The 2018 QB free agency frenzy will start on March 12th when NFL teams are allowed to start contacting Unrestricted Free Agents and may sign any free agent on March 14th. We all know that teams have a good feel on who they are going to sign several weeks in advance and with the desperate need for a miracle QB to come in and in a QB driven league, the top money and attention will go to the QB class.
Here are my Bold predictions on where the QB free agent class of 2018 might end up and why. I am looking forward to seeing if any of them will be correct and if they are wrong, then you can put me in the class of Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay and we will never revisit it again and still call ourselves "Experts."
NEW YORK JETS - Kirk Cousins
Sorry Bronco Nation but Kirk wants to win and can use a little bit more coin to upgrade his Shag Wagon Van. He knows that the Jets have over $73 Million Dollars in cap space and can afford to upgrade around Kirk with free agents and the draft.
The Jets also promoted Jeremy Bates to Offensive Coordinator who worked under Mike Shanahan, who everyone knows drafted Kirk Cousins. This will allow the Jets to use their 6th pick in the first round of the draft to select Mike McGlinchy from Notre Dame and build the line for Kirk. A line that is coached now by Rick Dennison, a longtime offensive mind and who also coached for... you guessed it. Mike Shanahan.
CLEVELAND BROWNS - AJ McCarron
Oh Cleveland. If only Lebron James made himself available for another sport like Michael Jordan, they would definitely make Lebron the 20th Starting QB since 1999 when the Browns came back from the dust of Art Modell's moving trucks to Baltimore.
Enter AJ, a two time College National Champion and husband to Brent Musburger's wet dream, Katherine Webb. AJ spent the last 3 seasons with Cincinnati and has appeared in a whopping 11 games in his brief NFL career.
However, this is a Cincinnati team that had Hue Jackson as their offensive coordinator in 2015, the year AJ was drafted to the Bengals. Hue Jackson is the coach of the Cleveland Browns and although having only 1 more win with the Cleveland Browns than I do, he has found a way to keep his job and more importantly the title of Quarterback Whisperer.
Cleveland already botched a trade for AJ last season and now that they do not have to give up a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick and with over $100 Million Dollars in cap space in 2018, they can way overpay for the 3 year starter and did I mention the husband of the one and only, Katherine Webb. Remember, this is the team that paid Brock Osweiler $16 Million Dollars just to go away. A restraining order might have been cheaper.
With overpaying AJ in free agency, look for the Browns to select Saquon Barkley as their number 1 overall pick and Bradley Chubb with their 4th pick to hold the corners of the Defensive line with last year's number 1 overall pick, Myles Garrett.
ARIZONA CARDINALS - Case Keenum
Is anyone else concerned that the Cardinals have no interest in Kirk Cousins? Also if Andy Dalton is overrated, then why is AJ his backup?
The Cardinals have zero quarterbacks on their roster for 2018. With a history of bringing in Quarterbacks with a one time hype in College or the NFL and giving one last chance, a QB that is out there looking for a team to believe in him is Case Keenum.
The Cardinals recent history of doorstep Quarterbacks included Kurt Warner, who the Giants kicked out for Eli. Matt Leinart, who won the Heisman Trophy and never lived up to the hype in the NFL. Derek Anderson, who actually made the Pro Bowl with the Browns in the 2007 season. Let that sink in. Kevin Kolb, the much hyped backup QB made starter for the Eagles. Then the great Carson Palmer, a Heisman Trophy winner and all but washed up after the Raiders abused him and traded him to Arizona for a couple late draft picks and a bag of Skittles.
Why not bring in Case who just took the Vikings to the NFC Championship and is NCAA's all time leader in passing touchdowns with the University of Houston. It fits the Cardinal mold and with Larry Legend coming back for probably his last season, why waste it with a rookie Quarterback?
MINNESOTA VIKINGS - Teddy Bridgewater
With all 3 of the Vikings quarterbacks entering free agency, the Vikings are too conservative to really enter the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes and would rather build with younger and cheaper talent. Upon the return of Teddy in week 15 of 2017, all Case had to do was sneeze the wrong way and Teddy would have been in. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Case kept winning and fell just short of the prize.
With another full year of rehab and Powerbars, Teddy will be the next Fran Tarkenton of Minnesota. Let's just hope he's not the next Sam Bradford made of glass.
DENVER BRONCOS - Sam Bradford/Baker Mayfield
Elway is the greatest QB of all time in my opinion. The Elway magic has quickly been wiped away with the Vance Joseph blunder and no intelligent veteran is coming in to a situation where the Head Coach will probably be fired, no offensive line or running game, and who would have to cut or trade their best players in order to sign him.
Peyton Manning came to a team coached by John Fox who barely lost to the Patriots in the 2003 Super Bowl with the Panthers and who managed to win a playoff game with the celestial Tim Tebow. Kirk can come here for the Elway magic but will have a brand new coach and system in 2019 when Good Practice Vance will be let go after a 7-9 season.
When all the chips are gone and all that is left is building from the draft, Elway will not waste another season with his "Championship" defense and will sign a bridge veteran in Sam Bradford. All Sam will have to do is have his knees made of paper mache last for at least 6 weeks and at that point, the season will be 2-4 and the rookie can come in start his Broncos career and Elway can blame it on Sam, Vance, Billy Musgrave, and anyone else and can restart holding face with the Broncos Nation for 2019 with a fresh Coach, a talented rookie QB and a lower expectations.
Who do the Broncos pick with their 5th pick in the draft? The flag planter himself, Baker Mayfield. Broncos are already familiar with Baker from the Senior Bowl and Elway can work with Baker's personality flaws. Remember, Elway publically threatened to play for the Yankees than to play for the Baltimore Colts and even Terry Bradshaw stated "he's not the guy you win championships with."
Is this a Master Yoda with a young Luke? A Mr. Miyagi with a young Daniel son? Let's just hope it's not Johnny Manziel 2.0.
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