The New Orleans Saints came into the 2023 offseason knowing they had to address their need for a quarterback. Since Drew Brees retired the team has struggled to find consistent production, whether it be because of injuries or lackluster performances.
New Orleans hopes that is a thing of the past as they made a splash early in the offseason by signing Derek Carr. Carr is heading to the Saints after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, who selected him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
The Raiders’ brain trust decided they wanted to go in a different direction, as Dave Zeigler and Josh McDaniels ended up signing Jimmy Garoppolo to take over as their starting quarterback. Their loss is the Saints’ gain as they are ecstatic about having Carr in the fold.
The feeling is mutual as Carr cannot wait to get things going with his new team. He recently revealed how he felt about the change and so far, it is all positive.
“Being in this building has rejuvenated me. It’s been a breath of fresh air for me.”
Carr thought that he would play out his entire career in a Raiders uniform. For a while, that looked like it would be the case. Throughout the ups and plenty of downs in the last decade, he was the one constant that the franchise could count on.
But feelings change, which led to Carr ending up on the Saints. He has a chance to find a lot of success right out of the gate, reuniting with head coach Dennis Allen. Carr has to be excited about the weaponry that is surrounding him as well.
Chris Olave was excellent as a rookie and the team was able to bring back Michael Thomas for at least one more season. Thomas has battled injuries the last few seasons but he showed in his brief appearances in 2022 that he can still produce at a high level.
The Saints are in a great spot with Carr as their starter heading into the season. Many see them as the favorites to win the NFC South and his excitement about being part of the organization is definitely a mutual feeling.
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