With free agency just around the corner I’ll be highlighting
some of the biggest names available at each skill position. I’ll
match each player with a team that I think would be a best-case
scenario for his fantasy value in 2019. Up next are the quarterbacks.
After spending time with the Lions and
Eagles in 2018, Golden Tate finds himself on the market in
2019.
The legend of Nick Foles might command a little more money than
what the actual Nick Foles has delivered from a statistical standpoint,
but there’s no avoiding a couple things: First, he helped
lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win a couple years ago after taking
over for an injured Carson Wentz, and second, that he’s
going to get a payday since he’s a good enough signal caller
to get a starting gig in the NFL. His numbers last season were
passable (1413-7-4 in five games), and he completed 72.9% of his
regular season passes. While it’s not a certainty until
he actually signs the deal, it’s expected that Foles will
sign with the Jaguars once free agency opens.
Best fit: Jaguars
It’s a foregone conclusion that Foles goes to the Jaguars,
but let’s take another look just in case. There aren’t
necessarily unlimited options for Foles, and the teams that could
or should be in play may not be. The Raiders remain married to
Derek Carr, the Giants are sticking with Eli Manning, the Broncos
have acquired Joe Flacco, and the other teams that need a QB are
either tanking or can’t afford the price tag on Big Nick.
The Dolphins could make a late splash, but I’m convinced
they aren’t serious about winning just yet.
Bridgewater is highly coveted by a few NFL teams, but it’s
most likely as a backup or Plan B in case things don’t work
out in the draft. Bridgewater is just 26 years old, and he’s
a former first-round pick who’s shown he can manage an offense
on the field and get victories. It’s been a while since
he’s been thrust into an actual meaningful game, but he
had his moments in Minnesota and can be efficient despite underwhelming
numbers (64.6% career completion rate, 6268-29-23 in 35 games).
After Foles, he probably offers the most upside of the unrestricted
free agents and quarterback depth seems to be getting increasingly
more necessary.
Best fit: Redskins
I just don’t see the Redskins heading into 2019 without
a backup plan for Alex Smith. Bridgewater’s recently unexciting
resume means he’ll come at a discount, and Washington can’t
afford to spend much more on this position. If the offers don’t
come rolling in from the Redskins and other teams who need a plan
for the future like the Giants, he might even end up back in New
Orleans.
The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick isn’t exactly the type of QB
you’d build around at this point in his career, but he’s
an excellent backup coming off a productive season with Tampa
Bay (2366-17-12 in eight games – not all as the starter).
He’s capable of elite production in small batches, but when
he’s bad, he’s really bad. Still, the addition of
Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be a bad thing for many teams, as he’s
a great veteran addition to the quarterback room and a grizzled
competitor who’s still got something in the tank.
Best fit: Cardinals
The Cardinals are expected to move on from Josh Rosen and make
a play for Kyler Murray with the No.1 pick – and some news
reports have already surfaced claiming that Cards Kliff Kingsbury
has even said it’s a “done deal.” This means
that Fitzpatrick could be a good fit as a backup to the
rookie.
Taylor is a mobile QB who has never seemed to get a fair shake
in the league, and has operated under so many different offensive
coaches, he’s never really gotten into a rhythm. His performance
with the Browns last season wasn’t really his fault, and
Baker Mayfield should’ve probably been given the reins before
the season started anyway. But that doesn’t mean Taylor
can’t be a decent stop-gap starter or very good backup in
the NFL. At just 29 years old, he’s a good balance between
fresh and experienced, and his three decent seasons with Buffalo
boasted a cumulative 92.5 QB rating over 44 games. He’s
an accomplished runner out of the pocket, and while it’s
doubtful he’ll command a long-term investment, there’ll
be job for him in 2019.
Best fit: Bengals
Tyrod is still a smart, mobile QB who has plenty of life in his
arm and his legs, and the Bengals need a guy like that even if
they decide not to move on from Andy Dalton. Jeff Driskel was
a disaster last season and clearly isn’t up to the task,
but Taylor makes sense as a relatively cheap option and a guy
who could win a few games if the eventual starter goes down.
There are a few guys who could grab this last spot, but none have
the cache of Colin Kaepernick. I’m not here to debate the
reasons why he isn’t already on an NFL roster or knee deep
in offers, but he’s done enough during his time as an NFL
starter to warrant consideration before many of the other unrestricted
free agents out there. What has changed for Kaepernick is the
resolution of the collusion case he brought to the league. Sure,
he’s a longshot top play pro football in 2019 or at any
point in the future, but there are teams who could use his abilities
and leadership.
Best fit: Dolphins
The Dolphins make the most sense of the remaining teams that really
need a QB. If they’re serious about winning, they could
sign Kaepernick and see what he can do with what has been a team
lacking leadership and a quality QB. If they aren’t, he’ll
definitely create a stir and bring some much-needed attention
to this floundering franchise. Other than that, Kaep could find
a backup gig in places like Seattle or Philly, where they’ll
definitely need someone to battle Nate Sudfeld for the backup
job.
