ESPN links Houston Texans with Raiders QB Derek Carr

The Houston Texans having a Carr under center just seems natural.

According to Jeremy Fowler from ESPN, the Texans are a team keep an eye on as Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looks for a new team in 2023.

Nearly a dozen teams could be looking for a quarterback this offseason, beginning with the AFC South and the NFC South, where every team save Jacksonville appears to be in transition at the game’s most important position.

Carr will be coveted due to the leaguewide demand, a situation that gives leverage to the Raiders, who must navigate Carr’s no-trade clause but will want to maximize value before Carr’s $40.4 million guarantee is due Feb. 15.

One veteran AFC coach points to Houston, where GM Nick Caserio has ties to Raiders GM Dave Ziegler, as a potential destination. Caserio and Ziegler have executed multiple trades in the past.

Yes, Houston could take a quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the draft, but it also has 11 picks, including two in the top 12. That’s plenty of ammunition to execute a deal.

“Nick will be looking for a high-character quarterback. That will be important to him,” the coach said. “Derek fits that mold.” And he’s got a natural tie to Houston — his brother, David, was the franchise’s first-ever pick in the NFL draft, No. 1 overall in 2002.

Giving up multiple picks for Carr would be absolute waste if they involved any first-round picks. The Texans could use those top-100 picks to add more talented players to the roster, not add a signal caller who acquired 264 sacks and threw 99 interceptions in his 142 career games.

While Caserio may have a connection with Ziegler that goes back to the Patriots and a connection with McDaniels that extends through their time in New England back to John Carroll University, the Texans’ general manager is not about to do his buddies a favor for the sake of friendship. Otherwise Houston would already be Patriots South in many ways, some of them good.

The only place where Carr goes to Houston is here.