The next few months in the NFL are going to be exciting to follow. This year in particular, there is a large group of NFL quarterbacks that could be on the hunt for a new team.
Coincidentally enough, several clubs need new quarterbacks.
The list of quarterbacks we are covering contains some impending free agents, both young an older. We also discuss some veterans who are currently on the trade block or who could be landing on it quite soon. In other cases, certain quarterbacks just want to be free so they can explore their options.
One prime example of a surprise member to this list is Tony Romo. Last year nobody knew he would be in need of a new team in 2017.
With so many possible scenarios as to who will end up where, we have come up with 10 bold predictions for quarterbacks on the move.
1. Tyrod Taylor to the New York Jets
Taylor is a talented NFL quarterback and played pretty well during his two season starts with the Buffalo Bills. He completed 62.6 percent of his passes, scored 47 total touchdowns and threw only 12 picks.
But, this does not mean he is guaranteed to remain with the Bills moving forward. It is certainly possible that new head coach Sean McDermott will want to groom another quarterback of his choosing.
If the Bills do decide to cut Taylor, then he’s up for grabs. What would be better than for an AFC East rival, in this case the Jets, to pursue Taylor?
The Jets’ current lineup of quarterbacks, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, is nothing to get excited about. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith are impending free agents. It would be shocking to see the team re-sign either embattled signal caller.
If Taylor suits up in green, he would end up working with an offense that could potentially soar to new heights with the dual-threat signal caller.
2. Jimmy Garoppolo to the Arizona Cardinals
What? Does this mean Garoppolo would be on clipboard duty again? Possibly, if the Cardinals offer pick No. 13 and perhaps another higher-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for Garoppolo.
The Cardinals need to plan for life beyond Carson Palmer. Palmer’s hot 2015 season turned ice cold in 2016. He has committed to playing another year with his team. But Palmer turns 38 this December, and one more down year could easily be it for him.
Garoppolo would be an excellent candidate to start in 2018, considering the current options behind Palmer. Garoppolo has worked with one of the finest NFL coaches for the last three seasons. Imagine him teaming up with the Cardinals’ talent on offense. Plus, he would inherit a defense that ranked within the top-five the last two years in a row.
Watch out NFC West.
3. Jay Cutler to the Cleveland Browns
Cutler gets a pretty bad rap in this league and the Browns typically make terrible decisions about selecting quarterbacks. This is why a possible pairing is too much of a potential train wreck not to discuss.
Cleveland has started 14 different quarterbacks since its last postseason appearance in 2002.
Whether it is injuries, poor play or off-field antics, quarterbacks in Cleveland just don’t last long under center. Three quarterbacks started for the Browns in 2016, which was pretty much par for the course. The Robert Griffin III experiment is definitely on the precipice of disaster.
So, it would not be surprising for the dysfunction to continue and see the Browns attempt to bring Cutler aboard. Cutler is up for a trade and the Browns need an upgrade. Believe it or not, Cutler achieved his highest quarterback rating in 2015. Unfortunately, his 2016 season, which was a lost cause, is what we last remember him for.
Plus, the Browns released Josh McCown and could use another veteran above RGIII (if he’s retained), and the young Cody Kessler.
All considering, the Browns have done crazier things.
4. Kirk Cousins to the San Francisco 49ers
Is a reunion between Cousins and Kyle Shanahan going to happen? It certainly could if Cousins and Washington decide to part ways. Recent news is suggesting that both parties could be looking to move on from one another.
Cousins recently and publicly poured on the praise for both Shanahan and John Lynch. And, boy could the 49ers use a fresh new quarterback. Colin Kaepernick recently met with the 49ers’ new brass, which was to be expected. But it’s also been reported he wants to opt out of his contract and test free agency.
If Kap decides to look for greener grass elsewhere, the 49ers will desperately need to replace him. Backup Blaine Gabbert is slated to become a free agent, and the team’s overall goal is to see improvement at the quarterback position.
Cousins is coming off of two healthy 16-game seasons in Washington. During this stretch, he completed an average of 68.45 percent of his passes and threw for 54 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions. He could be the breath of fresh air 49ers fans are longing for.
5. Tony Romo to the Washington Redskins
Once Cousins boards his aircraft heading west, Washington will need to fill his shoes. What would be more enticing for Washington than wrangling a deal to bring Romo on board? He recently said he would like to play against the Dallas Cowboys in the future.
If he signs on with Washington, Romo can pencil in two appointments with Dallas per season. It would certainly be interesting to see him being featured on a potential Thanksgiving Day matchup wearing dark red and gold.
