Raise your hand if you’ve heard the following before, “The NFL is a quarterback-driven league.” You can put your hand down now. The NFL has put a premium on good qb play to the point where if you have a good one you win, and if you don’t, well, you won’t.
So, pray tell, what is going on this offseason? An inordinate amount of QB’s could, have, or will change addresses this offseason.
Free agency is right around the corner. Franchise tags must be placed on the keepers by March 10th. Failing resigning or tagging, free agency begins on March 18th. Let the wheeling and dealing begin. But before that, let the speculation begin.
Tom Brady- Obviously the biggest name that is a FA has nine Super Bowl appearances with six being victorious. Much has been written on will he or won’t he go. Reasons to stay are plentiful while reasons to go not so much so. There are three big egos in the room here (four if you count Giselle) in owner Kraft, coach Belichick, and QB Brady. Jimmy Garappolo can attest to that first hand. BBR says he goes as this time his ego is bigger than Kraft’s will and wallet. Where to? Great question.
Drew Brees- At a young 41 years of age, Brees is a FA as well. The year 2020 would be NFL year 20 if Brees returns. The question here isn’t where. It’s when. Brees promised the NO organization an answer on whether he continues playing this coming year in the next few weeks. He has publicly stated that he is a Saint until he retires. BBR thinks that his competitive nature and good health will result in a “yay” over a “nay.” But, we think it’s closer to a “nay” than many people think.
Cam Newton- Whew. Isn’t it amazing how high Cam was riding and seemingly how far he has fallen? Just a few years removed from a Super Bowl and a league MVP 2015 award, Cam’s tenure with the Panthers might be over and out. A new owner, a new head coach, and a QB whisperer (for one year anyway) named Joe Brady are in town. At 30, and with lingering injuries, BBR says that the Panthers want to rebuild and will say goodbye.
Philip Rivers- After 16 seasons with average to below-average pass protection, and average to below-average wide receivers, Rivers and the Chargers have already agreed to part ways. Rivers moved his family (not an easy task as the Rivers have eight children and expect a ninth in March) to Florida this offseason. BBR thinks Rivers will look pretty good in teal and white with a touch of orange on his uniform.
Andy Dalton- If ever there was an easier prediction it might have been the longevity status of the Titanic after the brush with the big ice cube. Dalton is gone and looks like a serviceable backup somewhere with a shot at being the starter. The Bengals enter the Joe Burrow era starting about 1 minute after Roger Goodell gets booed off of the draft day stage.
Nick Foles- The Jacksonville sometimes starter lost his job to a guy named Gardner Minshew II midseason. The salary cap hit for dumping Foles would be huge, but his favorite OC has moved on. Will Foles? The cost to keep him is just as huge at $22 million next year. This smells like a draft day trade to a team that wants a starter but doesn’t see one worth it when they are due to select. Jacksonville will likely need to add cash and/or a lower pick to get a third with playing time clauses up to a second for him.
Marcus Mariotta-The second overall pick in 2015 has seen his last days as a Tenessee Titan. His successor, Ryan Tannehill resurrected his career with the address change to Nashville. Can Marcus do the same? Maybe. He stares at initial receivers too long and holds the ball too long. From the west coast, on a hunch, BBR thinks he heads back that way as a well-paid backup, but no more than that.
Teddy Bridgewater- After a disastrous leg injury nearly cost Bridgewater his career and his leg, he rehabbed both, went to the Jets, then joined the N.O. Saints in 2018. In 2019 Brees suffered a thumb injury that kept him sidelined for five games. Teddy stepped in and bridged the gap until Bress returned and then some. Shaking off two years of rust he went 5-0 as a starter against some good teams that had some darn good defenses. He stayed with Sean Payton and Drew Brees to continue to develop in 2019 for less money ($7.5 mil) that was offered to him as a starter elsewhere. He loves NOLA and NOLA loves him. But, it’s time to grab a starting position and QB starting money somewhere, isn’t it? Can you hear the clink, clink, clink of the slot machines from the new Vegas stadium?
Which brings us to Derek Carr. Ah, enough already.
Coaching careers can be made or finished by the choices made on the above. The heck with the XFL, let the offseason NFL games begin.