Who doesn’t love a good movie? With the NFL season officially coming to end this Sunday, you might just want to curl up on the couch and binge a buffet of various genres.
For those of you who may want a bit of a transition from the NFL season into the offseason, we’ve got a few breakdowns of the NFL quarterback offseason drama all rolled into one.
In the spirit of the topic, we have a list of quarterbacks who may be on the move and a number of organizations looking to set themselves up at the position.
Drama: Deshaun Watson, The Blind Side
Deshaun Watson’s situation isn’t far off from Michael Oher’s character in The Blind Side. Watson is a talented, dynamic quarterback with a lot to offer, who is trapped in a bad situation in an awful environment.
Though the Texans say they don’t want to trade him, it seems Watson is confident he won’t be playing in Houston in 2021. After years of poor offensive line play and inept GM moves by Bill O’Brien, the Texans have been reduced to rubble (from a talent perspective).
Their best receiver was suspended for juicing, their former top receiver was traded for the zombie version of David Johnson and the team has no first-round draft pick in 2021.
Best Destinations: Chicago, Denver, Miami
While many are pushing the Jets as a potential landing spot for Watson, I doubt he really wants to go there. From a contender perspective, the Jets aren’t there. The offensive line would be an upgrade for Watson, but the defense is nowhere near playoff-caliber.
The best fits for him would be Chicago and Denver. The latter has a decent defense with a few big names and a young and talented receiving corps. The division would be tough, but Denver and Chicago make the most sense.
Chicago would have an opportunity to right their mistakes from the 2017 draft. Watson would make the Bears an immediate threat in the NFC and incentivize Allen Robinson to stick around as his top target. The Bears have a decent offensive line, a quickly-improving and young running back, and a great defense. The most polarizing destination is Miami, only because Miami fans will say the following:
- Tua isn’t a bust
- Tua over Herbert was the right choice
- Tua should win Rookie of the Year
- Tua only got replaced numerous times by Fitz, because Fitz is a legend
All of these statements are false (except for Fitz being a legend). Miami fans must accept the fact Deshaun Watson is a better option for their team. Disregard the hiccups for Tua and just consider what will happen if the Dolphins stick with Tua.
He either blossoms into a high-efficiency quarterback, or we see more of the same guy lacking confidence, too hesitant in the pocket, and not nearly as mobile as he was before his hip injury. What you can’t afford to do — if you’re the Dolphins — is stalling your trajectory in the AFC East. They should swap Tua for Watson, and ride the safe road to the playoffs.
Comedy: Dak Prescott, The Five-Year Engagement
It’s been five years in Dallas for Dak Prescott. For three years now, we’ve heard rumors about Jerry Jones signing Dak to his second contract. A few seasons and a series of unfortunate circumstances later, we’re still in the same place, like a Judd Apatow script we’ve seen a dozen iterations of.
Here’s a fun fact: Dak Prescott’s worst season was 22 TDs and 13 INTs. His career YPA (Yards Per Attempt) is 7.7 yds and avg passing yards per game is 255. Troy Aikman’s best (by far) season was 23 TDs and 14 INTs. His career YPA is 7.0 and his average passing yards per game was 199. So, where’s the love in Dallas?
Best Destinations: Anywhere with a decent offensive line and good receiving options
Though there’s still a chance Dak can be retained by the Cowboys, it’s not looking promising at the moment. Dallas’ payroll is very high, and Prescott will be up for a massive contract, wherever he decides to go. Dak is still a perfect fit for the Cowboys, but the boat has too many leaks.
Horror: Cam Newton, Pet Sematary
I suppose the social climate of 2020 might have intensified if Cam Newton went without a starting gig somewhere, but to quote Jud from Pet Sematary, “Sometimes, dead is better.” Of course, I’m not saying Cam shouldn’t have gotten a starting gig somewhere.
I think I speak for most when I say Cam just isn’t the same guy from a health perspective. We saw a lot of inconsistency but more pain. It wasn’t that Cam was bad (8 TDs and 10 INTs) but more of the fact that we saw enough line drive passes to dig up enough turf to unearth several bodies.
Something was off with Cam, but given more time to fully heal, he just may be serviceable in a more run-heavy scheme. Cam’s running chops are still there. Sure, we all miss the happy, ultra-versatile, big-armed Cam; but bringing him back so soon as a starter was even more tragic.
Best Destinations: Baltimore (as a backup), San Francisco (as a backup)
Thriller: Aaron Rodgers, Escape From Alcatraz
It would be considered impossible for a franchise quarterback, coming off an MVP year, to force his way off the team. Just as escaping from Alcatraz was thought to be impossible — until Clint Eastwood did it — most speculate Rodgers won’t escape Green Bay.
Very recently, it was reported by CBS Sports that a team reached out about a trade inquiry for Rodgers. The Packers said, “Absolutely not.” Despite skepticism, it is the era of player empowerment. Rodgers can just not report and demand a trade and there’s not a whole lot the Packers can do.
Best Destinations: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver
Among the potential suitors, the most appealing destination for Rodgers would likely be San Francisco. Rodgers is a California kid and the 49ers have the best setup offensively to give him the best-run game to work with his stellar play-action game.
Chicago would be ruled out as a suitor due to the divisional conflict, but Denver and Las Vegas would be great destinations to give him a variety of young pass-catching weapons. Options like Carolina, the Giants, and the Jets don’t have good enough defenses for consideration. At least Vegas’ defense is pretty decent when healthy.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mitch Trubisky, Failure to Launch
- Drew Lock, As Good As It Gets
- Jameis Winston, Any Given Sunday
- Andrew Luck, Searching for Bobby Fischer
