Derek Carr vaults Saints to the front of the NFC South at the QB position

The NFL starts its new league year on March 15, but ahead of that, the New Orleans Saints are about to make the first big free agency signing of the offseason. The team is expected to sign quarterback Derek Carr, three weeks after the Las Vegas Raiders released him.

The deal is expected to be for four years, but whatever the years and dollars, the move moves the Saints to the front of the pack in the NFC South, at least at the quarterback position. While Derek Carr isn’t a bad quarterback, that statement says more about the state of the division than Carr’s abilities.

The current quarterback depth charts in the NFC South are as follows:

Saints: Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Jake Luton
Falcons: Desmond Ridder, Logan Whiteside
Panthers: Sam Darnold, PJ Walker, Matt Corral, Jacob Eason
Buccaneers: Blaine Gabbert, Kyle Trask

Some might argue Andy Dalton was enough to give the Saints the edge at the quarterback position, but with Carr, they make a clear move up. This will not be what the final depth charts look like in September. Carolina seems a lock to draft a quarterback early in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Bucs seem likely to invest some decent capital in the position as well. The Falcons will probably add some veteran depth, but Ridder is likely the starter.

Following word of the expected signing, the Saints sit at +160 to win the NFC South at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Panthers follow at +225, the Bucs are +350, and the Falcons are +400. The Saints are +1500 to win the NFC and +5000 to win the Super Bowl.