DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season 2018 NFL Draft A Closer look at the QB market.

This might help a few of us wrap our heads around which team will do what in their search for a QB. Add any teams or QBs or any other thoughts that you can think of below this and I'll compile it into a new post on this thread later. I put the teams 1st round pick number and cap room below. Cap room is from Overthecap.com and I am not sure when it was last updated.

The teams

New York Giants - No. 2 - $24,535,434

New York is unlikely to look for a QB in FA. They will most likely take advantage of their draft position to pick the successor to Eli Manning. They could also trade down if given the right offer.

Indianapolis Colts - No. 3 - $74,194,402.

The Colts have plenty of cap room, so it is possible they could pursue a FA QB, but I would assume that would only happen if they have given up on Luck's recovery. They could also draft a QB #3 if they are uncertain about his recovery or trade down if they get a good offer and want to take their chances.

Denver Broncos - No. 5 - $26,848,245

Denver is in a tough position. They are built to win now and can't afford to spend time developing a QB, but are also a little tight in cap space in a year where the best QB's will be getting big paychecks. They can make some cuts and make more cap room, but that makes them a less desirable spot for the bigger name QB's. In my opinion, this would actually be a good spot for Josh McCown. He can play well enough to get them wins and give them time to develop Paxton Lynch or a QB that they draft at #5. I could also see Buffalo offering them both #1 picks and Tyrod Taylor for their pick.

New York Jets - No. 6 - $73,196,618

The Jets have enough money to sign any QB that they want and I expect them to sign a starter and draft his successor much like the Browns want to do.

Arizona Cardinals - No. 15 - $22,159,438

AZ is probably rebuilding so they will most likely draft a QB of the future. They also need a bridge starter and will most likely select a journeyman because of their low cap room.

Los Angeles Chargers - No. 17 - $23,762,546

It's time for the Chargers to look for the heir to Rivers. They aren't any threat in FA, but will take a value QB if one falls to 17.

Buffalo Bills - Nos. 21 and 22 - $29,578,581

Buffalo has already been rumored to be trying to trade up into the top ten for a QB and they have enough ammunition to get there.

Pittsburgh Steelers - No. 28 - $6,540,224

Pitt really needs to find their QB of the future. They will jump on any value that falls to this spot in the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars - No. 29 - $21,414,610

Jacksonville really wants someone to fall to #29, but as you can see above, other teams are waiting to snag a value QB if one drops. I think that they are going to pursue options to trade up. They don't have the cap room to make a difference in FA.

Minnesota Vikings - No. 30 - $49,053,643

Minnesota is interesting because they have 3 homegrown FA's that have proven that they can win games for them and might not choose any of them. This spot is probably most attractive for Kirk Cousins because they can afford a $30 mil contract without having to make cuts and have enough talent to make a Superbowl push with the right QB. If Minnesota likes Cousins better than what they have, teams will have to throw massive amounts of money at Cousins to sway him from signing there.

Free Agent QB's

Drew Brees

Probably isn't going anywhere without throwing massive amounts of money at him but is listed here because the Browns and the Jets have massive amounts of money.

Kirk Cousins

Will get $30 mil plus from whatever team he plays for and much more than that to sway him to a lesser team. He will get wins for the team that signs him.

Case Keenum

Is probably the favorite of the 3 FA's to come back to the Vikings unless the Vikings make a run at Cousins.

Teddy Bridgewater

Could be a bargain if healthy, but that is a big risk.

Sam Bradford

Might be even a bigger health risk than Bridgewater.

Josh McCown

Can be a solid QB in most systems. Will probably be the best value for a bridge QB.

A.J. McCarron

Lacks arm strength and is a poor choice for a vertical system. He could be a good game manager in the right system and will get paid a lot of money given his age.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Much like Josh McCown, in that he could have value as a bridge QB.

Matt Moore

I don't see value as a bridge starter. Someone will value him as a backup though.

Jay Cutler

He still has a live arm but that's about it for Jay.

Derek Anderson

He wouldn't be considered here given his history, but is a good fit for a vertical offense.

Drew Stanton

We're starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Blaine Gabbert

We're looking under the barrel now.


The Draft

This draft is top heavy in first round QB's and I would expect 6 QB's to be drafted in the first round. I also expect some movement by teams lower in the draft to try and leapfrog others to snag the guy they want. The match between the potential that's available and the needs for future replacements is just too great for teams not to take risks in this draft. I would not be shocked if 4 QB's were drafted in the top 5 picks.

