Quarterbacks rule the NFL and more
No position in professional sports means more to its team than an NFL quarterback. This offseason will illustrate how desperate teams are for a good one.
Every year, a handful of vagabond teams desperate for a respite look at the gaggle of quarterbacks coming out for the NFL Draft. The group size of both team and player vary, but the result is typically the same. One or two teams are saved from the abyss, while legions more accept a darker fate of another season without talent under center.
This time around, there will be a bevy of signal-callers to choose from. In many mock drafts – as useless as they often are – four quarterbacks see the first round. Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson are likely to hear their names called on April 28, with more coming over the next two days.
The difference will be in free agency. Most free-agent crops offer little in the way of quarterbacks. If the player is decent, he never has a chance to leave his respective team. If he’s bad, who wants him anyway? This March will have an entirely different vibe, with Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick all likely to hit the market.
As is always true with quarterbacks and free agency, there are extenuating circumstances around each. Romo is about to be 37 years old and hasn’t been healthy in two years. Cutler is viewed as a malcontent. Turning 34 in April, his best performances are likely behind him. Kaepernick has been a lightning rod for criticism and has played sub-par football for much of the last three years.
Still, the interest in all will range from tepid to impressive. Cutler and Kaepernick will mostly receive offers from rebuilding teams looking for a stop-gap with potential. The New York Jets are a fit for Cutler, as are the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Kaepernick’s case, the Chicago Bears would be a landing spot. The Denver Broncos also make sense considering general manager John Elway’s interest in him last offseason. Finally, Cutler or Kaepernick could be a fit for the Los Angeles Rams, who could use competition/a competent backup for Jared Goff.
As for Romo, the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs are the leaders for his services, as Peter King of The MMQB reported. Houston is ideal because of proximity to Romo’s family and the weak AFC South. Kansas City would be a close second because of Andy Reid and a strong supporting cast. With a healthy Romo, the Chiefs would become a real threat to the New England Patriots.
Taylor is the most intriguing long-term case. He’s 27 years old and while the stats aren’t overwhelming, many believe he was held back in Buffalo. Taylor will command a significant deal considering his age, potential and skill set. It wouldn’t be stunning to see him get a contract with a large option after two years, much like he had with the Bills. His market will be robust, including the Cleveland Browns, Bears and Jets.
It’s worth noting that Taylor’s market could be impacted by the potential availability of Jimmy Garoppolo. If the New England Patriots decide to move him, a team like Cleveland or Chicago could choose between a large contract or a high draft pick. Ultimately, it’s supply and demand.
These names will dominate the conversation through the offseason and into training camp. After all, quarterbacks are king, for better or worse.
Power rankings
Top 10 quarterbacks to never win Super Bowl
1. Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins
2. Warren Moon, Houston Oilers
3. Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills
4. Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers
5. Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings
6. Sonny Jurgensen, Washington Redskins
7. Jim Hart, St. Louis Cardinals
8. Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals
9. Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans
10. John Brodie, San Francisco 49ers
Quotable
"“But where I’m at right now, I’m excited, you know? Free agent, you know, healthy. I’m down in Florida already training, trying to get ready for a team to call me. I always say my job every single year is to make one GM right and that’s no doubt what I’ll be doing this upcoming season.”"
– Rashad Jennings on his upcoming free agency, after being released by the Giants
Many players around the league are likely thinking the same thing, ready to prove a team right. However, most being released in February face that fate for a reason. The market is being saturated by players who didn’t perform to expectation for their previous club. While some bargains can be found, there will be plenty of disappointments.
A few recent releases include Breno Giacomini and Nick Folk of the New York Jets, Russell Okung of the Denver Broncos and Jared Odrick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. All are name players, but none should be getting more than a prove-it deal in free agency.
Random stat
A buzzword in NFL circles has long been parity. This was not the case in the 1970s.
Of the 40 conference championship slots awarded in the decade, an astounding 28 went to the Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles. The remaining 12 were split among the other 21 franchises.
Info learned this week
1. Matt Elam is done in Baltimore
The Ravens have had a tough offseason. Following the retirements of Zach Orr and Steve Smith Se., the team is not readying to move on from former first-round pick, Matt Elam. Elam, an underwhelming safety throughout his four-year career, was arrested on Sunday for a litany of drug charges. At the time of arrest, Elam was reportedly in possession of more than 126 grams of marijuana.