Loyal Washington fans however, might not be amused.
If Cousins walks, all that is left on the depth chart is impending free agent Colt McCoy and second-year quarterback Nate Sudfeld.
Should Romo remain healthy, the soon-to-be-former Dallas veteran would inherit a great receiving crew, including red zone viper, tight end Jordan Reed.
6. Colin Kaepernick to the Houston Texans
Now that we have touched on Kap’s undecided future, we can discuss him as a potential quarterback option for Houston.
Some of Kap’s recent stats are not fabulous. He managed a lowly 3-16 win-to-loss record over the last two seasons. Therefore, he might not exactly be able command top dollar. The 29 year-old quarterback completed only 59.1 percent of his passes during this time and spent eight games serving bench duty.
But he is still an upgrade over the horrendous Brock Osweiler. During Kaepernick’s 11 starts in 2016, he threw for 16 touchdowns versus four interceptions. Turnovers were huge for Osweiler, who committed more of those than touchdowns last year.
Osweiler should have no business stepping onto the field in 2017. Kaepernick teaming up with DeAndre Hopkins and actually playing with a legitimate defense could work out nicely. A stable head coach in Bill O’Brien could get Kap back to performing at the level we remember from the Jim Harbaugh days.
7. Mark Sanchez to the New York Jets
Stop laughing. Sanchez will be a free agent if the Dallas Cowboys decide not to re-sign him. This could happen considering Sanchez’s disastrous one-time performance in 2016. Sanchez tossed two interceptions out of 18 attempts in the Cowboys’ final regular season game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sanchez may have caused enough damage that the Cowboys shudder at the thought of him ever stepping foot on Dallas turf again.
Coincidentally enough, Sanchez’s former team needs quarterback help. Realistically speaking, is Sanchez any worse than who quarterbacked for the Jets last season? Fitzpatrick was bad to the bone, and Geno Smith could not stay healthy. Lastly, Petty was simply horrid, and there is a report that one of the Jets coaches said Hackenberg is brutally awful in practices.
Considering that hot mess, Sanchez suddenly doesn’t sound quite so shabby. Worth noting is the Jets have not seen the postseason since Sanchez was with the team in 2010.
Playing at his old stomping ground, Sanchez could make a serviceable backup or possibly compete with the aforementioned Taylor.
8. Josh McCown to the Chicago Bears
McCown is a decent enough quarterback and he should land a backup role somewhere before he calls it quits in the NFL.
The veteran quarterback has bounced back and forth between six teams since originally being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2002. If he lands back with Chicago, he will be in the city where he played his best football.
During his 2011-2013 seasons with the Bears, McCown completed a career-high 65.9 percent of his passes. He also passed for 13 touchdowns versus one interception while filling in for Jay Cutler for eight games in 2013.
The Bears could easily decide to move on from Cutler and attempt to add a rookie and/or veteran passer to their roster. Given his past with Chicago, it wouldn’t take much for McCown to make the transition. If anything, McCown would serve as handy mentor should the Bears take in a younger quarterback.
9. Mike Glennon to the Dallas Cowboys
The last time we saw Glennon in action, he was pretty darn impressive. He played a limited series of snaps in Week 9 last season, completing 10-of-11 passes and scored a touchdown.
Glennon received the most action during his 2013 rookie year, however. He started in 13 games and completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. These are some pretty impressive rookie numbers considering he was a third-round pick.
He is set to become a free agent and should attract a fair amount of interest. His 6-foot-7 inch stature is appealing as well. Glennon has potential starter skills, and we predict the Cowboys will reach out to him. After all, they’ll need replacements for Romo and Sanchez behind Dak Prescott.
And what quarterback doesn’t dream of playing for the Cowboys?
10. EJ Manuel to the unemployment line
A new head coach combined with his dismal overall play with the Bills could send Manuel packing in 2017. The 16th overall pick from 2013 has been nothing but a dreadful bust ever since the Bills selected him.
He dealt with injuries and started in just 10 games in his rookie year. He was eventually replaced by Kyle Orton after starting in only four games in 2014. The following two seasons, Manuel wound up taking a backseat to Taylor.
Overall, Manuel established a 6-11 record, completed an average of just 58.3 percent of his passes while throwing 19 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
His play was nowhere near what we expect out of a quarterback selected in a first round. If he had been able to improve after his rookie year that would be one thing. But Manuel never adjusted to the learning curve.
Manuel does not make an appealing option even as a backup for any NFL team. It’s certainly bold to say this, but we are of the mind that Manuel will remain a free agent next fall.