Where will these three Quarterbacks play in 2023?
With Free Agency around the corner, I thought what better topic to talk about than the most important position in football, and arguably most important position to Superflex Fantasy Football leagues, the Quarterback position. Here is a list of my top 3 Free Agent Quarterbacks, and where I think they will land.
We are just looking at quarterbacks that I think will join a new team. I think Daniel Jones will stay in New York, Baker Mayfield will stay in Los Angeles, Geno Smith will stay in Seattle, and Sam Darnold will stay in Carolina.
Lamar Jackson
Former Team – Baltimore Ravens
It will be very strange to see this former MVP quarterback on a new team after his rookie contract is officially up, but Lamar Jackson may be on the move. Jackson was a first round pick of the Ravens in 2018, but rumors have circulated that he does not want to receive the franchise tag and wants to get a fully guaranteed contract like what the Cleveland Browns gave QB Deshaun Watson. Last season’s passing attempts (326), completions (203), and total yards (passing (2,242) + rushing (764)) by Jackson were his lowest since his rookie season, however, Baltimore would be foolish to not lock up their franchise quarterback.
Even though I think the Ravens should lock up Jackson, I think he moves onto bigger and better opportunities. He is a dual threat quarterback, and arguably the best we have seen since Michael Vick, if not better than Vick. One knock that has been said about Lamar is “he is not a passing quarterback”, however, the counter argument is the Baltimore Ravens have not given Lamar any weapons to excel as a true passer. Over the last few years, they have drafted Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, & James Proche which are all good in their own regards, but none of them have showcased skills as an elite WR. As of right now the Baltimore Ravens can still trade Lamar Jackson, as the free agency period has not officially begun. Let’s say they do not reach an agreement and the former MVP becomes a Free Agent, where does he go? Here are some options I would love to see Lamar Jackson pursue.
New York Jets – If Baltimore does not act on signing one of their best quarterbacks to ever play for them, then why not try to move just a little bit to the Big Apple. New York is young, as last season they came in with an average age of just over 26 years old (Lamar Jackson turned 26 in January of 2023). The New York Jets roster is filled with young, hungry, talented players on both sides of the ball and last year it showed that their issue was the QB position. Jackson joining the Jets would give him his best WR to date in Garrett Wilson and a promising young running back in Breece Hall. These weapons will help take some pressure off Lamar and his run game.
Washington Commanders – The Washington Commanders is in the same division as Super Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts, so they have seen first-hand the complications a dual-threat QB can bring to an opponent’s defense. Now they do have pick 15 in this year’s first round of the NFL Draft, and I have seen them landing Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Which that would be awesome for their team also as Richardson has a rocket for an arm and is possibly the 2.0 version of Cam Newton another dual threat quarterback that has been coached by Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera. My question would be why draft a rookie QB with untapped potential when you can sign a former MVP dual-threat quarterback that you know can elevate your team? The Commanders would have an opportunity to secure a top 10 quarterback, as well as keep their first-round pick to address other deficiencies like cornerback.
Derek Carr
Former Team – Las Vegas Raiders
After a fall out between coaching and the quarterback, Derek Carr, now has his eyes set on a new beginning. This is odd considering the Raiders went all-in in signing Carr’s college teammate and friend, DaVante Adams, last off season. The current trend seems to be pair your QB with their college Wide Receiver, so the Raiders followed, and it did not disappoint. On the 502 pass attempts that Derek Carr had 31% of those were to Davante Adams connecting on 55% of them which led to 28.8% off Carr’s actual completions of 305. Derek Carr threw for 3,522 yards and DaVante Adams contributed to 36.6% of those yards with 1290 yards receiving, and the 12 touchdowns that Adams brought in was exactly 50% of Derek Carr’s total passing touchdowns.
So why the change after such a dominant season with the former Fresno St duo? Maybe it is the fact that in Derek Carr’s career he has only one playoff appearance which ended in a loss. Maybe there was some heated conversations between Carr and the new coaching staff that thought it was best for both parties to just separate. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that after four consecutive seasons of throwing over 4,000 yards, Derek Carr throwing under 4,000 yards this season was their sign to get out before it is too late. Whatever the case may be, Derek Carr has shown he can be a leader with proper surrounding pieces, so here are a few teams that could benefit from obtaining the former Las Vegas Raider QB.
New Orleans Saints – My favorite landing spot right now for Carr is a team that jumped between Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton at the quarterback position last season. I will say if Winston is fully healthy, he could be the starting quarterback, but he has not played a full season since 2019. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton did not look bad last season but Derek Carr just looked better so why not get the upgrade? The defensive side of the ball is one of the best in the league, however, it is an aging defense. The offensive side is younger, and possibly going to get younger in the draft with off the field issues looking to set superstar RB Alvin Kamara on the sideline for an unseen amount of time. The New Orleans Saints need to capitalize on what they have on their defensive side of the ball by addressing their weakest position on the offensive side, the quarterback position.
New York Jets– Joe Flacco, Mike White, and Zach Wilson were their quarterbacks last year and all of them showed some positives and negatives, but none showed that they should be the franchise quarterback. This team is young, talented, and ready to turn the organization around. They are only missing that leader on the offensive side of the ball. Adding Derek Carr would elevate young Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson to a top 15 wide receiver and completely change the entire offense into a threat for any opponent. The only reason I would say Carr should not go here would be because of the youth of the team, they are very talented, but Carr might be looking for a win now type of team, and I do not think the Jets are there just yet. But the Jets are on the verge of growing into a yearly competitor.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Former Team – San Francisco 49ers
“Jimmy G” is a former Super Bowl quarterback with great leadership and game managing skills. He could stay in San Francisco, but if it’s not the Trey Lance Era in 2023 then it is likely the Brock Purdy Era continuing. Either way I think Jimmy Garoppolo is leaving the 49ers to serve as “bridge quarterback” for another team as the new team searches for their franchise quarterback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tom Brady has officially retired. This means as of right now the only quarterback on the roster is former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask. Tampa Bay has all the right receiving weapons to allow any quarterback, including Trask, to succeed. I do not think Tampa addresses the quarterback position in the draft until day 3 (Rounds 4 and beyond), however, bringing in a solid vet like Garoppolo would light a fire under Kyle Trask. Trask would be motivated to give it everything he has in order to show he deserves to be the team’s starting quarterback. Garoppolo has proven to be a good teammate and would help coach Trask on the sideline and teach him what it takes to be a Super Bowl champion. Garoppolo is probably the best quarterback that can be acquired for cheap, perhaps on a one-year deal. If Trask is not the man, they want him to be then Garoppolo still gives the team hope to pursue a playoff chance while beginning to scout the 2024 quarterback class that has Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and other talented options.
Houston Texas – Now this one might be a surprise considering Houston currently has the #2 overall pick and will be able to lock in one of the following quarterbacks Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or Will Levis. All three of these rookies look to be franchise quarterbacks for any team that drafts them, but hear me out. The Texans should sign “Jimmy G” to a one-year deal and let him use his leadership skills to teach the young offensive weapons currently on the team and provide a veteran presence. Texans new Head Coach DeMeco Ryans is familiar with Garoppolo since he previously served as the defensive coordinator for San Francisco.
Instead of drafting a quarterback this year, the Texans should acquire a quarterback next season. Ryans should use this year’s first round draft pick to immediately upgrade his defense by securing a possible 2.0 version of Aaron Donald in Georgia’s Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter or draft the dominant Edge Rusher from Alabama, Will Anderson.
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