2017 NFL QB Rankings #9-1: The Best Around

9.  Kirk Cousins – Alright, alright, even I was surprised with where Cousins ended up, but I’ll defend it.  Cousins had his poor games, but he was not the reason for the Redskins poor performances.  While I will admit that he’s not worth the franchise tag that the Redskins will be paying him this year, they would be well to sign him to a long term deal so they could put money towards better skills players.  As far as stats go, it’s hard to argue that he’s was inadequate in any way.  67% completion percentage, almost 5000 yards, and just over 8 yards per attempt.  The 25-12 TD to INT ratio is the only red flag, and a 2-1 ratio is better than quite a few other starting quarterbacks.  The Redskins have a couple of new receivers, and a pair of young running backs with high potential.  If not for the Cowboys and Giants in the way, I may give the Redskins a fighting chance in an NFC wildcard race.

8.  Russell Wilson – He’s been good for as long as he’s been around, and it’s starting to feel like he’s becoming a tad underrated.  We all expect him to lead his team to a division title and into the playoffs.  He makes players around him better, despite occasional horrendous offensive line play and injuries.  He’s got talented receivers, adequate running backs, and a perennial top 10 defense.  Assuming he stays healthy, Wilson is a dual threat which tends to freeze defenses.  His only competition in the NFC West might be the Cards, and it’s hard to see them catching the Seahawks unless Carson Palmer can have a bounceback season.    

7.  Ben Roethlisberger – So Ben, guess you decided not to retire.  Which is good news for the Steelers, considering they have what is looking to be their most productive season yet.  They have arguably the best running back in the league in Le’veon Bell, and a top 3 wideout in Antonio Brown.  On top of that, they have Martavis Bryant, who looks better than ever.  Finally a season with the Steelers at full strength, the likes of which we may have never seen in the Roethlisberger era.  

6.  Derek Carr – Coming back from a broken leg, we may get to see a Raiders offense at its full potential in a rough and tumble AFC West.  With the addition of Marshawn Lynch, and a Del Rio defense that gets better by the season, the Raiders can be the 2^nd or 3^rd best team in the AFC and a top 5 overall.  This offseason, he was extended to a 5 year contract, so the Raiders will have him for a long time. 

5.  Dak Prescott – A 2^nd year starter in the top 5? You bet.  Let me point you to week 6 of the 2016 NFL season.  247 yards, 3 TD’s and 2 INTs.  In a vacuum, that stat line would seem a bit below average, and you wouldn’t be surprised, considering the running back behind him.  Back to it though, 2 interceptions, that’s half of his total for the season.  He had HALF of his total interceptions in this game.  His season ratio? 23-4.  That’s almost 6-1.  You could argue that they adjusted the system to be more rookie-friendly, but I could counter with the fact that the system led them to a 13-3 regular season record.  Now, I believe that there’s bound to be some decline, but not much.  Maybe a 25-9 ratio or something similar.  With Zeke behind him, he is expected to be a facilitator 1^st and a playmaker only when pressed.  The Cowboys are in for a good stretch of football over the next few years.

4.  Drew Brees – In the age of the passing offense, there has been few QB’s as prolific as Drew Brees.  While they did lose Brandon Cooks to the Pats, my money is on Willy Snead in 2017.  With Adrian Peterson in the backfield, defenses will have to respect the running game marginally more than in the past, and a play action could give Brees wide open receivers.  I fully expect another 5000 yard season, and if the defense can be average, the Saints could be a legitimate playoff contender.

3. Aaron Rodgers – Dare I say it? The best passer in the….no.  I’ve made my argument, but as you can see here, Rodgers sits at #3 for 2017.  While I do think that if he can stay healthy and play till he’s 40, he may be able to be considered the 2^nd best quarterback of all time (It’s hard to beat 5 rings).  I will say that Rodgers has done more with less.  The Green Bay secondary was not good last year, and the running back situation was less than ideal.  Yet despite their failures, the “run the table” mentality prevailed, willing them to a playoff berth and an NFC championship appearance.  I would be surprised if the Packers finish anywhere but 1^st in the NFC North.    

