The Derek Carr era in New Orleans has officially begun. The Saints introduced their new quarterback, who signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the team earlier this week after spending the beginning of his career with the Raiders.
Carr said one of the main reasons he ended up with the Saints was their interest in him throughout the process.
“It showed me how they felt about me from the start,” Carr said (via NFL.com). “They were very honest and clear … The fact that they were even willing to act for me meant something. This shows me that you are showing value without showing me value. They appreciate me as a quarterback and as a person without having to say anything. That meant something and that meant a lot.”
Considering all of his options, Carr explained that the choice was an easy one given the Saints offered a lot from their interest in his relationship with head coach Dennis Allen and the “explosive” offense.
“There were a lot of good things in other places, but it’s hard to find a place that has almost everything,” said the 31-year-old. “…The most important thing for me was the character of the men in the room, not really the ranking and stuff like that.”
A key aspect of that offense is wide receiver Michael Thomas, another new addition to Carr’s pro lineup for New Orleans. He spoke about the energy Thomas brought and how their conversations gave him hope for their future as a QB/WR duo going forward.
“…When you talk to Mike Thomas, you feel like you can both face the world. I told my wife when I hung up and just asked, ‘Why are you smiling?’ and i thought i love this guy; he’s so competitive and I think the energy he brings is a very exciting time to throw football at him,” Carr said. “So when he started recruiting, he was talking to me and wasn’t even trying to get me to recruit and said, ‘When do we go to work? We’re wasting time.’ And I figured I feel the same way, but we’re going to make it and I think our relationship has grown through the process and I’m looking forward to making it stronger.
The Saints have had to address their need for a quarterback this offseason and feel they’ve found someone in Carr who can be more consistent. While Carr can help complete the offense, he knows the greater goal will require everyone’s effort.
“If we want to go far, we have to go together,” he said. “It’s not just because Derek shows up that we’re going to do something special. It’s because we all, as a collective entity, have chosen to go in one direction and do it the same way. That starts in April in OTAs and brings everyone here and gets it to work if we want to do what we want to do.”
He doesn’t want to make it “The Derek Carr Show,” stating that he “doesn’t come here to try and take over anything.”
“I will be me and I will shout what I want to shout. I will encourage what I think should be encouraged, but I’m here to do that with Cam (Jordan). DeMario (Davis), Tyrann (Mathieu), Taysom (Hill), Alvin (Kamara) and Mike (Thomas),” Carr said.
Carr was on the bench for the last two games of the Raiders’ 6-11 season and it was obvious he was going to pack up and switch to another team. Last season, Carr threw for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Regardless of how things ended, Carr took the time to thank the Raiders who drafted him in 2014.
“I have to thank the Raiders,” Carr said (via 24/7 Sports). “To Oakland and Las Vegas. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say thank you to them. I had great nine years there and a lot of good memories.”
The Saints finished last season 7-10 despite a solid defense, showing the team hasn’t been able to find their longtime starting quarterback since Drew Brees retired. The former Saints QB may be retired, but he still has time to help out the newest members of the roster.
“To the City of New Orleans, thank you for welcoming my wife and children literally everywhere we have gone,” Carr said. “…I thank Drew Brees for reaching out to me and answering many of my questions.”