As many as a dozen NFL teams could be riding a wild quarterback carousel this offseason. From the standpoint of an available quarterback, here’s how we rank those potential suitors from most to least desirable.
12. Cincinnati Bengals: They’re cheap, they don’t prioritize winning over all else, they hardly ever participate in free agency and the offensive supporting cast is mediocre at best. There’s a reason Joe Burrow appears less-than-thrilled about the prospect of going there.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars: They’re in salary-cap hell, they lack depth everywhere on offense and the defense is old. The Jags’ contention window might already be closing. Who wants to join a declining team with a poor track record?
10. Denver Broncos: The supporting cast is good, not great, and John Elway might not be the ideal boss at this point in time.
9. Las Vegas Raiders: It’d be fun to live and work in Vegas, but I’d be concerned about Jon Gruden’s direction if he were to jettison Derek Carr. Plus, there’s no No. 1 receiver after the Antonio Brown fiasco, and the defense remains bad.
8. Los Angeles Chargers: You’d get to be the king of a franchise moving into a new stadium in a hot, fun city. You’d also get help from a solid receiving corps and a superb defense, although there are questions about pass protection and the proficiency of the front office.
7. Carolina Panthers: They’re at least embracing a rebuild and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding new head coach Matt Rhule. Plus, you’ll be throwing to D.J. Moore and handing off to Christian McCaffrey. The offensive line is also a strength. Still, the Panthers will need time before they’re ready to contend again.
6. New England Patriots: The supporting cast is a problem, but we’re still talking about the freakin’ Patriots and Bill Belichick.
5. Tennessee Titans: Who wouldn’t want to work with Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown right off the bat? And the offensive line is extremely talented.
4. Miami Dolphins: They’re the worst team in football, but that could change quickly because they have six of the first 70 picks in the draft and then four more in the first two rounds next year. The Dolphins have a great coach who appears to be on the right track, and we hear South Beach is nice.
3. Chicago Bears: Solid receiving corps, solid offensive line, solid backs and a fantastic defense. Matt Nagy would help, too, and Chicago is a great place to live with a superb fanbase.
2. Indianapolis Colts: Despite hiccups related mainly to Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement in 2019, Chris Ballard and Frank Reich have something promising going in Indianapolis. A good quarterback could contend right away here, and he’d be thrilled to work behind that stacked offensive line.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Two-time coach of the year Bruce Arians is a quarterback whisperer, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin make up the best 1-2 receiver duo in the NFL, the offensive line is talented and the defense has some quality pieces. Plus, they’ve got the cap space to do even more. The Bucs are well-positioned to take off in 2020.