Very nice write up.

Denver is in a pinch. They gotta cut people. Jets, imo, will be the team that drops the $ on Kirk. Minnesota would not shock me either if they make the push for him.

I still like the Keenum or AJ, and the supposed best QB in the draft (Sam imo.) Jets can spend the cash and have Kirk and let's battle Arizona, Denver and other teams needing a bridge player at QB.

I think Jacksonville should be mentioned. They extended Bortles, but he has yet to, and may never, live up to his draft status. There are several who think that although the Jags extended him for 3 years, they are looking to upgrade if they can. I wouldn't be shocked if they drafted a QB this year or next.

They're on there. I have them as a possibility of trading up for that reason, unless there is something else you think I should add?

Cousins is the only QB on the list that can still get better IMO. Dude has thrown for over 5K yards, with not the greatest cast or team around him. Why are people afraid to have one of the best FA qbs come to our team, when we have not had a decent QB in 20 years is beyond me. Pay him 40 million if you have to, get him here.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think Josh Rosen can be nearly as good as Kirk Cousins this season and much better in the future. I believe the other QBs in the draft also have the chance to be better than Cousins.

I agree that there are a few QB's in this draft that could potentially be better than Cousins. The guy we draft could just as easily flame out as well. I'd prefer hedging our bets by signing Cousins and drafting a QB. I know it's not a popular opinion around here, but it just seems like common sense to me.

Dawg. How is that Common Sense?

You're inking Cousins for 6 years. You're Drafting a QB #1 overall who will carry a 5th year Option.

You're not paying Cousins 30m to sit. EVER. So now you're sitting your #1 pick for YEARS.

We're not going to put that much money into 2 QB'S. That's foolish. The entire NFL would be thinking What the Hell are the Browns doing now?

I know you're going to say We can TRADE one in 2 or 3 years. It WON'T take that long. The #1 pick isn't going to be happy for long riding the pine.

You're asking for a MESS.

And in the meantime, we're passing on the #1 player on our board. An IMPACT player.

Don't like it. Don't agree with it. AT ALL.

"I believe"
"Have a chance"

Those are the words we use when talking about a rookie QB.

With Cousins, words like "proven", and "I know" are used to describe him.

I want the Browns to start selling results and stop throwing hope at the fans.

See, I think "have a chance" and "I believe" are still used when talking about Cousins.

I'm not so sure we aren't signing the next Matt Cassel, Elvis Grbac, or Jake Delhomme.

I really think based on the direction we are told we want to go that it's really counter productive to sign Cousins to a boatload of money. If Johnny Manziel was a publicity stunt to get people to fill seats, so is this.

I guess we just disagree. That's cool.

I think Cousins did enough with the Redskins to show he is a good QB.

Could one of the rookies end up being better? Sure....they might. Then again, they might not.

I don't like the "might not" part.

It's hard right now because Cousins being free is pending. Something is going to happen with him. If we sign him, then we don't need to draft a QB and can go many ways in the draft.

If he turns down our best offer and decides to play elsewhere, then we know what we have to do...draft a QB at 1 or 4.

For me, Cousins is the best option available. Anything without him is a plan B option.

Yeah a mess.

Like when GB had to sit Aaron Rodgers behind Brett Favre for a few years. Heaven forbid the Browns get two good QBs.

You can trade Cousins any freaking year you want to, because unlike any other team in the NFL, we can front load his contract. Teams will be lining up to trade us as well because we front loaded his contract.

If we finally mange to draft a QB that is a keeper, it will be the first time that we have done so in 20 years, so why does everyone think that the one we draft this year is such a sure thing?

I picture us drafting Josh Rosen and Josh getting another concussion in preseason and deciding that he doesn't want to play football anymore. Way back in the day, we passed on trading for Drew Brees because we had a young Tim Couch that we spent a #1 pick on. How did that one work out for us?

I think that it would be a dream come true t have both Cousins and a #1 QB pick. I mean why not? I believe the odds of that happening are slim to none but I don't think anyone can say that wouldn't be the perfect scenario.

The reason I say the odds are slim to none is not because it wouldn't be a great thing to see, but the reason is I've never seen a team sign a big money FA QB and turn around and draft a QB in the top 5. You bring up Rodgers and it's quite true that scenario unfolded, Favre had been the face of that franchise for a very long time. They selected a QB to take over the reigns for Fave down the road. They selected Rodgers at #24.

