10 Best Quarterbacks Hitting the Market This Offseason Part 4

By BetOnline February 4, 2020

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BY ADAM GREENE

In the famous Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse,” the poet coined the term “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” That pretty much sums up Nos. 6-8 on the list.

Fun fact: The original poem was composed in Scots and read, “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley.” I’ve found that hilarious all my life and have used that version when quoting it for years.

Let us gang!

6. JAMEIS WINSTON, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT

2019: 7-9 as a starter, 60.7 completion percentage, 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns, 30 interceptions

Winston ended the 2019 season with the inglorious distinction of being the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the year.

It was an insane meltdown. There is no sane justification for the Bucs to bring him back, no matter how many writers want to stab their fingers into keyboards and play pretend. Does that mean Winston is done as an NFL QB? No, and it shouldn’t. I’ve always felt the league gives up on young signal-callers way too soon and the Bucs have been worse than anyone at doing just that.

But he needs to be done in Tampa. No question.

Where he should end up: Washington Redskins

The Redskins have Dwayne Haskins and are hoping he’s the answer. But they can’t take any chances and with a first-round talent like Winston as a back up, they don’t have to. There’s no reason at a reasonable price not to bring him in and let him work a year under Ron Rivera and his offensive coaches. Winston needs to actively look for a situation like that in free agency, whether it be Rivera or Matt LaFleaur in Green Bay or Sean Payton in New Orleans. He needs to go the Teddy Bridgewater route and get rebuilt from the ground up.

7. CASE KEENUM, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT

2019: 1-7 as a starter, 64.8 completion percentage, 1,707 yards, 11 touchdowns, five interceptions

Keenum has not only maxed out his career in the NFL since signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Houston in 2012, but also his bank account. The dude has pocketed $32.681 million in his eight-year career and there’s no reason to think for a second he won’t land on a roster in 2020. In fact, he should.

He’s not a franchise quarterback and he’s not a solid starter. He’s a guy that can win games coming off the bench and keep your season from going down the toilet while your real quarterback is recovering from a non season-ending injury. You could definitely do worse.

Where he should end up: Chicago Bears

The Bears need somebody to help Mitchell Trubisky in the quarterback room and push him in his performance on the field. That’s been Keenum’s whole game since he first entered the league. If Trubisky stumbles, there’s a chance Keenum could save the Bears’ season. If Trubisky doesn’t, Keenum’s another coach, helping the young guy out in film sessions, in meetings and on the sidelines.

8. BLAINE GABBERT, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT

Did not record a stat

Gabbert finished out the 2019 season on the Tampa Bay injured reserve list after not recording a single stat. The previous year, with the Tennessee Titans, he went 2-1, completing 60.4 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Gabster has made his career as a back up for the most part after getting picked No. 10 overall in the 2011 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was supposed to be the “Next Matt Ryan” so be wary when draft guys start throwing that analogy out. There’s a lot of “next Matt Ryans” out there and most of them are currently mastering Words With Friends on their Microsoft Surface tablets.

Still, Gabbert’s decent off the bench and not been horrid in his last few NFL starts. You know what you’re going to get with him and it’s not a winning record if he has to play more than a handful of games.

Where he should end up: Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz can’t stay healthy and Philly has to keep a solid investment in at back up quarterback. Is Gabbert the best option here? No. Is he the most realistic with the Eagles’ salary cap? Yes.

We’re going to talk about you-know-who in Part 5 so get ready.