5 Teams That Will Be Looking for Quarterbacks This Offseason

One of the major details of last year's NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was the advent of a rookie wage scale. What a wage scale did is give teams the ability to take more risks with their first-round picks.

Prior to a rookie wage scale, rookies were cashing in at a rate that was unsustainable for franchises. Teams were making a significant financial investment in one player, only to watch that player fail. With that much money tied up in one underachieving player, franchises were being set back. And it was much worse for teams that had that money tied up in a quarterback.

But those days are gone with the new CBA. Teams are more willing to take a chance on a quarterback, especially teams picking in the top half of the first round.

The 2011, four quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks, the most since 1999.

This year, there are a handful of QB-needy teams picking in the top 12. While it's unlikely all of them will use their first-round pick on a quarterback, you can be certain that these teams will be quarterback shopping this offseason.

Here are five teams that need a quarterback and the best signal-caller option for each of them.

Indianapolis Colts
All indications are that Indianapolis will release Peyton Manning before he's due $28 million from the Colts on March 8. Manning's neck injury, which kept him out the entire 2011 season, is a too much of a risk for the Colts to stand pat this offseason.

Last year's 2-14 season by the Colts showed they were not prepared for life after Manning. The Colts have an opportunity to replace Manning this offseason with one of the most complete college quarterbacks in Andrew Luck.

Of all the teams looking for a quarterback this offseason, the Colts have the best situation for fixing their quarterback quandary.

Prediction: Manning will be released. Luck is the Week 1 starter for the Colts.

Washington Redskins
After trying and failing with quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman and John Beck, the Redskins need to address their quarterback situation this offseason.

However, addressing their quarterback needs in the draft may difficult for the Redskins. They currently hold the No. 6 pick, which is after the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns, two quarterback-needy teams.

The belief is that by the time Washington is on the clock, the top two quarterbacks in the draft, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, will be gone.

That leaves Washington with three options: trade up, reach for a quarterback with the sixth pick or sign a free agent quarterback.

The free agent quarterback list is filled with intriguing options for the Redskins. That list includes Packers backup Matt Flynn, the soon-to-be-released Peyton Manning and former Chicago and Denver cast-off Kyle Orton. All would be better options than Washington's current quarterbacks.

The Redskins quarterback situation is so dire that they will likely need to sign a free agent quarterback and draft one as well.

Prediction: The Redskins sign Orton and draft a quarterback in the second-round of the 2012 NFL draft.

Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have a solid running game with Marshawn Lynch, a young and improving defense and enough offensive weapons to be dangerous. However, Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer at quarterback for Seattle.

Jackson's first year in Seattle was very average, which has been the quarterback's calling card his entire career. Jackson simply doesn't have the playmaking ability and poise in the pocket to take the Seahawks to the next level.

Seattle will be one of the teams active in free agency looking for a quarterback. The names you'll here thrown out as possible Seattle quarterbacks in 2012 include Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn and Jason Campbell. All of those player would be upgrades over Jackson.

Seattle also could use its first-round pick on a quarterback, which will be pick No. 11 or 12 pending a coin flip with Kansas City. If Seattle chooses the rookie route, look for Jackson to remain the starter, at least to start the season.

Prediction: Seattle pursues Matt Flynn, but settles on Jason Campbell. They will also draft a quarterback in the second or third round in the 2012 NFL draft.

Cleveland Browns
The Browns thought they had their future signal-caller in Colt McCoy. However, after a challenging second season, where McCoy showed signs of regression, the Browns will be in the market for a quarterback.

Cleveland doesn't need a bridge quarterback; they need a young playmaker. Luckily for the Browns, there's one available and his name is Robert Griffin III.

Griffin III is a versatile quarterback who is expected to be in high demand come April.

The 2012 NFL draft sets up nicely for the Browns, at least it does for now. They currently hold the No. 4 pick and are drafting behind two teams that don't need a quarterback, the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings.