2. Matt Ryan – Nothing leaves quite the taste in your mouth like the Falcon’s loss in Super Bowl 51.  Everyone’s next big question is obvious: Do the Falcons, led by Matt Ryan, continue to dominate in the NFC South?  A quick glance at their roster suggests that they will be just fine.  Julio is still Julio, and they have a core of WRs behind him that many teams would love to have.  They also have 2 running backs who are multi-functional.  The drawback to going all in for the Falcons this year is that they play in what is probably one of the most exciting divisions in the NFL.  They’ll have to win games against an evolving Saints offense, a Panther’s team with something to prove, and a Buc’s team on the up and up.  I’d count on a 10 win season this year, but it will be a feat to recreate 2016.  

1. Tom Brady – What is there to say?  He is, and will continue to be the best QB in the league until he one day suddenly retires.  But until that magical moment, he will dominate unprepared defenses, discourage otherwise exciting offenses, and make all other QB’s look inefficient and mediocre.  This year he has even more weapons than before, receivers and running backs alike.  It may seem ridiculous to bank on a 16-0 season, but looking over the upcoming season, it’s difficult to find losses.  When you’re the GOAT, you sit alone at the top.  

NFL QB Rankings #14-10: The Post-Season Hopefuls

This group of Quarterbacks is very interesting to me.  We have Manning who's trying to get some last-minute post-season successes.  We have a couple of gunslingers who can't seem to catch a break with their rosters. We have a redemption story, finally going to a team where the scheme works with his skill set.  And we have a 3rd year starter whose season was cut short due to injury.  Any one of these QB's could have deep post-season success if a couple of things swing the right way.  

14.  Eli Manning – The under-appreciated Manning brother.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% sure that Giant’s fans are forever grateful for 2 Super Bowls over the ever-hated Patriots.  But even after 2 Super Bowl victories there is still dissention among many whether Manning will receive a gold jacket and a bust in Canton.  This year with receivers galore, Manning should put up impressive numbers in 2017.  The only downside at all for this Giant’s offense is the lack of a sustainable running game.  If they can get yards from the list of relative no-names at RB, I see Manning leading the Giants into the playoffs in 2017.

13.  Marcus Mariota – The “Exotic Smashmouth” offense worked about as well as could be expected for the Titans in 2017.  This year we get to see what Mariota can do with a veteran WR in Eric Decker and their highly anticipated rookie Corey Davis.  With Mariota coming off an injury, it will be interesting to watch is he’s hesitant to leave the pocket.  Personally, I think that he’s young and talented enough that it won’t affect his play.  And if Derrick Henry can take another step as a power back, the Titans will do a lot of damage in a weak AFC South.  (Author’s note:  This year will be particularly interesting in the Mariota vs. Winston debate.  With both QBs gaining some significant talent on offense, you can be sure that we’ll be keeping close tabs on them.)     

12.  Sam Bradford – Let me stop you there.  “Sam Bradford” you’re saying in disbelief “in the top 15 of a QB rankings list?” Yep.  Let me point you to the first half of the Vikings season, before their defense let them down repeatedly.  They started 5-0, with Bradford throwing a league high completion percentage.  A league high completion percentage with Asiata and McKinnon as his running backs.  In 2017 they added Latavius Murray (which I’m not real excited about) who should give them some extra depth.  Stefon Diggs has been spectacular for the Vikings, and with a full offseason under their belt, Bradford could have some serious chemistry with his up and coming wideout.  

11.  Matt Stafford – If you listen to our Podcast, you’ll know that I’m high on Matt Stafford this year.  Another QB that was comfortable in his offensive scheme, and able to perform under pressure. While I agree with most that the Lion’s chances at a playoff berth is very slim, it won’t be Stafford’s doing.  He’s more than competent, and the only this stopping this Lion’s offense from being very good is their roster of running backs.  Even if they can get mediocre play from their RB’s, 9 or 10 wins would not surprise.

10.  Andrew Luck – There’s a lot of meat left on the bone here.  Between Luck’s injuries and the Colt’s inability to construct a decent roster around him, Indianapolis desperately needs a successful season.  While nothing would surprise me with this team, if Andrew Luck starts 16 games, the Colts will make the playoffs.  They may have to score 35 points a game to do it, but I think if there’s an offense in the league that can, this is it.

How does Hayward make you feel?

So after all of that, Gordon Hayward is going to be on the Celtics. Depending on who you are and where you live this could cause many different types of feelings.

Let's start with Danny Ainge, if you're Danny Ainge you are probably pretty excited that you ended up signing Hayward, but you're looking at the bigger picture and are probably upset that your big plan didn't end up working. Paul George isn't on the team, Jimmy Butler isn't in green, and now you need to cut some salary. You're now having to decide which of your treasures you have to give up, this displeases you. You will have to go into your horde of assets which are kept in a cavern under your house to sit and stare at all of the assets you have. You will not cry because of having to give one up. You will not cry. You will not cry. You will not cry.

