Fansided

5 fits for Joe Flacco that actually make a lot of sense

By Brad Berreman

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 27: Joe Flacco #5 of the Denver Broncos warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 27: Joe Flacco #5 of the Denver Broncos warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images /

Speculation about where a couple other free agent quarterbacks could land has pushed him to the back burner, but these five teams make a lot of sense for Joe Flacco.

The writing was put on the wall for Joe Flacco when the Denver Broncos signed Jeff Driskel, and he was indeed waived with a failed physical designation. A neck injury ended Flacco’s 2019 campaign early, but he did not need surgery and expects to be health for the 2020 season.

In each of the last two years, Flacco has been replaced by a rookie. In 2018 it was Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, and last year it was Drew Lock. As Mike Klis of 9News in Denver noted, Flacco was 2-6 as the Broncos’ starter last year but the defense allowed a score in final drive of three of those losses. That’s not to say Flacco played particularly well (six touchdowns, five interceptions, 6.6 adjusted yards per attempt), but as much as wins can be credited to a quarterback he deserved a slightly better fate last year.

Among available free agent quarterbacks, the speculation over potential landing spots has centered around Cam Newton and Jameis Winston. But Flacco is a former Super Bowl MVP, with 171 regular season starts on his resume (98-73 record). So he would certainly make sense for some teams as a veteran backup, even if he won’t be signed until after the draft now.

Newton and Winston come with their own sets of concerns, as does Flacco coming off a neck injury with a decline in play. But Flacco also carries less overall risk than the other two, and these five teams make sense as landing spots for him.

5. New England Patriots

The Patriots seem ready to move forward with Jarrett Stidham as their starting quarterback, with little or no interest in a veteran like Newton or Andy Dalton. They also seem likely to draft someone, if only to give them upside behind Stidham that Brian Hoyer just doesn’t have.

Even if it can be tabbed as expected ahead of playing against him, Bill Belichick has praised Flacco over the years. Among a narrow set of suitors for him, even the small percentage chance Flacco lands in New England makes the pairing possible.

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