The pool of available NFL quarterbacks shrunk by one Tuesday when Tony Romo decided to trade his Cowboys jersey for a CBS blazer. The veteran Cowboy will step away from the game to begin his broadcasting career in 2017.
Ranking the NFL’s top available quarterbacks following Tony Romo’s retirement
It’s not a great year to need a quarterback in the NFL.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
That’s bad news for teams like the Broncos and Texans, two franchises in desperate need of a playmaker who can elevate their anemic offenses. Conversely, it’s great news for the Patriots and Bengals — two teams with valuable backup passers who could now generate a healthy bounty via trade.
But what about the rest of the market?
Losing Romo strikes the top free-agent quarterback from the league’s rolls, but there are still several players available for offense-needy clubs. Teams like the Jets, 49ers, and Bears have major holes to fill behind center this fall, and while each has made some preliminary moves to plug them, it seems unlikely players like Josh McCown, Brian Hoyer, and Mike Glennon are long-term solutions.
Unfortunately, a barren quarterback market isn’t primed to solve many problems either. Here are the best options remaining as the 2017 NFL draft looms:
The Patriots want at least one first-round pick — and maybe two — in exchange for their backup quarterback. A look at the rest of the passers on this list suggests they’re going to get it. Garoppolo went 2-0 as a starter last fall in place of a suspended Tom Brady, but he also missed a chunk of the season due to a shoulder injury. His combination of potential and performance — he posted a 113.3 passer rating in 2016 — makes him a possible franchise quarterback.
Kaepernick stemmed a three-year trend of declining performance with a solid 2016. That fact is made all the more impressive when you look at his supporting cast in San Francisco. Despite throwing to targets like Jeremy Kerley, Quinton Patton, and Garrett Celek, he still managed to record a top-20 passer rating. He’s also the only player on this list to have started a Super Bowl, and he’s only 29 years old.
Of course, Kaepernick also brings off-field intangibles that has NFL GMs shying away. His activism has been viewed by many as a distraction, and that could keep him from finding a home throughout the free-agent process. Though he’ll attract media attention no matter where he goes, he’s still a viable option as a dual-threat starting quarterback.
3. Jay Cutler
Will the eternally nonplussed quarterback retire? He hasn’t made an official statement, but his butt seems to say “yes.” Cutler is just two years removed from his most efficient season as a pro, but he failed to build on it after spending the bulk of 2016 on the sideline due to injury. He’ll be 34 next fall, and any of the potential that defined his early career has burned off at this point. Still, he’s a starter in a market devoid of them.
He’s a low-risk, low-reward signing at this stage of his career, but he still has the arm to make the kind of plays few quarterbacks can. If you’re a team like the 49ers or Jets, you aren’t going to lose more games with Cutler as your guy — but you probably won’t win many more either.
4. AJ McCarron
Here’s where things get dicey. There’s a big drop-off between Cutler and the rest of the list, and McCarron may be the most enticing option if a club thinks he can blossom as a starter outside of Cincinnati’s system. The argument in favor of that development isn’t compelling, however.
McCarron is 2-2 when starting in relief of Andy Dalton, but the two teams he beat had matching 5-11 records in 2015. His weaknesses were exposed in a wild card matchup against the Steelers, where he needed 41 passes to throw for just 212 yards in an 18-16 defeat. He’ll only be 27 for the upcoming season and has shown enough potential to compete with a No. 1 spot. The question is what his value will be on the trade market — and whether that’s enough for the Bengals to ship out their solid backup.
When a team gives up a second-round pick just to get rid of you, it’s not a great sign for your career. Even so, Osweiler’s 26 years old and capable of being a solid backup even if his lone season as full-time starter with the Texans was as successful as a Spider-Man play on Broadway. The Browns would probably be willing to part with him for little compensation thanks to the $16 million he’s due in 2017. But that’s a tremendous investment for someone who proved he can’t be a difference-maker as a starter.
Pros: RGIII was the starter for a Browns victory in 2016, something two other quarterbacks failed to do.
Cons: Injuries limited him to just five games. In those five games, he threw for only two touchdowns and 177 yards per contest. His 72.5 passer rating would have ranked him above only two full-time starters last fall — Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Maybe he’s got something left in the tank and can contribute to a winning team, but the kind of team with the infrastructure where he can succeed isn’t in the market for RGIII in 2017.
Gabbert started 13 games for the 49ers the past two seasons and was hamstrung, in part, by a lack of weapons. He was also hamstrung by the fact he isn’t a good quarterback. He completed fewer than 57 percent of his passes last fall and ranked second-to-last in the NFL when it came to yards per attempt (5.8). His interception rate rose as well, making him an ineffective game manager and, all-in-all, an ineffective option behind center.
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick’s late-career resurgence with the Jets came to an abrupt halt in 2016; the only thing that kept him from leading the league in interceptions was the fact he was pulled for both Geno Smith and Bryce Petty at different points during the season. At 34 years old, retirement could be an option — but if he comes back, his days as a starter are over. He’ll bring value as a backup and spot starter instead.
One less viable quarterback means an easier path back to the NFL for Manziel, who sat out 2016 in light of suspensions, personal issues, and entirely underwhelming play with the Browns. Potential makes him the No. 9 spot on the list, but it’s still unclear whether he’ll ever become even 60 percent of the playmaker he was in college. His career 74.4 rating puts him firmly in the Osweiler-Fitzpatrick range of starters.
But those poor NFL numbers come with caveats: Not only did they take place over his first two years in the league, but they came with a Browns roster with limited resources. If his head’s right, he’s an interesting developmental prospect. If not, he’s a locker room headache and drain on team resources.
Based on the interest he’s dredged up so far, most NFL front offices are assuming the latter.
10. Matt McGloin
McGloin earned starting reps with the Raiders as a rookie thanks to a depth chart that included Terrelle Pryor and Matt Flynn, then he took a more suitable role as a backup after the club drafted Derek Carr in 2014. He’s only thrown 66 passes in the years since, and his one start in 2016 was cut short after just 11 attempts, which led to a pitiful 21 yards.
That performance helped tank his viability as a starter and kept him in a stagnant free-agent pool while Mike Glennon earned a three-year deal with the Bears. McGloin doesn’t have the measurables or potential of a guy like Glennon, but at 27 years old, he can still be better than he was in Oakland last fall.
11. Shaun Hill
Hill started the Vikings opener in 2016 before being replaced by the newly acquired Sam Bradford. He was effective, but unspectacular, after throwing for 242 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in a win. He’s 37 and in no way, shape, or form a top option for a team — but if he stays in the league, he’s a proven and reliable backup.
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