Good but not great quarterbacks heading to NFL free agency in two weeks
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins need a quarterback and if they want to find one in free agency they will have a lot to choose from. Just not great ones.
When it comes to the Dolphins back-up quarterback and future franchise quarterbacks are the talk around town (not really town but social media). With Matt Moore on his way out the Dolphins will only have two unproven quarterbacks on the roster. David Fales and Brandon Doughty. That is scary given the situation with Ryan Tannehill‘s return.
Tannehill is of course the biggest question mark. It has been well over a year since he played in even a pre-season game. His ACL has been surgically repaired and his future with the team is in question beyond the 2018 season.
Rumors continue to float about the Dolphins looking at a first round quarterback to become the heir apparent to Tannehill who could be gone following the 2018 season. The question however is are those rumors true? If they are then the plethora of quarterbacks who will be hitting the market in a couple of weeks will mean little to the Dolphins. If they are not true, Miami needs to address the position.
Another issue of course is the money these quarterbacks will demand. Quarterbacks are not cheap and some of these QB’s expect a chance to start. Here is a look at some of the quarterbacks that will hit the market on March 14th.
No other player is getting more hype than Cousins and there is no guarantee that Washington won’t simply find a way to screw him over to keep his rights and then trade him. Following the trade for Alex Smith there is no question that Cousins will play elsewhere next season but the question is where?
Cousins has been linked to the Browns, Broncos, Cardinals, Vikings, and yes even the Dolphins. Linked as in rumored to be of interest. Nothing is concrete and no one knows where he will end up but the Vikings do seem like a spot that has a lot of potential. The Vikings are the closest to a Super Bowl of all those rumored teams.
As it relates to the Dolphins it is highly unlikely. Cousins contract alone would be an impediment to the teams already bad salary cap and the team would need to release or trade Tannehill as Cousins is not a back-up.
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Hard to believe that Keenum is not getting more attention. That will change. A back-up for the Vikings Keenum has bought his time and learned and last year was one game away from a Super Bowl trip. Keenum is a smart player but most do not view him as a full-time starter.
He isn’t better than Ryan Tannehill, at least not on paper but there is a lot of potential and while he isn’t viewed as a franchise type player he is going to get a chance to start in the league next year. Keenum makes the most sense for a team looking to draft a franchise quarterback but is not ready to start them just yet. The Browns and the Bills could have interest.
If Keenum’s price is not that high, Miami could look at him as a potential back-up to Tannehill but that is really a stretch as Keenum will want the chance to start or at least compete.
Bridgwater is an interesting player and it is likely that he signs a one-year prove it type deal in free agency. He has been out of football for quite a while and while he did return at season’s end to play in relief of Keenum, there are a lot of questions about his recovery going forward. He could be a perfect back-up fit for a season with the Dolphins who could provide a long-term answer if he stays healthy. And he shouldn’t be too pricey. This is something to watch as the free agency period progresses. He could also end up being a late FA target of teams after the draft is completed.
It was reported out of Chicago on Wednesday that the Bears will let Glennon go when the league new year begins. Glennon has been a prominent player in trade talks through the last few years and ended up with the Bears last season. The Bears drafted Mitch Trubiskey and were happy with what they saw. Moving forward they will stick with their first round draft pick and that puts Glennon back on the market.
Glennon has potential but he really wants to be a starter so finding a team that will let him compete will be his first priority but he isn’t viewed as a future franchise type QB anymore and that will hurt his stock with some of the teams that are in need of a top quarterback.
Teams in need
The Dolphins are not the only team looking for quarterback help and the draft could see five quarterbacks going in the first 15 picks. Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson are all top 15 prospects in this years draft.
The Browns, Giants, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Cardinals, Vikings, Bengals, and the Miami Dolphins may all be looking at an early quarterback. What happens in free agency will of course potentially change these needs. So will team valuing the above free agents as starters.