Chris Gasper and Ted Johnson join Sports Sunday to discuss the impact that Josh McDaniels’ departure will have on Mac Jones and the Patriots next season
Josh McDaniels had the opportunity to work with talented young quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields had he pursued the Jacksonville Jaguars' or Chicago Bears' head coach openings this offseason.
Instead, he chose Derek Carr.
The Patriots offensive coordinator is expected to take the Raiders' head coach job after Las Vegas officially hired New England director of player personnel Dave Ziegler on Sunday. A bit of insight from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport on Sunday helps explain why the Raiders gig was so appealing to McDaniels.
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Curran: Losing McDaniels another brain drain for Belichick's staff
"For McDaniels, he now inherits a quarterback in Derek Carr that he has always liked," Rapoport said during an appearance on NFL Network. "In fact, the Patriots considered trying to trade for Carr before the season. Now, McDaniels and Ziegler get him."
The Patriots were mentioned as possible suitors for Carr last February, and it appears New England discussed pursing a Carr trade internally (thanks in part to McDaniels' interest in the QB) before going in a different direction by drafting Mac Jones.
While Carr is by no means elite, you could argue he's a top-15 QB: The 30-year-old ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards (4,804) and completion percentage (68.4) with 23 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions this season.
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The Raiders ranked sixth in the league in total passing yards and have talented pass-catchers in Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, so there's certainly potential in Las Vegas after a 10-7 campaign and a postseason loss to the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals.
McDaniels leaves a pretty good situation in New England after Jones' promising rookie season, but with Bill Belichick showing no signs of slowing down, he had to look elsewhere for a head coach opportunity. With a familiar face at GM in Ziegler and a QB he covets in Carr, the Raiders are a sensible fit for the longtime Patriots coordinator.