Which domino QB is about to fall? The latest on Bears, Texans, 49ers and more

First up was the successful January 30 exchange between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams – Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and the preliminary selections. Then, on Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles traded MVP candidate Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.

The quarterback carousel is definitely spinning – the question is, who’s next?

Several teams are on the market for a QB. Adam Schefter on ESPN forecast last month up to 18 NFL teams could have a new starter next season.

Let’s check 10 teams, listed alphabetically, who either want to upgrade or start a new starter. The Jaguars are expected to address the defender with the general election no. 1 in the 2021 draft and are not on the list.

Jump to:
AUTO | CHI | DEN | HOU | BORN
NU | NYJ | PIT | SF | WSH

Starter 2020: Teddy Bridgewater

With the exception of other quarterbacks who become available through free agency or trading, the Panthers are reduced to two options after they missed Stafford: They can hope the Texans will grant Deshaun Watson’s desire to be changed and come with a package appropriate or I can write a QB, probably with option eight.

The first option is preferable, because Watson is a proven commodity and would be an excellent fit in the scheme of offensive coordinator Joe Brady. That Carolina offered Bridgewater the eighth overall and the fifth round in Detroit for Stafford shows they are serious about improving their position.

Aside from Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, the other top potentials of QB College have flaws and would probably not immediately raise the team to the level desired by playoff owner David Tepper. If none of these scenarios take place, the Panthers are ready to go with Bridgewater for another year and improve the talent around him – first and foremost the offensive line and tight end. – David Newton

Starter 2020: Mitchell Trubisky

This is probably GM Ryan Pace’s last shot to get the right defender position. From Mike Glennon to Trubisky to Nick Foles, the search continues. Pace may not be able to find a safe starter to choose from in the first round (number 20 in general). In fact, Mel Kiper Jr. designed five defenders in the top 15. He no longer has a defender in the first round after picking 15.

In Todd McShay’s latest fake sketch, he put Bears trading 12th to take Mac Jones from Alabama. But only if the bears do not land one of those who start either on the commercial market or want to be.

If the Jets decide to go for Sam Darnold, then maybe it would be intriguing for the Bears because he has a rookie contract and would have the choice to exercise his fifth-year option for 2022. Or maybe Pace hopes his Texans will make the caves and they will change Watson. The bears seem to be stuck with Foles as an expensive backup, but Pace remains looking for a better solution. – Rob Demovsky

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Starter 2020: Drew Lock

Broncos has a Plan A: Lock is the starter in 2021 and the team will gain a competitive reserve that can help and help him. He could easily go to Plan B if I think I can do better than Lock. They dipped their toes into the Stafford trade talk before being told that what they were offering did not come close to what the lions could get from the rams.

They have done their due diligence on the defenders who will be available and / or bought by their current teams and will consider any move. And that includes what I can do with choice no. 9 of the project. – Jeff Legwold

Starter 2020: Deshaun Watson

Texans have said, publicly and privately, that they do not want to change Watson. However, the Texans had internal conversations about trading partners and what the position would be without Watson, according to a source. Regardless, Watson does not accept calls from the team, so no progress has been made in repairing the relationship.

Houston has no incentive to trade the quarterback they signed for a four-year, $ 156 million contract extension in September, passing through the 2025 season. The big question is whether Watson will resist if the team refuses to change it. The cost would be high – it would be fined $ 95,877 for missing the minicamp, $ 50,000 for each day of training camp it misses and $ 620,000 – for each pre-season game it misses – but it can be Watson’s only choice if he doesn’t want to play in Houston. – Sarah Barshop

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Starter 2020: Cam Newton

Patriots will continue to explore all their options – free agency, draft (where they have option no. 15) and transactions. There is no sure answer now. They had no significant interest in Wentz, given the financial commitment and dipped their toes into the waters of Matthew Stafford, but they would not be players at the final asking price.

One of the best things they have for them is the robust salary cap space, so if an unexpected opportunity arises (e.g. Jimmy Garoppolo, Watson, etc.), they can jump. What they won’t do is force it just to check the QB box to meet an artificial deadline, even if some in the organization would like to have some clarity to enter the free agency in a potential competitive situation to sign a receiver or tight end.

