All but four teams are looking forward towards next year. So let’s do our best Merlin impersonation and do the same. There are a slew of free agents set to hit the market and with the unprecedented coaching turnover, who knows how teams will target players this season.
Going position by position, let’s look first where every team needs to be built around — the quarterback. Here are the top free agents on the market.
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Potential Teams: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens faced a serious question this past summer – Flacco or Rice? The Ravens tagged running back Ray Rice as their franchise player in March. That left quarterback Joe Flacco in the position of potentially signing a long term contract. However in July, Rice signed a five-year $40 million contract – eliminating his franchise tag.
Good for the team, bad for Flacco.
Flacco has been harassed by naysayers who think he hasn’t lived up to first-round status and think he is not an elite quarterback. Think again hecklers. Flacco made a statement in Saturday’s win over the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos by throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns.
After that performance it will be alarming if Baltimore doesn’t keep Flacco. The fifth year pro’s agent Joe Linta told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that talks will resume between the organization and Flacco after the season.
Linta was confident in his client saying, “He’s a top-five guy, if not better…If you don’t think that’s an elite guy, then you’re crazy. The guy has won 54 games; (the) guy is eventually going to get respect.”
Jason Campbell, Chicago Bears
Potential Teams: Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs
Campbell didn’t have the prettiest season in 2012. He had only one start backing up Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and appeared in six games.
In his sole start in Week 11, Campbell went 14 for 22 for 107 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against a strong San Francisco 49ers defense. Not the best numbers for Campbell but his offensive line didn’t help at all as he was sacked six times that game.
Overall, Campbell has a 82.5 career quarterback rating and has posted strong numbers when starting a full season as he did in Washington from 2007 to 2009.
Campbell would provide a team with a solid stopgap starter, something Cleveland and Kansas City could be looking for.
Cleveland could be in the cards because of the change of leadership. New owner Jimmy Haslam and head coach Rob Chudzinski are looking to totally revamp the franchise and bring them to prominence once again.
Which spells bad luck for quarterback Brandon Weeden – a player the new establishment has no ties to.
Weeden performed admirably in his rookie season but may not fit in Chudzinski’s style of offense. In Carolina, Chudzinski had a versatile quarterback in Cam Newton which allowed for a high octane and successful offense. Weeden is still adjusting to be a drop back quarterback and will turn 30 years-old next October.
The Browns could take a quarterback the likes of West Virginia’s Geno Smith or USC’s Matt Barkley and let them sit for a year behind Campbell.
Kansas City follows similar reasoning and new head coach Andy Reid has shown an appreciation for mobile quarterbacks, ie Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Jeff Garcia.
Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins
Potential Teams: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Moore is simply a guy who has never gotten a fair shake. With the Dolphins highlighted on this seasons HBO series Hard Knocks, Moore was highlighted as a strong leader in the locker room and a guy players liked playing for.
Routinely placed as a backup, Moore has proven he do what it takes to win a game. A career record of 13-12, Moore has made the most of his opportunities in both Carolina and Miami and is still getting better.
In his first three years in Carolina 73.9 quarterback rating with 16 touchdowns and 17 picks. Yet in the last two seasons in Miami, Moore has a rating of 87.6 with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The sixth-year veteran could resign with the Dolphins but he may be a valued commodity with slim pickings for quarterbacks in this year’s free agency pool.
With a lot of questions surrounding the Jets state at quarterback, Moore could potentially wind up a Jet. Head coach Rex Ryan definitely took notice when Moore stepped in for the injured Ryan Tannehill and crushed the Jets 30-9 early in Week 8.
With the chaos that continually clouds the Jets, how could they not take in a humble leader like Moore.
“Naturally, you’re disappointed,” said Moore after being told he would be second string to the rookie Tannehill. “But I’ve been a backup for most of my career, and I’ve played and I’ve started a lot of games. It’s a role you have to understand. You have to approach it with the right mindset. I think I have that.”
Tampa Bay could also be in the mix after the team decided to not resign starter Josh Freeman. Freeman, is entering the final year of his rookie contract next year and is slowly in talks according to general manager Mark Dominik.
“I would say the way coach and I talk about it is that there’s no sense of urgency,” Dominik said while speaking with Tampa radio stations 98.7-FM and 620-AM. “There’s no hurry from Josh Freeman and his representation. So there’s good communication going on. We do have time on our hands.”
Freeman, started the season hot but faded out over the second half. While he posted career bests in yards and touchdowns (4,065 and 27), he also tied his career low in completion percentage which he set as a rookie (54%).
Head coach Greg Schiano didn’t draft the quarterback back in 2009 and thus has no allegiances to keep around the inconsistent quarterback.
“Josh is going to try to play the best he can, and we’ll watch the situation unfold and how the offseason goes. But Josh has done a good job.”
Moore could provide a challenge for Freeman and light a fire under him.
Best of the Rest
- Kellen Clemens, St. Louis Rams
- Bruce Gradkowski, Cincinnati Bengals
- Rex Grossman, Washington Redskins
- Tarvaris Jackson, Buffalo Bills
- Byron Leftwich, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Matt Leinart, Oakland Raiders
- Brady Quinn, Kansas City Chiefs
- Drew Stanton, Indianapolis Colts