Baltimore has already announced it will not have Elam back in 2017. General manager Ozzie Newsome needs to nail this draft considering his tight cap space and aging core.
2. Jets move on from Mangold
The New York Jets parted ways with Nick Mangold, the veteran center of 11 years with the club. Mangold, 33, is entering the twilight of his career and has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons. The decision was mostly financial, with the Jets saving $9.1 million.
This is a sign of where the Jets are headed in 2017. New York is going to get cheaper and younger, perhaps unloaded Darrelle Revis, Brandon Marshall, David Harris and others in the coming days. As for Mangold, he should have ample suitors. His eye will be on a contender, with potential fits being the Cardinals, Seahawks and Lions.
3. Tom Coughlin hedges on Bortles
We might see a shake-up in Jacksonville with the Jaguars’ quarterback situation. On Friday, Tom Coughlin, the team’s vice president of football operations, wouldn’t say that Blake Bortles is the starter. Frankly, this was the only move for Coughlin.
Bortles was awful last year, contributing to getting his offensive coordinator fired mid-season. Jacksonville isn’t likely to draft a quarterback early this spring, but getting a veteran wouldn’t be a bad idea. If the team is not willing to push their 2014 first-round pick, it is showing a lack of competitive fire.
The good news for Jacksonville fans? Tom Coughlin has never been accused of that.
4. NFL announces compensatory picks
We now know the complete order of the NFL Draft, including all the compensatory selections. In what is expected to be a very deep draft, the Browns, Chiefs, Broncos and Bengals all received four selections, the most of any team.
All told, 32 picks were allocated, with 16 teams getting at least one. The only other clubs getting more than one are the Dolphins (3), Rams (2) and Seahawks (2). Finally, the Steelers, Packers, Panthers, Cardinals, 49ers, Patriots, Ravens, Colts and Jets each received one.
It is also important to note that compensatory picks can be traded for the first time in league history.
5. John Lynch gets moving in San Francisco
The 49ers general manager wasted no time in improving the club, signing defensive tackle Earl Mitchell to a four-year deal worth $16 million. We don’t have a yearly breakdown yet, but this is likely a two-year deal at most.
The contract appears hefty for a player who is 29 years old and recorded 18 tackles and zero sacks last year. Still, until details are fleshed out, it’s unfair to pass judgment. Here’s what we know: Lynch isn’t sitting around in San Francisco. If nothing else, that’s a positive sign for a 49ers fanbase that has had little to be excited about over the past two seasons.
History lesson
The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into the NFL as expansion teams in 1976. While the Buccaneers made their home in the NFC Central and the Seahawks in the AFC West, that wasn’t the case at first.
In their inaugural season, the Bucs and Seahawks actually played in the AFC West and NFC West, respectively. Tampa Bay would go on to lose every game that year. Seattle won two, beating the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers lost their first 26 games, finally trumping the New Orleans Saints in Dec. 1977.
Parting shot
The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week. With that, folks will start drooling over height and weight measurments, how fast a lineman ran and how many times a quarterback benched 225 pounds. Some of it matters, most of it doesn’t.
If you really want to learn about a player, watch his tape from college. Not a highlight reel, but actual game footage from the widest angle you can find. If you can’t, or just don’t want to invest the time, here are a few tips for watching the combine.
With receivers, watch their route-running. Speed is nice, but without crisp routes, it means nothing. If a receiver can make quick cuts and get in and out of his breaks, he’s a player provided his hands aren’t carved from granite.
When cornerbacks are on the field, watch their hips. If they appear to have difficulty moving side to side, or exploding out of a cut, it’s over. Don’t waste your time unless you want to move him to safety.
Finally, watch the quarterbacks closely. Look for mechanics, whether it be a compact throwing motion or how they shuffle their feet coming back from center. Those things mean infinitely more than whether the pass was completed to a receiver they’ve never worked with before.
Watch the combine, sure. But know what to watch for and know that most of a team’s evaluation should be coming from tape, not Indianapolis.