The quarterback market could get pretty wild this offseason. With possibly half the NFL looking for a short- or long-term answer at the position in either free agency, the trade market or draft, there will surely be a whole lot of maneuvering going on over the next couple of months as teams look to land the ideal fit.
The first place one of those teams can find their guy is on the free-agent market, and technically, the first potential free agent is already out there. Derek Carr is on the open market after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders, and he's already been taking free-agent visits, having gone to both New Orleans (Saints) and North Jersey (Jets) to check some things out.
Carr is seeking a contract that pays him $35 million per year, according to ESPN (via USA Today's Saints Wire). "He doesn't need to be the first quarterback to sign [in free agency]," Diana Russini said during a Friday morning appearance on ESPN.
Taking a look at the current quarterback market, an average annual value of $35 million would tie Carr with Kirk Cousins as the league's ninth-highest-paid quarterback.
Of course, Cousins had a ton of leverage over the Vikings when he signed his deal, being that he was coming off a fully guaranteed contract and the Vikings needed to extend him to clear some cap room and field the rest of their team. Carr is not in the same situation, but he could potentially have a number of suitors, which could drive his price up. However, the sheer volume of quarterbacks potentially available this offseason could have the opposite effect. Where Carr's price point ends up could foreshadow how the rest of the quarterback market shakes out.