If you're Brad Stevens you're pretty excited, but you can't let people see it. Your best friend chose you! It's true you actually have a best friend who likes you! Not like those other guys at school who said they were your friends just to invite you over to a party and then leave you behind.  You're going to have so much fun! You'll have a party with your friend, and maybe even stay up until 11:30 to watch Jimmy Fallon! Oh boy this is going to be so great!

If you're Gordon Hayward, you'd probably feel happy, or sad, but probably happy, but not too happy, or maybe a bit sad. But you're still excited about how much money you'll get, but sad about all the money you turned down, but still excited about buying a house, but sad that you'll leave yours behind. Maybe you should just be excited about playing for Brad, but it's kinda weird how excited he was when you told him, maybe that should turn you off, but this means your coach likes you, but maybe too much, but that could be fun? No you'll just stop thinking about that and get some lunch, maybe a sandwich, or how about a hamburger, you like those, but you also like sandwiches, but a hamburger sounds good, but you haven't had a sandwich in a while. So now you have turkey, which is good, but ham is good too, but you really like turkey, but ham is really good with cheese, no you can't think about cheese yet you haven't even figured out your meat yet, but then there's always a grilled cheese. Whoa.... Now there's too many options, you should probably lay down for a few hours to let your mind rest, you probably shouldn't have grabbed the ham and cheese and put in on the counter and told your wife you were going to eat that, but no one will think you're weird for doing that, lots of people do that, or do they?  They do, maybe. Too late you're going to sleep for a few hours now.

If you're a Celtics fan you're probably feeling something like, WOOOOO YEAAAAAAHHHH WEAH GONNA WIN DAH TITLE BABY.  THAT BOY FROM UTAHR IS GONNA BE DAH NEXT HONDO.  DAH CELTICS, DAH PATS, DAH SAWX, DAH B'S ALL GONNA WIN THIS YEAAHH.

If you're a die-hard Jazz fan you're probably feeling angry, like really angry.  You're probably looking to eliminate everything that reminds you of that person that just left you. You are probably going to get a haircut so that you don't look like him anymore.  You just burned your jersey, that might have been a bit rash but you know, you're angry.  You and your buddy just grabbed some spray paint and what are you doing, oh ok this is definitely crazy, don't spray paint that "Speed Limit 20" sign. Definitely don't use those words... Oh ok now you're outside his old house, you should probably not go up there and write Gobert loyalty on the door.... This is just bad, maybe look at kittens or something, and look there's a gif of Rubio as a kitten. Yeah that's good, now watch some YouTube highlights of Rubio, yeah perfect. Just calm down a bit and everything will be fine.

If you're Dennis Lindsay you're probably upset. Not so much that Gordon left, but in the way he left. If he had just announced it earlier in the day you could have done so much more, but with the way it happened you're left with so few options. Gallinari is off the board, Porter is off the board. Now you're left with Rudy Gay? It'll be fine, but you're so far behind now it'll be hard to catch up.  You know you can do it though. It just might be a year before you're back at the same level.

If you're Quinn Snyder you are angry. But that's normal, you have the fires of a thousand suns burning you from the inside out. You wish you could unleash your powers on all who have harmed you but your master says to wait. You have waited for so long, but you must not disobey. You will wait and have to destroy those on the basketball court, while longing for the time when you can destroy everyone else.

If you're a BYU or Utah fan who roots for the Jazz when they're good, you're probably really upset that Hayward went to play with LeBron, but you didn't care that much because how great can Miami be? It's not like they've got the greatest head coach in the world, he's coaching your football team, and practices start soon so we shouldn't even be talking about basketball anyways.

If you're a fan of the Warriors or Cavs you feel like what's the big deal about this? It's just Hayward, and it's not like the Celtics could beat you anyways. You're more worried about what OKC did or Houston. Boston isn't even on your radar at this point.

If you're a fan of any other team in the NBA you should be excited that there's hope that your team is getting better, unless you're a Bulls fan, then it's going to be a cold dark winter with nothing to help you feel better until the draft next June.

If you don't watch the NBA you're probably thinking about how the world is insane and why would anyone care about what a man with a funny haircut is doing unless that man happens to be the President.

