It’s been an odd few weeks in New Orleans as the National Football League Draft approached.
The reason for this wasn’t all of the reported visits or interest in prospects. That’s the case every year. As the draft approaches, you start to hear about prospects who a team could have interest in and then the draft comes around and it’s completely different. That’s just a nature of the business multiple sides have different view points and therefore they try to get information out there.
What has been surprising is the current situation with quarterback Derek Carr. A few weeks ago, it was reported that Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury. Since then, the team has briefly spoken about the situation, but did confirm he has a shoulder injury. What's not clear right now is what the injury is or how long he’ll be out for.
Carr kept pretty quiet on the issue until speaking at a church service this past weekend. He talked about the injury and shared that he has an MRI to prove it. The whole situation still does seem odd. That’s not to say he’s not injured. He and the team have both acknowledged an injury. The announcement of said injury and the mysterious lack of details around it is what has made the situation interesting.
Saints insider Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com talked about the situation and called it “suspicious.”
"The more we learn about the Derek Carr situation, the more confusing it gets," Duncan said. "There’s seemingly a new twist to the story daily. And the more we hear, the more suspicious everything sounds, which might explain why Carr and Saints officials keep sounding like Officer Barbrady from 'South Park' when dealing with the subject: 'This isn't happening. Everyone look away. Nothing to see here!' Carr has maintained a low profile during the offseasons throughout his New Orleans tenure. For him, it's a time to get away from football and focus on his family, so his silence this spring was not entirely out of character.
"But obviously, this is different. A shoulder injury serious enough to possibly require surgery and potentially derail your season is a development not just worthy of commentary and transparency, but one that requires it. Better than anyone, Carr knows teammates, coaches, fans and support staff are counting on him to lead the team, both on and off the field. Communication is one of the requirements of the position. And so far, everyone involved in this situation has failed at it."
No matter what, the Saints do have a new quarterback in town now in second-round pick Tyler Shough. The Saints themselves will be fine, but the situation is still weird and doesn't have an end in sight.
