The position that dictates what happens on the court will be the one that sets the tone for the next few weeks in the NFL.
With a week before the free agent market opens, which officially kicks off on Wednesday, March 17 at 4 p.m., there has rarely been so much uncertainty among quarterbacks.
There is, however, a case that has been settled in the last few days as Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys finally agreed to a long-term contract, which they had been unable to do at the same date. last year. Prescott’s patience earned him a four-year pact for the pretty sum of $ 160 million.
Profootballtalk.com reports that Prescott will receive a $ 66 million signing bonus, the richest in NFL history. The 27-year-old hub would be guaranteed to cash in on $ 95 million in the first two years of the deal. If no change occurs for the duration of the contract, Prescott will earn 29.3 million more than Patrick Mahomes from 2021 to 2024, according to PFT.
The Cowboys have their quarterback for the next few years, but the other Texas team will have to face the obvious need to find a replacement for Deshaun Watson, who has reportedly let the Houston Texans know he won’t play. more for them. If Watson is traded the way he wants, the Texans will have lost their three most popular players in about a year (DeAndre Hopkins, JJ Watt and Watson).
We shouldn’t be too surprised at the turn of events in Houston. Deshaun Watson wants to win, and the Texans are starting a reset. But what about the situation in Seattle?
Russell Wilson and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll are rumored to be falling apart, mostly over the team’s offensive system. Carroll wants ground play to once again become the centerpiece of his offense, which Wilson would not like at all.
The latter would not have formally asked to be traded, but would have submitted a list of four teams he would agree to join: the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chicago Bears, the New Orleans Saints and the Cowboys, who however, have since made their deal with Prescott.
The Bears are said to be very interested in Wilson, and the same is suspected for the Raiders. Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock may sing the praises of Derek Carr, it’s hard to see how they could ignore a quarterback of Wilson’s caliber, especially in a division that already includes Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and the offensive rookie par excellence. 2020, Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers).
Jimmy G and the Patriots
In New England, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are surely weighing their options at quarterback. What we do know is that their starter for next season is almost certainly not part of their current roster.
According to rumors that have recently circulated, the organization’s preference is to repatriate Jimmy Garoppolo, who has a contract with the San Francisco 49ers for the next two years. But will the 49ers agree to pay him 25 million for each of these two seasons? If they choose to free Garoppolo instead, let’s bet the Patriots will give him a quick nod.
PHOTO VINCENT CARCHIETTA, ARCHIVES USA TODAY SPORTS
Jimmy Garoppolo, des 49ers de San Francisco
Sam Darnold is another quarterback who may move to a new home soon. The New York Jets are said to have their eye on Watson. They could also decide to draft a quarterback with their first pick from the next auction, the second in total.
A year after selecting him with the fifth pick in the draft, the Miami Dolphins are said to be unconvinced that Tua Tagovailoa is their quarterback of the future. Acquiring a veteran like Watson is a scenario that cannot be ruled out in Miami.
The Dolphins could also decide to go for a quarterback with the third draft pick, which they got from the Texans in the trade that sent tackle Laremy Tunsil to Houston in 2019.
Normally, at least five quarterbacks should be picked in the first round of the draft in April (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones), which makes the current situation at the quarterbacks even more murky. A dozen teams could pick a passer with their first pick if given the opportunity, including the Jets, Dolphins and Patriots, all of which are in the same division as the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen…
The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos are two other teams ogling quarterbacks. The Panthers would be ready to improve their quarterback group at all costs, they who already rely on Teddy Bridgewater. As for the Broncos, is Drew Lock really the long-term solution? Not so sure.
Brady and the Bucs close to an agreement
Meanwhile, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reportedly approaching a new deal. Ben Roethlisberger will be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers for at least another season after accepting a pay cut, and Drew Brees has yet to announce his retirement. Is he thinking of trying his luck one last time with the Saints after their elimination at the hands of the Bucs?
The musical chair game in the quarterfinals began with the deals that involved the top two picks in the 2016 Draft, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The Los Angeles Rams traded Goff to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, then the Philadelphia Eagles sent Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a draft pick.
There has already been quite a bit of action since the start of the offseason, and it is clearly not over. Other major deals are yet to come, and it’s those involving quarterbacks that will gain attention.