If you're a dog you're probably pretty excited, you don't know why but people are excited and they're talking excitedly and you just want them to throw the ball again.

If you're a cat you're probably hating everything, you don't know who this person is that people are talking about and it doesn't matter because that's one more person out there who's stopping you from taking over the world. Which you will do right as soon as you catch that shiny thing.

If you're an inanimate object that can think you're probably thinking AHHHHH HELP ME, I CAN'T MOVE AND I HAVE AN ITCH RIGHT ON MY NOSE. PLEASE HELP ME.

From a Jazz Fan

As a Utah Jazz fan, I’ve seen some very talented Utah rosters that couldn’t quite get over the hump.  There always was, and always will be an unstoppable force, or immovable object impeding our progress.  The NBA is very much a sport of dynasties, and whether it be the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, Cavs, Heat, or Warriors, I can accept that talent will flock to talent, and (money willing) the teams that are created from them will get in the way.  I am a realist in that regard.  I am also willing to accept that Utah is a bad market for Pro-Basketball, no one just comes to the Jazz because it’s their choice to.  We have no “legacy of champions” that Hayward spoke of in his Tribune article.  

What I had hoped for in my heart of hearts, was that the people of Utah and the Jazz organization maybe had instilled a sense of loyalty, a sense of thankfulness for the people, and teammates, who developed the player.  But I was foolish.  The past was doomed to repeat itself, and just as with Deron Williams, Kyle Korver, AK-47, and the rest, Hayward was bound to take his talents to a more marketable city.  We all saw how the NBA handled Williams, Korver, and the old jazz gang. Only a few remain, and 2 of them ended up on a Cavs team with a bench that let them down over and over again.  

And we come to the brunt of why I’m writing.  Hayward left his loyalties at the door, had his agents deny leaked reports of going to Boston, and he wrote an article which in the end hurt more than the leaked reports.  He left an improving Jazz roster to a Celtics team that has to dump quite a few contracts to even make space for him.  Danny Ainge loves his draft picks, but few of them have developed into elite players.  Then there’s the reasoning behind it: the elusive chase for a Championship.  Next year, Boston will still have to compete against Lebron and the Cavs Crew. Is Hayward enough to lead them past the Cavs?  I can’t foresee a positive outcome.  A berth in the ECFs and a 5 or 6 game series loss.  Now if Lebron leaves the year after that? There’s a possible Finals appearance in the works, assuming their young players develop, the Wizards don’t get any better, and the Bucks don’t add any more talent.  So let’s play this scenario out, if Boston makes the Finals in Haywards 2nd year, it will also be the year that Lebron James inevitably recruits Paul George to the Lakers, Houston will be fluid in their 2 point-guard scheme, and the Juggernaut that is the Warriors will still sit atop the West, better than them all.  

Finals appearances are impressive, but just as we witnessed with Lebron, making the Finals in no way guarantees rings.  If Hayward feels like that’s good enough for him (which we all know it won’t be) then good job in picking Boston.  Let me be clear, him staying with the Jazz is by no means better in the way of games won and playoff success.  What I see in the Jazz is a team of players who were growing up together and gradually getting better every year.  The thought of bringing a team to playoff success with a chance for a healthier, developing roster the next year, just to leave for a team that’s only success will come for the fact that the East will be barren of all sense of competition, is mind boggling.  

In conclusion, I’m upset.  The Jazz can recover and do reasonably well in the talent-ridden West, and the Celtics will probably be good in the diluted East.  The Jazz will lose in the 1st Round of the Playoffs, while the Celtics find out that Lebron is still as good as ever.  Jazz fans will burn their Hayward jerseys, and stock up on Gobert merch.  I want to be mad at Hayward, but I’m mostly mad at myself, for thinking that the market for the Jazz could be changed.  I wish the best to Gordon Hayward, and if by some miracle he can capture his Championship in Boston, then more power to him.  In the meantime, I may do some soul searching in the way of fandom.  

Thank you to whoever took the time to read this, follow us on Twitter @tripleSpodcast and listen to our podcast: The Sometimes Sports Show (the link is in the bio of above mentioned Twitter handle.)   

