If Brandon Carr is going to enter the free agent market after all in just a few weeks, the word "sweepstakes" will undoubtedly be utilized. The cornerback has 64 career starts underneath his belt and he's only 25. He's held down his own opposite Brandon Flowers for four consecutive seasons and has as much talent as any other corner on the market. He also is coming off of a career high four interceptions in 2011.
For those reasons, Carr is going to be chased in the offseason by teams in need of help in the secondary. Specifically some teams that could pony up include several from the NFC North, including his hometown Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, as well as the Tennessee Titans.
Gil Alcaraz at Yahoo! Sports writes, "The only thing that could make landing Carr tricky is the price tag that he will undoubtedly be wearing. Not only will his talent level demand a big salary, but interest from other teams such as the Tennessee Titans could result in a bidding war. Carr would provide an immediate upgrade to the Vikings secondary. There are, however, other fish in the free agency pool that could have a similar impact."
ESPN's Kevin Seifert agrees and writes, "If he reaches the open market, however, Carr will be an attractive option for the Minnesota Vikings, who need multiple layers of help at the position, and the Chicago Bears, who might be looking for an upgrade alongside Charles Tillman. It's hard to imagine the Detroit Lions finding the salary-cap space to sign Carr, assuming they retain defensive end Cliff Avril in one way or another, but stranger things have happened."
Of course that doesn't include other teams with major needs in the secondary (and money) like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams. It's likely to end up as a major bidding war for Carr's services if he lands on the market, and we'll know soon enough what the Chiefs plan to do on their part to keep him or let him walk.