ENGLEWOOD
http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/oren-burks-jersey , Colo. (AP) Already a dozen NFL teams have new quarterbacks, half of them
starters. And next month’s draft features a deep class of QB prospects, a
half-dozen of which could hear their names called in the first round.
Why such a remarkable run on prime-time passers?
”They’re hard to find,” Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said after introducing Case Keenum as his fifth quarterback since Peyton Manning’s
retirement just two years ago. ”It’s a tough spot to play. There are a lot of
expectations. It’s a hard position. There are a lot pressures on it. You’ve got
to play with consistency and there are a lot of people that rely on that
position.”
Article continues below ... So, proven passers and projects alike see teams jockeying to throw multiple millions their way.
The harbinger of the ”Great Quarterback Shuffle” of 2018 came during Super Bowl week when word got out that the Kansas City Chiefs were sending Alex Smith
to the Washington Redskins, freeing Kirk Cousins to become a free agent in his
prime, one who would rewrite the conventional contract.
Cousins made the media rounds at the Super Bowl, where he secretly scouted out the city he would soon call his own.
Minnesota surged past Denver, Phoenix and New York as Cousins’ desired destination after the Vikings decided to let all three of their veteran
quarterbacks hit the open market.
While Cousins was working out a three-year
Authentic Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey , ground-breaking (fully guaranteed) and record-setting ($28 million average) deal in Minnesota , the Broncos, Cardinals
and Jets were picking through the Vikings’ quarterback bin:
-Coming off a $2 million deal in Minnesota, Keenum commanded a two-year, $36 million deal in Denver after leading the Vikings to an 11-3 mark and the NFC
championship game.
–Sam Bradford, whose injury opened the way for Keenum’s breakout season, signed a one-year, $20 million with the Cardinals, who lost Carson Palmer to
retirement.
–Teddy Bridgewater
http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/logan-cooke-jersey , once the Vikings’ established starter before a devastating knee injury two years
ago, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Jets, who also re-signed
Josh McCown for one year at $10 million.
Trevor Siemian, who blew up the Broncos’ quarterback plans two straight summers by beating out 2016 first-round flop Paxton Lynch, heads to the Vikings
as Cousins’ backup after going 13-11 in Denver.
Leading the Bills to their first playoff appearance in 18 years wasn’t enough for Tyrod Taylor to secure his long-term future in Buffalo. The Bills traded
Taylor to Cleveland, which traded DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers, where
he’ll back up Aaron Rodgers.
AJ McCarron finally gets his chance to prove himself after spending four seasons in Andy Dalton’s shadow. He signed a two-year deal with the Bills and
said it makes no difference if his new team adds more competition by selecting
one of the highly regarded quarterback prospects in the draft next month .
”I try not to ever waste any mental thought on it because it’s something I can’t control,” McCarron said. ”… You can either let it affect you in how you go
about your work and let that define you. Or you can change everybody’s thought
process. My mindset is to change anybody that’s had any doubt.”
Keenum said his mindset won’t change should Elway draft a quarterback such as Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield
Authentic Nathan Shepherd Jersey , Wyoming’s Josh Allen, USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson or Oklahoma State’s Mason
Rudolph.
”I’ve been around long enough to know that anything is a possibility in this league. I was a starting quarterback when a team drafted somebody No. 1 overall
and traded a bunch of draft picks. I know how that goes,” Keenum said, recalling
when the Rams selected Jared Goff in 2016.
Teams are also doling out big bucks for backups just two months after watching Nick Foles‘ MVP performance in leading the Eagles past Tom Brady’s
Patriots in Super Bowl 52 while starter Carson Wentz watched from the
sideline.
Mike Glennon went from being the Bears‘ backup to Arizona, Chase Daniel went from the Saints to Chicago and Tom Savage moved from the Texans to New
Orleans.
None of them got the kind of money Jimmy Garoppolo did after serving as Brady’s backup for several seasons and then getting traded to San Francisco.
After sparking the downtrodden 49ers, Garoppolo was rewarded with a
record-breaking deal that averaged a whopping $27.5 million a season.
That mark stood until Cousins’ deal came in at an average of $28 million, which is sure to fall when the Packers and Rodgers work out a new contract in
the next year or so.
In several weeks
Cheap Alex McGough Jersey , the NFL will be flush with a new crop of quarterbacks, some of whom may one day make today’s jaw-dropping contracts look
a little less eye-popping.
They may have to start out as a backup such as Patrick Mahomes II last year in Kansas City or Rodgers did in Green Bay when Brett Favre was still going
strong.
Rodgers said that although there’s an ever-widening schism between college offenses and the ones the pros run, today’s QB prospects are in many ways more
prepared for the NFL because the coaching is better at all levels.
”I think you’re seeing more spread offenses in college, which give you the run-pass option a lot of times. You’re seeing the NFL incorporate some of that.
But in general, I think there’s just so much more education about quarterbacks
that allows these guys to be more ready to play than, say, myself or Alex Smith
or Jason Campbell were in.
