Derek Carr was the scapegoat for Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders. But even if that wasn't fair to him, leaving the Raiders might as well end up being the best thing to ever happen for him.
Carr has already visited the New York Jets and made a strong impression on HC Robert Saleh. The Jets have a promising core of young players who could benefit from his play and vice versa.
There's been plenty of speculation about the Jets pursuing either Carr or Aaron Rodgers. But judging by Saleh's latest words on Carr, it seems like the job is his to lose, assuming he wants to sign with them.
NFL News: Robert Saleh Raves About Derek Carr
"Derek's got an elite makeup with regards to football IQ," Saleh said. "He's got tremendous accuracy and arm strength. He can put the ball anywhere you want. He's underrated in terms of a scrambler, being able to move out of the pocket and all that stuff."
"He's been asked to do a lot in his career," the coach continued."He's more in line with what [Matthew] Stafford's career has been in terms of if you can just get him to a place that can surround him with all the pieces and allow him to just quarterback, it'd be pretty cool. He's a solid young man."
"I thought it [Carr's visit] was great," Saleh added. "He's a tremendous young man. He's a father of four. His mind's in the right spot. He understands, he keeps the main thing the main thing. He's an impressive young man, for sure."
Carr has often been overlooked, and he could now have the ultimate chance that he's much better than what some people credit him for. At least, it's evident that his potential new coach has full confidence in him, and that could go a long way.
