It’s not as simple as “Derek Carr vs. Aaron Rodgers” for the New York Jets
Derek Carr is arriving in Florham Park today for his visit with the New York Jets. All the while, Aaron Rodgers is channeling Tom Hardy’s version of Bane (he was born in the dark… molded by it).
The Carr vs. Rodgers debate has reached its crescendo in Jets land.
Do the Jets shoot for the stars by selling out for the four-time MVP? Or do they take the safer route with Carr?
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As Jets fans deliberate over which option they prefer, it’s important to keep a crucial factor in mind: This debate is not as simple as Carr-versus-Rodgers.
Rodgers is not competing against Carr head-to-head. He is competing against Carr plus whatever assets it would take for the Jets to acquire Rodgers.
When this discussion began in January, it was unknown whether Carr would be traded by the Raiders or released into free agency. There was a possibility that Carr, like Rodgers, may require some trade compensation to acquire. But now, we know that Carr is a free agent and can be acquired without giving up any draft picks.
For the Jets, this is a pro-Carr advantage that cannot be overlooked. As much as we like to label the Jets as a team that is “a quarterback away”, their roster is nowhere near perfect outside of the quarterback position. It’s a roster that may be a quarterback away from making the playoffs, but it is more than just a quarterback away from winning a championship.
That’s why it would be a massive boon for the Jets if they can acquire an upgrade at quarterback without losing any draft picks. By signing Carr, they will solve their quarterback problem and still be able to fill the remaining holes that surround him, particularly along the offensive line.
If the Jets get Rodgers, they will likely part ways with their first-round pick at the very least. Rodgers will also cost the Jets more guaranteed money over the course of his contract than Carr, in all likelihood. With no first-round pick (it’s possible more picks could go to Green Bay as well) and less money to spend, it would be difficult for the Jets to patch the final holes that stand between them and legitimate Super Bowl contention.
Picture it this way:
- Derek Carr, Peter Skoronski, and whoever the Jets sign with the extra money that would have gone to Rodgers
- Versus
- Aaron Rodgers
(Feel free to put your favorite first-round prospect in Skoronski’s place, I just used him as a placeholder.)
In a vacuum, just about anyone would gladly take Aaron Rodgers over Derek Carr, but this situation is a lot more complex than that. The Jets must decide whether they prefer a better quarterback for the short term or a better all-around roster for both the short term and the long term.
Obviously, presenting this debate as a straight-up decision for the Jets is merely for the sake of discussion. It goes without saying that New York does not have its pick of the litter. We still don’t know what Rodgers wants to do, and as for Carr, he has already taken a meeting with the Saints and is likely to visit with other teams as well. It’s possible that one or both of these quarterbacks decide they do not want to play for the Jets. In that scenario, this whole discussion becomes meaningless.
For now, though, it’s fascinating to compare these two drastically different options the Jets could choose to try and solve their long-lasting quarterback problem.