However, where things could get interesting for the Browns is if some team trades up ahead of them and
nabs Griffin III.

Cleveland has two options on draft day: be proactive and trade up to get Griffin III or stand pat and hope he makes it to them at No. 4. While it's too early to predict Griffin III's draft stock, his upside should be enough for the Browns to be all-in.

Griffin III would also bring instant excitement to Cleveland, something sports fans in that city desperately need after the departure of LeBron James.

Prediction: Cleveland drafts Robert Griffin III, and he becomes starter early in the season after McCoy struggles early.

Miami Dolphins
Since Dan Marino retired in 1999, the Miami Dolphins have had 16 different starting quarterbacks. Look for them to make finding a quarterback a priority this offseason, once again.

The hot rumor right now is that the Dolphins will pursue Peyton Manning once he's released by the Colts and is deemed healthy enough to play. However, there's a different option that would make more sense than Manning, and it's a player who has a connection to Miami's new head coach.

Miami hired former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to replace Tony Sparano, which should be enough to fuel speculation about Matt Flynn ending up with the Dolphins.

Philbin and Flynn spent four seasons together in Green Bay and had success in the limited opportunities they had together. The two would be able to take the Packers offense to South Beach in what would be a seamless transition for the duo.

Prediction: The Dolphins pass on Manning and sign Flynn to a long-term deal.

2011 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks Ready for NFL Pro Days

Today marks the beginning of NFL pro days on college campuses across the country. The annual event, where NFL head coaches, executives and scouts visit various schools to watch potential draftees perform, starts with a bang right away.

Both Auburn and Arkansas will hold their pro days today, giving teams the opportunity to evaluate quarterbacks Cam Newton and Ryan Mallett. Some teams, including the Carolina Panthers, are expected to send team representatives to both locations to scout the players.

As Doug Farrar from Yahoo Sports writes, pro days usually help the players and rarely hurt them. Players are in a controlled environment and they're practicing with players who they've played with for months. These factors should help Newton, especially after struggling during the NFL Combine while throwing to unfamiliar receivers.

As for Mallett, he has done almost everything he can on the field to prove he's an exceptional talent. He needs to prove to teams that his off the field behavior has been exaggerated and he's committed to being a leader.

Pro days usually answer many of the lingering questions teams have about players. Here is a list of pro days coming up for the quarterbacks:

Today: Auburn (Newton), Arkansas (Mallett)
Friday: Texas Christian (Andy Dalton)
March 16: Florida State (Christian Ponder)
March 17: Missouri (Blaine Gabbert)
March 21: Iowa (Ricky Stanzi)
March 22: Nevada (Colin Kaepernick)
March 30: Washington (Jake Locker)

How a New CBA Could Impact the 2011 NFL Draft

As NFL owners and players continue to hash out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), NFL teams are going about their business preparing for the NFL draft on April 28. But the decisions that might come from the labor meetings in Washington D.C. could have a profound impact on this year's draft.

One of the major items expected to come out of a new CBA is a rookie wage scale. The amount of money that teams are paying to the first 10 to 15 picks in the draft has gotten out of control and both sides appear to agree. However, players will only support a rookie wage scale if the money trimmed from the rookie's contracts go to veteran players -- not the owners. Money saved from a rookie wage scale could also help retired players.

Under the current rookie salary system, teams picking in the top half of the draft are making a significant financial investment in one player. It's easy to see why one bad high draft pick can set a team back for several years, especially if that pick is a quarterback.

