Here are the quarterback options for every NFL team that won’t sign Kirk Cousins
Cousins won’t last long once free agency starts, so every other quarterback-needy team will go back to the drawing board.
Teams were lining up to throw a ridiculous amount of money to bring in Kirk Cousins, the biggest name on the quarterback free agent market this offseason. But only one team is going to land him, so the Jets, Broncos, Browns, Cardinals, and maybe the Vikings will be back at square one.
But never fear. There are other options available in the draft and free agency. Your favorite team will still have questions at the quarterback position if they don’t land Cousins, but we have some possible answers.
Arizona Cardinals
Current quarterback situation: Carson Palmer announced his retirement in January. The Cardinals have exactly zero quarterbacks on the roster once the new league year starts and Drew Stanton, Blaine Gabbert, and Matt Barkley all hit free agency.
Cap space: $20.4 million
Free agency options: That’s not a lot to play with when top quarterbacks are commanding at least $25 million per year. Case Keenum might be an option, though Spotrac is projecting him to be worth about $21 million per year after he started 15 games for the Vikings in 2017 and led them to an NFC Championship bid. The best bet in terms of cost and fit is probably Teddy Bridgewater, who is projected to command about $10.9 million a season after sitting out for the better part of two years because of a catastrophic knee injury.
Draft options: In his latest mock, Dan Kadar has the Cardinals snagging Josh Allen with the No. 15 pick. Allen showed off his big arm at the combine, and he might not be on the board by then. They could also go for someone like Mason Rudolph, who’s projected as a second- or third-rounder.
Cleveland Browns
Current quarterback situation: They’ve got DeShone Kizer, a second-round pick last year, and Cody Kessler, a 2016 third-rounder, on the roster.
Cap space: No team has more money to throw around than the Browns, with $108.9 million. That puts them in a great position to finally land a franchise quarterback in free agency.
Free agency options: Now that AJ McCarron will officially be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year rolls around, maybe the Browns can actually land the player they tried — and failed — to execute a trade for by the deadline. Josh McCown is a passable option and a familiar face who could serve as a stopgap, but he wouldn’t be the long-term starter the Browns really need. Whoever they sign, they can still grab another quarterback in the draft.
Draft options: Cleveland has 12 draft picks to work with, including the first overall pick, thanks to their 0-16 finish in 2017. They’ve also got the fourth overall pick courtesy of a draft day trade with the Texans last year that let Houston move up to No. 12 and select Deshaun Watson. That means the Browns can have any quarterback they want at No. 1. Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen are all options there, and at least one of those players should still be available when the Browns pick again at No. 4.
Denver Broncos
Current quarterback situation: Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, who both underwhelmed last year, are still around. Brock Osweiler would like to come back to Denver, but he’s a free agent and he wasn’t great last season, either. They’ve also got last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Chad Kelly.
Cap space: $23.9 million
Free agency options: Reports suggest that Case Keenum, who paired well with a dominant defense in Minnesota, may be the favorite Plan B option for the Broncos if they don’t get Cousins. John Elway proved he was willing to spend big to land Peyton Manning, but there’s no comparable option besides Cousins in free agency this year.
Draft options: There are still some holes to fill along an offensive line that allowed 52 sacks last year and finished ranked No. 30 in the league. It’s a strong year for linemen, and top prospect Quenton Nelson could still be available at No. 5. In Kadar’s post-combine mock draft, he has the Broncos taking quarterback Josh Rosen.
Minnesota Vikings
Current quarterback situation: Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum, and Sam Bradford are all free agents when the new league year begins.
Cap space: $48 million
Free agency options: They could, and probably will, just figure out whether they’d like to keep Bridgewater, Keenum, or Bradford and then re-sign that guy.
Draft options: If they lock up Bridgewater, Keenum, or Bradford, they could look to the draft for a backup in the later rounds. They have the No. 30 pick this year, which isn’t going to put them in the mix for any of this year’s top quarterbacks.
New York Jets
Current quarterback situation: Christian Hackenberg, Bryce Petty, and Joel Stave are all on the roster for the 2018 season.
Cap space: $89 million
Free agency options: The Jets have enough money to make some noise. McCarron or any of the former Vikings quarterbacks would be decent options. They could also just bring back McCown, who already knows the system and was decent in 2017.
Draft options: The Jets have the No. 6 overall pick, and they should go big or go home. They can land Oklahoma standout Baker Mayfield here, or any of the other top quarterbacks — Darnold, Allen, or Rosen — who might still be available.
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