The QB carousel spun with vigor on Monday. Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, Marcus Mariota replaced him with the Atlanta Falcons, and Jameis Winston decided to return to the New Orleans Saints. Oh, and even Matt Barkley made some noise, as he decided to reunite with the Buffalo Bills after a year away. With those four QBs off the market, the remaining group — in free agency and via trade — should also begin to see some interest.
Which teams still really need QB help?
The Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers both still have a glaring need for an upgrade at quarterback.
The Colts, Falcons, and Browns have been able to finalize their QB1 spot over the past few days, while the Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be content with a competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
Who could be available via trade at QB?
The three remaining names to watch on the trade market at QB are Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Fransico 49ers, Gardner Minshew of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Of the group, Garoppolo is the most appealing, as he has the most experience and postseason success. That said, Garoppolo has proven to be injury-prone and is coming off shoulder surgery. According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Colts passed on Garoppolo, partially because of his injury history.
Minshew is the buy-low competition option on the trade market. The Panthers had interest in trading for Minshew around midseason last year, so they could still view him as a fallback plan after failing to land Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade.
And then there’s Mayfield, who requested a trade before Watson even landed in Cleveland. The Browns initially denied that request, but after adding Watson and Jacoby Brissett, it seems like a forgone conclusion that the Browns will move Mayfield and his $18.9 million salary somewhere else this offseason.
Mayfield’s trade value is nowhere near the third-round pick that the Falcons received for Matt Ryan on Monday.
The remaining names at QB in free agency
Following the Winston and Mariota signings, the well is running pretty dry on the free agent market at quarterback. That said, there are some reasonable backup options among the bunch:
- Andy Dalton
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Blaine Gabbert
- Cam Newton
- Geno Smith
- Mike Glennon
- A.J. McCarron
- David Blough
- Nick Mullens