Every offseason, teams go into free agency looking to find one player who will put them over the top. Some teams look for that game-changing player on defense, while others look towards the offensive side of the ball.
This offseason will not be any different as there will be plenty of options on the market for teams to grab a quality quarterback. While it may not be the strongest group of quarterbacks, ranging from 36-year old Tony Romo to youngster Jimmy Garoppolo, the carousel will be spinning.
Here are my predictions on how it will shake out.
1. Kirk Cousins – Re-signs with Washington
After almost taking the Washington Redskins to their second-straight playoff berth, Cousins has shown that he is the guy in the nation’s capital.
It seems not too long ago when Washington drafted Robert Griffin III and Cousins in the 2012 NFL draft. While many analysts were puzzled by the drafting of Cousins initially, it has paid off for the franchise.
This past season, Cousins completed 67.1 percent of his passes for a career-high 4,917 yards, to go along with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Cousins staying in Washington brings stability to the position, which they haven’t had since Jason Campbell.
2. Tony Romo – Takes his talents to Houston
This past season was a strange anomaly for veteran quarterback Tony Romo. He gets injured in the preseason and rookie quarterback Dak Prescott takes over and leads the Cowboys to an NFC East crown and a playoff appearance. On the flip side, Romo does not see the field until Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he threw a touchdown on his drive of the season.
However, despite not seeing the field until Week 17, Romo will be a hot commodity on the market. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, Romo expects to be released and believes that he can start 2-3 more seasons.
For a while, we have heard rumors about him ending up in Denver but that doesn’t make sense with two young quarterbacks in Trevor Siemian and Payton Lynch on the roster.
So if not Denver, where could Romo be playing at 2017? Look no further, than the Houston Texans. Current starting quarterback and $72 million man Brock Osweiler was average in 2016. There is no competition currently behind Osweiler to challenge him for the job. Enter Romo, who can be his competition.
If he goes to Houston, he will have the luxury of playing with Lamar Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and behind a stout defense.
A one-year deal for Romo’s services should get it done and give Osweiler competition.
3. Jimmy Garoppolo – Stays with New England
Despite draft analysts saying that this is a weak quarterback class, teams looking for a young signal caller should not trade for New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Why trade for Garoppolo when you could draft DeShone Kizer, DeShaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, or Mitch Trubisky? It makes no sense to trade picks for a player, who has only started in two games, which happened this past season.
Also, it looks like the Patriots do not want to trade Garoppolo anyway, according to Werder. Brady led the Patriots back from 25 points down in Super Bowl LI, but he does not have that much time left.
New England has to prepare for the future, and keeping Garoppolo along with Jacoby Brissett allows for a quarterback competition to happen to see who will be the heir to the throne.
4. Tyrod Taylor – Stays with Buffalo
There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding Tyrod Taylor and his job security in Buffalo over the last few months. Taylor has put together two solid seasons as a starting quarterback, but for some reason some people in the Bills’ organization have a fascination with Cardale Jones being the starting quarterback. Jones was drafted last year in the fourth round and is not ready to be a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL.
The reason why some in the organization do not want Taylor as the starter is because he will be owed $30.75 million when the new league year begins in March. The Bills may not want to be on the hook for that amount as they have a choice to pick up his option. However, they are the ones who helped construct his six-year, $92 million contract last offseason.
Why hurt your new head coach by getting rid of Taylor?
5. Colin Kaepernick – Stays with San Francisco
For all the “controversy” Colin Kaepernick may have caused off the field this past season, we sometimes saw the Kaepernick of old re-appearing.
A lot of people will point to the game against the Miami Dolphins, where the 49ers lost but Kaepernick had a tremendous game with 409 total yards and three total touchdowns.
In that game, Kaepernick showed that he still has the dual threat ability to be a playmaker under center. However, there is a new front office in town with Kyle Shanahan being named the head coach and John Lynch named as the general manager.
Do they see Kaepernick as the future? Does Shanahan think Kaepernick can work in his offense? Does Kaepernick want to be there?
Currently, Kaepernick has not decided whether to opt-out of his contract yet, but will have to make a decision soon. Maybe, I’m crazy or gullible, but I think Kaepernick can work in Shanahan’s offense because he will play towards his strengths.
Remember when Shanahan worked with Griffin III in Washington and had a Pro Bowl rookie season? If Kaepernick stays in San Fran, it is up to the front office to put talent around him.
6. Mike Glennon – Takes his talents to New York
This may be an unpopular prediction, but I think Mike Glennon joins the Jets. Right now, the only quarterbacks on the roster are Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Petty played admirably last season as the starter, while Hackenberg is nowhere near ready.
With a new offensive coordinator in Joe Morton, who is coming from the New Orleans, bringing in Glennon might not be a bad idea.
Before the Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston, Glennon was the starting quarterback in Tampa Bay. In 2013, Glennon completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Glennon could be a viable option at quarterback, especially if the Jets do not like the thought of Kizer, Watson, or Trubisky.
7. Jay Cutler – Goes out west to Los Angeles
This prediction may raise some eyebrows, but let’s be real: the Jay Cutler era has come to an end in Chicago. Cutler haters are rejoicing at this notion, while his supporters are shaking their heads in disbelief.
With Cutler likely moving on, the Bears will more than likely spend their first-round pick on a quarterback. But what happens to Cutler? I think you could see him in Los Angeles with the Rams.
I say this because No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff struggled in his rookie season. He still needs some more seasoning under his belt.
With that being known, enter Cutler. The Rams need a reliable backup who new head coach Sean McVay can lean on, if Goff goes down with injury or if the wheels fall off.
Cutler is a solid backup option, who has shown that he can still get the ball down the field when he gets time in the pocket. Plus it will help to have Todd Gurley in the backfield and hopefully Kenny Britt back on the outside.
