NFL Offseason: Quarterback Frenzy

Image courtesy of Keith Allison / Flickr

The NFL offseason is typically filled with a lot of cutting, signing, and trading players around the league and just like every offseason there are teams with a pretty big need: quarterback.

There have been a lot of rumors surrounding the 2018 quarterback free agent class so here are my predictions on where each big name QB will end up.

A.J. McCarron- Before the Cleveland Browns shocked everybody and traded for Tyrod Taylor, I though it was a shoe-in that McCarron would end up in Cleveland reunited with his former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Now, that has become one of the lest likely things to happen this offseason. So where does McCarron fit? With the Arizona Cardinals.

“We want to be productive, number one, in running the football,” new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks told reporters at the NFL combine. Wilks, a defensive mind from the Carolina Panthers, seems to like the idea of old-school hard-nosed football. McCarron would fit this philosophy because he is a game manager. He won’t win you games, but he also won’t lose them which gives the defense and running attack pressure to go out on Sunday’s and perform; that’s something Wilks looks ready to bet on. Pick- Arizona Cardinals

Kirk Cousins- The big one. The whale of free agency in 2018. Former Redskins QB Kirk Cousins.

I think this one is the easiest to predict. It has been reported by multiple people that Cousins is considering signing with either the New York Jets or Minnesota Vikings. Who would you pick? The team that came within one win of a super bowl with playmakers Dalvin Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen? Or would you pick the team that went 5-11 last season that can never seem to figure it out? Both teams are going to pony up the money so the choice should be easy. Pick- Minnesota Vikings

Drew Brees- This isn’t even a question. A deal will get done soon enough. Pick- New Orleans Saints

Case Keenum- What a story Keenum was in 2017. Journeyman turned star. Keenum threw 22 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions last season.

The problem with Keenum is no one really knows how good he is. He had a tremendous college career at the University of Houston yet he went undrafted. And before his one year with Minnesota, he played a couple years with the Texans and Rams where he was, in a word, garbage.

Still, Keenum was playing on some really bad teams. The 2017-18 Vikings were the only good team he has played for in the NFL and he thrived. But with most QB needy teams being atrocious, I think Keenum sadly falls back to Earth next season. I predict he signs with the Denver Broncos, where he eventually gets benched for Paxton Lynch or a quarterback they take in the 2018 Draft. Pick- Denver Broncos

Sam Bradford- Nobody, and I mean nobody, circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.

After shipping off Tyrod Taylor, the Bills need a quarterback. Nathan Peterman is still on the team but I believe the Bills would rather pick someone up then see Peterman puke on himself every Sunday afternoon next season.

With the whole quarterback fiasco last season, it became apparent the Bills didn’t have fait in Taylor being under center. I don’t think head coach Sean McDermott loves the idea of the running quarterback. This is strictly an assumption but I bet he wants someone who can stand in the pocket and not turn the ball over; similar to Wilks in Arizona.

Bradford is very accurate and has a lot of potential (which we saw in his short time with the Vikings). The only issue is the fact that he is made of glass and seems to get hurt every single year. Still, an incentive laden one-year deal won’t hurt anyone. Pick- Buffalo Bills

Teddy Bridgewater- Another Vikings quarterback hitting the free agent market, yet the most difficult to predict.

The Vikings thought they drafted their quarterback of the future when they took the former Louisville product in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft but, due to a gruesome knee injury, Bridgewater really never got the chance to show what he is made of.

Yes, he did have almost two full years as a starter but it is all a matter of opinion on when to give up on a quarterback and I think Bridgewater hasn’t touched his ceiling.

Bridgewater is going to go to whatever team, between the Jets and Vikings,  doesn’t land Cousins. So since I think the Vikings are getting Captain Kirk, I think Bridgewater lands with New York on a one year deal. Pick- New York Jets

-Jarrod Ribaudo (@Jribs53)