Predicting the QB Carousel, Trade Predictions, Free Agent Signings and Several Surprises
The NFL is going to be crazy this year. There will be more quarterbacks on the move than ever before. The legendary Tom Brady could be on the move, which would be insane, especially after watching him dominate the AFC East for years.
With that being said, we are going to take a look at some free agent quarterbacks and predict which quarterbacks land where through free agency and via trade.
Indianapolis Colts – I really think Jacoby Brissett did a great job at quarterback last year, but if you can land Philip Rivers who has played under Nick Sirianni and Frank Reich. After leading the team to a 5-2 record to start the year, many Colts fans and folks in the media were quick to name quarterback Jacoby Brissett as an MVP candidate. The Colts then went on to lose seven of their next nine, and now all those people are ready to bench Brissett and bring in a new starter. They need a quarterback and Rivers makes too much sense.
New England Patriots – I honestly think they move on from Tom Brady. Brady will test the market and he will get paid. He needs to leave and I think he will. If the Patriots do in fact move on from Brady, I think they will trade for Andy Dalton. Dalton is a younger quarterback option who can run the Belichick system. Regardless, Dalton has had to deal with one of the worst situations in the league throughout his career in Cincinnati, and while he had a down year this past season, he still showed to be accurate. The Patriots makes too much sense for him.
Los Angeles Chargers – Cam Newton, I do not believe I have to say much more. The guy is a proven winner and he is a gamer. When it comes down to it, you cannot start up a new stadium without a Franchise QB. Newton was the MVP in 2015, and when healthy he is one of the most unstoppable quarterbacks. The Chargers moved on from Philip Rivers and there is no way they ride into their first season in LA with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback. They need to sell tickets and adding Cam will help with that.
Chicago Bears – Marcus Mariota makes sense. I do not think you can throw in the towel on Mitch Trubisky yet, but you can apply pressure. You did not take Trubisky high in the first round for him to get thrown to the wolves. He has not been very pretty at times, but the addition of Mariota allows the team to be creative. Mariota can run and can also compete for a starting position. This pushes Trubisky, and if he cannot beat out Mariota then at least you have a new quarterback in Chicago.
Carolina Panthers – I liked Kyle Allen, the kid was pretty sharp but is he a starter? I feel Teddy Bridgewater could come in and take the Panthers deep in the playoffs. Bridgewater came in and started five games for an injured Drew Brees from Weeks 3-7 and was the fifth-highest graded quarterback in that span, according to PFF. He doesn’t have a big arm by any means, and you’re not going to see a high volume of big-time throws, but he limits mistakes better than most. Bridgewater might not be a long-term solution for the Panthers, but he would provide a good bridge if they decide to shoot their shot either in the 2020 or 2021 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders – The most likely Raiders move ever would be moving on from Derek Carr, and that is exactly what they are going to do in my opinion. The Raiders chuck a boatload of money at Tom Brady to get the fans in Las Vegas pumped up for Raiders football. This is a PR stunt and that is exactly what they do. Brady wants to move out west, and the Raiders want to sell tickets. Is it the best move for the Franchise? Probably not, but they end up moving on from Derek Carr and taking the Greatest QB of All Time for two years to settle in the dust from the new stadium.
Miami Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins have Reggie McKenzie in their front office, he was the General Manager of the Oakland Raiders when the team drafted Derek Carr. I know the Dolphins fans want to land Tu’a that is cool they can still draft him, but get yourself a starter from day one who can come in and bridge the gap while you groom your rookie. Derek Carr will be traded for a later pick and the Dolphins should be all over it. This move allows them to be patient and to not overdraft.
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com