During the past five years, twelve quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round (selection number):

• 2010: Sam Bradford (1), Tim Tebow (25)
• 2009: Matthew Stafford (1), Mark Sanchez (5), Josh Freeman (17)
• 2008: Matt Ryan (3), Joe Flacco (18)
• 2007: JaMarcus Russell (1), Brady Quinn (22)
• 2006: Vince Young (3), Matt Leinart (10), Jay Cutler (11)

The reason I point this out is because Evan Silva, NFL writer for NBC Sports, Profootballtalk.com, Rotoworld came out with a mock draft recently that included five quarterbacks in the first round. His mock draft seemed too quarterback-heavy to me, considering 1999 was the last time five quarterbacks were drafted in the first round. Is it really the year of the quarterback? Or are teams so desperate for a franchise quarterback that they will overreach? If I were to choose from those two options, I would say the latter.

While Silva doesn't elude to why his first round mock is full of QBs, it occurred to me that if a rookie wage scale is implemented, more teams might be willing to gamble on a quarterback in the first round. Look at the salaries of the top quarterback taken in the past five NFL drafts:

• 2010: The St. Louis Rams guaranteed Bradford $50 million dollars, even before he took a snap. Bradford's deal was worth six-years, $78 million.
• 2009: Stafford's deal cost the Detroit Lions $72 million over six-years, with $41.7 million guaranteed.
• 2008: Ryan, who was the #3 overall pick, signed a six-year, $72 million contract that included $34.75 million in guarantees. That same year, #1 pick OT Jake Long signed a five-year, $57.75 million deal with the Miami Dolphins.
• 2007: #1 pick Russell's contract with the Oakland Raiders was a six-year deal worth $68 million, with $31.5 million guaranteed.
• 2006: Picked #3 overall, Young signed a five-year contract worth $58 million overall including $25.7 million in guaranteed money. #1 pick Mario Williams was paid $54 million over six-years, with $27 million guaranteed.

It's expensive for teams to draft a quarterback in the fist round, even when they're not taken #1 overall. If a rookie wage scale is implemented, expect to see guys like Jake Locker, Colin Kaepernick and Christian Ponder join the first round fraternity. Also, watch for teams to start eliminating the question marks surrounding Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert. Both of them will be high first round picks -- now with less risk.

2011 NFL Draft: Top 10 Quarterback Prospects

For the NFL teams that need a quarterback, there are some intriguing prospects in the 2011 NFL Draft. While Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck chose not be a part of this draft class, this year's crop of quarterbacks does have some pretty good talent.

The college quarterbacks that are getting the most attention pre-draft include Auburn's Cam Netwon, Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Arkansas' Ryan Mallett and Washington's Jake Locker. While those are the guys getting the headlines, there are other players who could provide an NFL team with their next signal caller.

2011 NFL Draft Top 10 Quarterback Prospects:

1) Cam Newton, Auburn

2) Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

3) Jake Locker, Washington

4) Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

5) Andy Dalton, TCU

6) Christian Ponder, Florida State

7) Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

8) Ricky Stanzi, Iowa

9) Nate Enderle, Idaho

10) Pat Delvin, Delaware

2011 NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings interested in two quarterbacks?

For the next couple of months, you’re going to hear a lot of speculation/hearsay/rumors leading up to the 2011 NFL draft. Teams will rave about players, players will rave about teams and agents will do all of the above. Players and agents do it for leverage, while teams do it to create a smokescreen. During this time of year in the NFL, you can’t believe everything you hear.

It’s no secret the Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback and they’ve made it clear they want to draft one this year. During the Senior Bowl last month, Vikings team reps were seen talking to Washington quarterback Jake Locker. The meeting set off a series of tweets, articles and blog posts – all with similar headlines – Locker the next Vikings QB?

It is very possible Locker will be the Vikings quarterback, but he’s not the quarterback they’re the most interested in. According to a person I consider to be a reliable source, the Vikings are very interested in two quarterbacks in this year’s draft. The first player is Blaine Gabbert. He’s a big, strong-armed quarterback from Missouri, who many believe will be gone before the Vikings pick at #12. The other quarterback is Iowa senior Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi is considered a second- or third-round pick, and many scouts believe he has the highest football I.Q. of any quarterback in the draft.

