There is no doubt that the most valuable position in the NFL is the quarterback. If you want to win, you have to have a stud calling the huddle, otherwise, you will only get so far. Yes I know, some of you want to instantly yell at me…what about Trent Dilfer? I will argue that unless you have an absolute elite defense, you won’t be playing in January if you don’t have one of the league’s best QBs. Just take a look at which quarterbacks led their teams to the playoffs this past season. Tom Brady. Ben Roethlisberger. Derek Carr. Matt Stafford. Aaron Rodgers. Eli Manning. Russell Wilson. Carson Palmer. So that is 8 out of the 12 quarterbacks that are either playing at an elite level or have won in big games and are respected around the league. Alex Smith. Ryan Tannehill. Dak Prescott. The next three are up and coming and in Smith’s case, the Chiefs have one of the best defense’s in the NFL. The last is Brock Osweiler, who is the sole outlier…but he still fits the criteria…an elite level defense. The point is that this is the time of year teams are going into desperation mode. If it comes from free agency, a trade or the draft…you need someone to bring wins and to fill seats.
There are so many questions that surround the position. Will the Bears trade Cutler and go into a full rebuild mode? Is Tyrod Taylor done in Buffalo?…and is Cardale Jones the answer? Should the Patriots trade Garroppolo? Where will Colin Kaepernick end up? Is Blake Bortles a franchise quarterback? What in the world are the Texans supposed to do with Brock Osweiler? Will Tony Romo end up in Denver? Is Hackenberg the answer to the future of the New York Jets?
Here are a few teams that could be looking at some quarterback changes and what could occur.
Cleveland Browns:
First of all, before we get down to it, the Browns need help in a lot of areas. Getting a quarterback won’t mean all of a sudden playoffs, especially in the AFC North, but it is a start. I see there being three real options for the Browns.
First, the free agent/trade options: I see two guys landing here and it really depends on where Cleveland wants to take a QB in the draft. If they are looking to take a guy they like but they are able to get him later in the draft, I see Tyrod Taylor landing here. Obviously, Taylor will have to get released by Buffalo first, but that seems inevitable. Taylor is a solid quarterback who brings a run/pass style that is entering the league more and more. He threw for over 3,000 yards for the second consecutive year and has turned himself into a respectable QB. Hue Jackson would love to get his hands on Taylor if he got dropped. He also has run for over 550 yards in both years in Buffalo and boasts a good touchdown-interception ratio of a little over 3-1. Tyrod is a guy who would be able to come in and give the Browns wins right away.
If Cleveland believes they need to take advantage of having the number one overall pick and take a quarterback they should shoot to aim to get someone like Colin Kaepernick. I know… he was pretty bad last year, but of all teams, the Browns have nothing to lose. If the Niners release Kap, he will be shoved aside by many because of his social issues and will be cheap. If they do have to trade for him, it wouldn’t be for much. Although Kaepernick is most likely not the long term answer, he would be able to be a filler for the top rookie. The Browns can absolutely not miss on another quarterback drafted in the first round so they should take it slow and do it the right way.
Their last option is to do something that Browns fans will probably hate. Draft a QB in a later round and give RG3 one more shot. Robert did not get a legit shot at being the number one quarterback due to being injured. While that is a major problem, he still is young enough that he might be able to turn it around. If the Browns are able to fill other sports that they will need anyways, then why not do it? Cleveland needs to try and not feel the pressure. If they don’t love one of the top quarterbacks, don’t take one.
Chicago Bears:
The Bears are young at basically every position except quarterback. Jay Cutler has worn out his welcome in Chicago and it is time to find a trade suitor. Although the general audience thinks that Cutler isn’t good, I think he could bring an element to a team that some don’t think about. Cutler has one of the best arms in the league and if he was able to learn when it isn’t appropriate to force throws, he would most likely be talked about as one of the better players in the NFL. In his last two healthy seasons, Jay threw for over 3,600 yards. The main this is that the Bears want to get the most back for Jay if they can. Cutler doesn’t come cheap either, having one of the more lucrative contracts in the league, but for a desperate team, he could succeed. I believe that Jacksonville would be a good destination for Cutler, with the Blake Bortles disaster continuing.
If the Bears are able to move on from Cutler they need to take a quarterback this year. Being in full rebuild mode, a rookie quarterback will fit in with the team. Personally, I like Deshaun Watson landing in Chicago, that is if he is available when the Bears are on the clock. Watson is a winner and that is what the windy city badly needs. Comparing Watson to Dak Prescott is just a boring comparison. Although Prescott had a ton of success in year 1, I am not on the bandwagon just yet. If the Bears were to take Watson, he wouldn’t have the type of year Prescott had because of the players he will have around him. The only things that make them similar are that they play the same style and are both African American. Look at Watson like a better, bigger Tyrod Taylor or a more accurate Cam Newton. Watson will need to be able to sit in the pocket when needed, but he is able to improvise with his legs. Deshaun is the first step in getting Chicago back on track to compete in the NFC North.
New York Jets:
With the Jets having absolutely no idea what to do at the quarterback position, trading for Garoppolo would be my recommendation. New York mistakenly re-signed Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets had no possibility of contending last year so getting a veteran with the ceiling that Fitz has was pointless and a total waste of money and development time. Now he is on his way out of town along with the highly disappointing Geno Smith. Smith is a big bundle of raw talent. He had problems with reads and making way too many mistakes. Gene might still have a future in the NFL, but it has been determined that it will not be with the Jets.
When you take off Fitzpatrick and Smith from the QB roster, you still have two names that could end up being a starter- or that they were drafted having those hopes. Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg should’ve gotten a legit battle last year for the position, but Fitzpatrick messed everything up.
Petty was drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 draft after having a phenomenal career at Baylor University. It looked like if he got a little grooming then he could turn into a franchise quarterback. Petty played significant time in 5 games last year, throwing for only 809 yards- only about 161 per game. Even though he was thrown into the dumpster fire that the Jets are, a 3 touchdowns 7 interception ratio doesn’t bold well for him. Just 5 games is an extremely small sample size, but with Hackenberg on the roster, Petty will need to play at a really high level to keep his roster spot.
Last year the Jets took Hackenberg in the second round, so they obviously have big plans for him. The issue is that you can never be too certain and Garoppolo would have a better chance at helping the Jets get back on the winning track.
Due to Tom Brady being suspended, Garoppolo got a chance to showcase himself at the perfect time. Jimmy started the first two games of the year, winning both of them. He threw for over 230 yards in both games and had 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. In those two games, he was highly efficient, having a 71% completion percentage. Even though Jimmy doesn’t have a lot of experience, it is also a good thing since he basically has zero tread on his tires. The Jets need to realize where they are in the world of contention. They are in the lower to middle tier and they need to rebuild but quickly because they have pieces that could work. Giving up a decent draft pick and an expendable player could be worth it.
Even though a couple of these are realistic, one move could have a major trickle-down effect. To win in the NFL you have to have someone to direct the traffic. Making a significant move at the quarterback position could make a difference in a winning or losing season.