It could be a case, Marcus Mariota Raiders would make sense as a bridge option in a modest trade. Also, Newton’s return could be a difficult sale for fans, but the Patriots are not able to close any doors right now. – Mike Reiss

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Starter 2020: Drew Brees

The Saints will need a starting quarterback for the first time in 15 years, once Brees announces his retirement. They have made it clear that they want to sign free agent Jameis Winston again to compete with reserve teammate Taysom Hill for the concert. And coach Sean Payton has repeatedly expressed confidence in both competitors, insisting that the next starting QB in New Orleans is already “in the building.”

It remains to be seen whether Winston will attract more interest in the open market than it did last year. But he chose the Saints in part because he anticipated this opportunity, so a team will have to make a pretty tempting offer to attract him. It is also possible for saints to consider other options through trade, free agency, or project. But all these ways seem unlikely, given that I do not choose up to 28 in the project and have severe salary cap limitations. – Mike Triplett

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Starter 2020: Sam Darnold

The jets are in a holding pattern as they continue to evaluate Darnold, the commercial market and the first defenders in the project.

The timing of a potential transaction is a delicate balance. If he waits too long to make a decision about Darnold, he risks losing suitors, who could return elsewhere. With Carson Wentz off the table, the teams that need the quarterback are waiting for the Jets to decide. If given a big second round or a small round, the Jets would probably move Darnold and draft Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the draft. – Rich Cimini

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Starter 2020: Ben Roethlisberger

They want to add another defender to the room – regardless of Roethlisberger’s status in 2021. The type of defender, however, will depend on Roethlisberger’s future with the organization. If Roethlisberger returns with a low salary in 2021, the team can afford to take another development defender to learn behind him and round out a room of development players from Mason Rudolph and former first-round Dwayne Haskins Jr.

The most likely way is to draft a quarterback in the third or fourth round of the 2021 draft, similar to their approach in taking Rudolph in the third round of the 2017 draft or Joshua Dobbs in the fourth of 2016. If Roethlisberger retires, however , the need becomes more urgent.

In this case, Rudolph becomes the first place to start, but the team could use some of the space left by a departure from Roethlisberger to attract a mid-level veteran, such as Tyrod Taylor, to Pittsburgh for a business. a year to compete. with Rudolph. Rudolph showed progress under quarterbacks, offensive coordinator turned offensive, Matt Canada, and the organization believes it could lead the franchise if it continues to show the evolution shown in the week 17 loss to the Cleveland Browns. – Brooke Pryor

Starter 2020: Jimmy Garoppolo

Despite persistent speculation, the 49-year-old is with Garoppolo. This position seems less and less likely to change, except for the potential for major development. Coach Kyle Shanahan has indicated that an obvious upgrade will be needed to spend vital resources and move from Garoppolo. Deshaun Watson of the Texans is the only potential defender available who clearly meets these criteria, and the Niners are closely monitoring the situation as Houston tries to reconcile with his alien signal caller.

But the comfort level of the 49ers with Garoppolo is high enough to allow them to be patient and wait for him. If the Texans accept Watson and treat him, the Niners are likely to be involved. In addition, the more realistic approach for San Francisco remains hanging on to Garoppolo and spending a relatively early draft and / or signing a free veteran agent to bolster his defensive depth in the event of another Garoppolo injury. – Nick Wagoner

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Starter 2020: Alex Smith

Washington continues to explore all quarterback options as it appears to upgrade. The team is confident that Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke could help, but they are not seen as long-term solutions. That’s why Washington looked at potentially available defenders, from Sam Darnold to Marcus Mariota.

A source in the team said there were five defenders that Washington wanted to explore further, although they did not disclose the names. They don’t want to make too many mortgages to get one – not with key holes still offended. It is also possible to bring back Alex Smith, who did not say publicly that he wants to play again, but the signs indicate this desire.

And a source said that if Washington can’t upgrade, it could go with Smith, Allen and Heinicke while supporting the talent around them – and then try to follow that position out of season again. With their defense – plus a few more offensive weapons – Washington believes this group could win nine or 10 games. But if the team goes in that direction, it’s hard to imagine that they want to bring Smith back to his maximum hit of $ 24.4 million. It is also unknown if Smith wants to continue playing in Washington. – John Keim |