If the Vikings are truly interested in Gabbert, they will more than likely need to trade up in the first-round to draft him. As for Stanzi, he’s not worth a high second-round pick, so the Vikings will either need to trade down or hope he slides to the fourth round (Vikings don’t have a third round pick—traded to New England in Randy Moss deal).

Again, this time of year in the NFL is filled with speculation and rumors. But I believe, as of right now, these two quarterbacks are on the Vikings short list of potential quarterbacks.

The NFL combine is next week in Indianapolis, so look for more misinformation and manufactured hype. The NFL draft is April 28-30, 2011.

The better quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger vs. Aaron Rodgers

A friend of mine wrote an article recently that proclaimed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers “the best quarterback drafted in the last decade.” The writer’s name is Peter Christian and he lays out a strong argument for Rodgers (read the full article here). However, I disagree with Peter and believe Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the best quarterback drafted in the last 10 years. Since these two quarterbacks will be facing each other in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday I thought I should make my case for Big Ben.

Before you read the rest of this article, you must take the emotion out of the debate. Yes, Roethlisberger has done some terrible things in his past, but we’re not talking about character here. We are talking about who’s the better quarterback.

When Roethlisberger entered the league in 2004 as a rookie out of the University of Miami-Ohio, the plan was for him to sit behind Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch. After injuries to both quarterbacks, Roethlisberger stepped in and won the next 14 games (including a playoff game). During that season, Roethlisberger and the Steelers beat the defending Super Bowl champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. Big Ben followed that game up with a win over another undefeated team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Later that year, Roethlisberger led the Steelers on a game winning drive in the playoffs against the New York Jets, which they won by a field goal. Roethlisberger set a NFL rookie record in 2004 with five comeback wins in the fourth quarter, and six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime (including the playoff game).

If you haven’t figured it out by now, let me make it clear, Ben Roethlisberger has performed exceptionally well in big games and that makes him the best quarterback drafted in the past decade. Yes, Aaron Rodgers (who is 27-years-old) has the stats, but Roethlisberger (who is 28-years-old) has the rings and a ton of records.

Look at Roethlisberger’s resume:

• He has two Super Bowl rings (2005 and 2008)
• He has the most comeback wins (19) and game-winning drives (25) through the first seven seasons of a player's career
• At age 23, he is the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl (Pittsburgh beat Seattle 21-10 in 2005)
• He has a 10-2 playoff record (Peyton Manning is 9-10, Rodgers is 3-1)
• He has the 4th highest career winning percentage (.704) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 90 starts
• In the 2005 playoffs, the Steelers pulled off upsets at Indianapolis and Denver and also beat higher seeds Cincinnati and Seattle
• 51 wins as a starting quarterback in first five NFL seasons (NFL record)
• Second quarterback in NFL history, along with Peyton Manning, to register three perfect passing games during the regular season, and the only quarterback to ever register two perfect passing games in one regular season
• Highest postseason completion percentage – 61.1% (Min. 50 attempts)
• Highest postseason passer rating — 85.4

It’s easy to argue that Roethlisberger got help from his defense and running game several of these games. But the stat that sealed it for me is comeback wins (19) and game-winning drives (25). When the Steelers need a big play, Big Ben has come through a lot more often than Rodgers has. Look at Rodgers’ stats in close games, 2-12 in games decided by four points or fewer. Rodgers is not to blame for all of those 12 losses, and he may be turning a corner with the three impressive playoff wins, but he’s not close to Roethlisberger.

Another argument I’ll make for Roethlisberger is he’s throwing to less talented skill players. Hines Ward has had a great career, but he’s not a dynamic playmaker. Heath Miller is a fantastic possession tight end, but not very versatile. Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace are good, but not consistent enough to be called great. Rodgers is throwing to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson – these are all guys who can stretch the field.

We have many more years ahead before this debate is finish. But as of right now, Ben Roethlisberger is the best quarterback drafted in the past ten years.