As I was listening to NFL Radio today, some podcasts, and other football related content, I started thinking about what actually is going on in the NFL and tried to figure out how that impacts the Bucs.
First... What QB's are currently available (UFA's)?
Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Philip Rivers
Teddy Bridgewater
Ryan Tannehill
Dak Prescott
Case Keenum
Jameis Winston
Marcus Mariota
Eli Manning
Second... What QB's may become available (via trade/release)?
Derek Carr
Cam Newton
Joe Flacco
Jacoby Brissett
Andy Dalton
Third... what QB's will be drafted in the first 2 or 3 rounds?
Joe Burrow
Justin Herbert
Tua Tagovailoa
Jake Fromm
Jacob Eason
Where does this leave us? It leaves us at 20 QB's guaranteed to be available unless deals aren't signed. It leaves us with the possibility of as many as 20. Holy cow that's a lot. Where are all of these guys going to go? Let's start knocking off a couple to widdle this down a bit, shall we?
Joe Burrow - Cincinnati: Andy Dalton will be released
Tua Tagovailoa - Miami
Justin Herbert - Carolina
Eli Manning - Retire (I don't think anyone will offer him the starting job.)
Dak Prescott - Dallas (I think he re-signs.)
Teddy Bridgewater - New Orleans (I think the Saints decide to move on from Brees.)
Tom Brady - New England (I think he re-signs.)
Marcus Mariota - Los Angeles Chargers (Lance Lynn wants a mobile QB, and other than Prescott, no other free agent or draft prospect fits that description.)
Drew Brees - Las Vegas (I have a really hard time no seeing Gruden putting on the full court press to get him, thus making Derek Carr available.)
Ryan Tannehill - Tennessee (I think the Titans bring him back.)
Jacoby Brissett - Indianapolis (I think they stick with him for another season.)
Joe Flacco - Denver (They're not going to eat $24M in dead cap money.)
All right, that eliminated half the pool of QB's. Where does that leave us? It leaves us with the following QB's available and how I'd rank them for the Bucs...
Derek Carr
Philip Rivers
Andy Dalton
Jake Fromm
Jacob Eason
Jameis Winston
Case Keenum
Cam Newton
Outside of the Bucs and Chargers (whom I don't think Mariota will be their only move), I have a hard time finding a team who needs a QB. I honestly have a hard time finding any reason why any team would offer Winston more than $10M AAV. I also have a hard time finding any reason why Winston would not be ranked near the bottom of that list. Outside of Newton, who would you rank lower? Keenum? Maybe... pending on the deal, but that's it. Who/what, am I missing? Throw some teams and players out there and maybe we can update this.
