure a trip to Canton.
Then again, maybe the quarterback who finally gets the Jets a Super Bowl should go into the Hall of Fame, regardless of how the rest of the resume looks.
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