When an NFL signs a QB to a huge contract or takes the top QB in the draft, they make a commitment to that QB. They view him as the face of their franchise. They don't tend to muddy the waters by creating a QB controversy from day one.

Not saying it isn't a great sounding scenario on a team that has been desperate for a true franchise QB for so long, but since I've never seen such a scenario before, I don't see it as a logical conclusion to this off season.

I think the hard part is convincing Cousins to sign with us to begin with, rather than a team with more wins.

After that, it just takes having the balls to draft a QB and declare that he's here to learn under Cousins.

Since it's never been done in all of NFL history, for some reason I think it's about a lot more than "having the balls" to do it.

But I agree that convincing Cousins to sign here is a very tall mountain to climb.

A lot of things worth doing have never been done before.

Are the odds of having our starter greater or worse when we choose to pass on Cousins or the rookie just because "nobody has done it before"?

All it really takes is having the balls to do it. The rest is just an excuse not to do it.

Well obviously the only reason no GM or owner in the history of the NFL have never done it is because none of them has ever had the balls. Sounds logical to me. lol I kid, I kid.

Well you also need the cap room and the #1 overall pick which rules out about 99.9% of all GMs and Owners in history.

The Browns have the cap room and the #1 overall pick. Whether or not they have the balls is yet to be determined.

Well it's all based on balls of course. lol

It ain't happening, Slick. Keep dreaming all you want.

Other teams have the money and are in a better situation.

I agree and I mentioned as much. The Vikings can offer him $30 mil easy. It would probably take a lot more than that to sway him away.

And then you are paying him too much.

I heard an segment of Joe Thomas on the radio on Monday - he's been championing for Cousins to sign here with the Browns. It very much sounded like [1] Cousins is not signing with the Browns. [2] Joe was talking about 'The Browns' and not 'us' .... I really have a gut feeling JT is done. It would be sad but I don't blame him one bit if that is the decision. His comments about Cousins, he said, were based on what he has heard through connections. Take it for what you like.

To me I am right there with Ballpeen - if I could, I'd take Cousins and forgo a high QB in the draft. I'd trade out of #1 - back to 5-6-7-8 provided there was a King's ransom paid.... and if not I might well take Barclay and Minkah.

We aren't going to solve the 'how good is Cousins' debate this off season. Some folks like myself think he is very good and has overcome adversity on a pretty dysfunctional team. But even if Cousins is merely average - and I mean good NFL average not a bum like some of the play we have had - if we paid him and he got us to 8-8 for the next 2-3 years ... how much is that improving the culture of the team and the attitude of every member of the roster compared to what we've been doing? Rosen, Darnold, Mayfield, Jackson, Allen .... they all have some sort of question-mark against them. There is risk in taking any one of them. The risk with Cousins seems to be is he very good (top 10) or is he average?

I understand the argument that we might be passing on a 'great' player .... but we've had the same opportunity before and the only 'great' first round picks I think of are Joe Thomas, Haden and MG if he continues his rookie trajectory.... it boils down to this: statistically, I believe the odds of our #1 pick being less than Cousins is substantially greater than him being better than Cousins.

However - with all that said, I don't think we have a chance of landing Cousins based on what I heard. So ... Darnold would be my second choice and a fill in bridge QB.

Except Brees was drafted 2 years AFTER Couch, and Brees was traded to NO in 2006. Couch never played in another game after 2003.

Chase Daniels and Tyrod Taylor both need to be added to that list as a bridge simply because Dorsey has mentioned Daniels several times in interviews and our QB coach, David Lee, worked with Tyrod in Buffalo (I expected we were going to make a run for Tyrod last year).

I'm not saying I like either idea I am just pointing out that they need to be included in the mix as Dorsey seems to believe Daniels can be a decent QB and Lee may make an argument for Tyrod.

I believe Lee was fired.

Oh yea...we brought in that dude from Cincy who the players revolted against.

With all the talk about a "bridge" quarterback, how long is the bridge, typically?

Dependent on the prospect? Could it be 1, 2, 3 years? Can a bridge quarterback play 5 years?

When do you give up on the prospect and go a different direction? After 2 years?

Is there an age limit on a bridge quarterback? Does he have to be old?

Just my opinion, but I think you hope for 1 year, have to plan for at least 2 years and start to think about giving up after 3 years.

A lot will be clearer when FA is here