10 Best Quarterbacks Hitting the Market This Offseason Part 3

By BetOnline February 4, 2020

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BY ADAM GREENE

We’ve already discussed our top three quarterbacks that should be available this offseason. Here’s Nos. 4 and 5, including our second Super Bowl MVP.

4. ANDY DALTON, CINCINNATI BENGALS

2019: 2-11 as a starter, 59.5 completion percentage, 3,494 yards, 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions

The Red Rifle finally blew up in the Bengals’ face in 2019, but it all worked out in the end. Not only did they not go 0-16 thanks to re-inserting Dalton into the line up, they knocked the Cleveland Browns off in the final week of the season and still secured the No. 1 overall pick in order to select an actual franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow out of LSU.

Dalton has won a lot of games in the NFL and still has a winning record as a starter (70-61-2). He’s not a long-term answer and probably not a short-term answer, but you could do worse than seeing the ginger-haired gunslinger come off the bench as your starter heads to the locker room in the concussion protocol.

Where he should end up: Jacksonville Jaguars

Now, hear me out because this entry has a lot to do with the entry below it. Dalton enjoyed some of his best years with Jay Gruden calling the plays in Cincinnati and that guy just so happens to be the new offensive coordinator in Jacksonville. Head coach Doug Marrone can’t take any chances at QB this season and Nick Foles, in spite of his massive cap hit, obviously isn’t the guy. Is Dalton? No, but I guarantee you that Gruden would rather go to war with Gardner Minshew and Dalton than Minshew and Foles. Marrone would too. Dalton will be available as a cheap trade (a seventh rounder) or could even be cut by the Bengals as he has no dead cap hit in 2020.

That still leaves Foles and his $15.125 million payday for 2020 and $33.875 million dead cap hit if cut, so let’s talk about him.

5. NICK FOLES, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

2019: 0-4 as a starter, 65.8 completion percentage, 736 passing yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions

Nick Foles and the Jaguars just did not work out. It’s been kind of Foles’ thing since he first got shipped out of Philadelphia back in 2015. If he’s seen as the starter, he flounders around. Coming off the bench, he can win you games and even a Super Bowl. It’s a weird career.

Which leads me to believe it’s all about coaching and who’s calling the plays for Foles. Does that mean there’s a situation out there ideal for him? Yeah, in Philadelphia. And, make no mistake, they’d take him in a heartbeat, but they can’t afford his salary.

But you know who can?

Where he should end up: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts rolled the dice with Jacoby Brissett and came up snake eyes. They still have Brissett under contract for another season, but also have the second most salary cap room in the league, $86.137 million, behind only to the Dolphins who tanked on purpose to create just that kind of cap space.

Frank Reich was the guy that called the plays for the Eagles that enabled Foles hoist that Vince Lombardi Trophy back in the 2017 season. Under Reich, Foles was 5-1 and a Super Bowl MVP. I’ve got to think he’d be more comfortable with him as his bridge QB than Brissett. Plus, the Jags would have to give up a pretty good pick in the swap for the Colts to eat this contract for two seasons. Does that mean that Brissett will hit the market? I say, no. I think the Colts keep both vet QBs and draft a guy in the first round, somebody like Jake Frohm out of Georgia or Justin Herbert from Oregon if he falls to them and go to war with all three.

Former first rounders highlight Part 4.