2017 NFL QB Rankings 19-15: The Old, Average and Hopeful

There are quite a few different kind of QBs in this section.  From a young hopeful in Winston, to a couple QB with waning careers, looking for legacies to leave behind.  Follow us on twitter @tripleSpodcast  and listen to our weekly podcast: The Sometimes Sports Show

19.  Jameis Winston - The Buccaneer are loaded, and Winston will have no one to blame but himself if they can’t turn it into a winning season.  That may seem a little harsh, but let me go on.  Imagine a WR duo that consists of one of the fastest deep guys, and a tall physical player that will wrestle down 50/50 balls. Those are Desean Jackson and Mike Evans.  Now imagine 2 tight ends who will draw linebackers to the middle to free up those WRs.  Those are O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate.  The only place on their offense I have any qualms about is their RBs.  With Doug Martin off and on the field, and Jacquizz Rodgers picking up the slack, they may be behind their counterparts in that department. If Winston can limit mistakes and keep slinging TD’s, I see playoff appearances in their near future.

18.  Philip Rivers - Save your breath.  I know that Rivers is a potentially HoF QB, even without a ring to show for it.  I know that he’s had to struggle through wide receiver injuries and coaching changes.  I know. He also through the most INT’s out of every QB in 2016.  He’s also going to be 36 this year.  He also plays in the cursed city of LA.  Now, add all the pros and cons together, and I foresee a better than .500 team.  Whether it’s good enough to get them to the playoffs is yet to be seen.  The AFC is a cruel place to play.

17.  Andy Dalton - The Bengals have a lot of good, they also have a lot of bad.  Dalton is on the good side, and as average he may be in numbers, an average QB with elite skill players will get you to the playoffs.  This year, the Bengals picked up the fastest man in the draft, and a running back who is sure to make a difference.  They did let a couple of their best offensive linemen go in free agency, which I feel will hurt their chances and lead to plenty of sacks on Dalton.  Assuming he stays healthy and the offense works, the Bengals are golden. If the offensive line struggles, I feel that there’s a very real chance that the Browns could overtake them.

16.  Ryan Tannehill - Does the system make the Quarterback, or the other way around? I have a feeling that this question will be answered in the 2017 season by Tannehill and Gase.  Tannehill seemed to have a productive season in 2016 under the leadership of Adam Gase, and given another full offseason, I could see strides in the right direction.  As with most QB’s of average skill and athleticism, it all comes down to skill position players.  Their WRs showed flashes of high-skill, and it was obvious that Jay Ajayi can make it big in the league.  If the system fails, Tannehill will fail.  If Gase can work his magic, Tannehill could see another playoff game in 2017.

15.  Alex Smith - You gotta feel for Alex Smith.  First in San Fran, now in KC, they just keep bringing in rookies to steal his job.  Unfortunately Kansas City has seen enough, they know that with a smart, safe QB they can win games and make the Playoffs.  They also know that with a QB that doesn’t really have an X-factor, they won’t get much further than that.  They hope that the X-factor comes with rookie Pat Mahomes.  Until they start Mahomes, we know exactly what the Chiefs are: smart, dependable, unexciting football, with a loss in the wildcard round.

2017 QB Rankings: The Meddling Few

In this section, let's talk about two younger QBs with similar traits and extremely different physical abilities,  and two aging talents with something to prove.  

23. Tyrod Taylor – T-Mobile.  A QB with some serious talent and surrounded by seriously talented skill players.  Under a new head coach and with an off season to work with Lesean McCoy and Sammy Watkins, I expect Taylor to shine in this offense.  He’s got the tools, but they’ve been mostly injured (Watkins).  The Bills are a mediocre team in a division dominated by the Patriots.  Miami is good, but not great and Taylor will have to pull all the stops to compete.

22. Cam Newton – We all have one question when it comes to Cam Newton, what the hell happened? In one season, he went from MVP and Super Bowl runner-up to leading a team to 6-10.  He also injured his shoulder, had running backs not perform and a less than stellar return season from what should have been the Panthers star wideout.  Newton’s accuracy suffered in the 2016 season, dipping from 59% to 52%.  We will see that number improve in 2017: With McCaffrey in the backfield, Newton has a very good option as a check-down.  

21. Carson Palmer – Another QB with a disappointing season, Palmer has his work cut out for him.  David Johnson is again going to be one of the best RBs in the league and the Card’s wide outs are filled to the brim with potential.  The downside is apparent, age.  While Tom Brady defies the hands of time, Palmer’s age is beginning to show.  Arians is keeping the offense within his skill set, but it’s only a matter of time before Arizona needs to keep their eyes out for a young gun to take over.

20.  Joe Flacco – Is Flacco elite? No. Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s chat.  Flacco is good, not great, but good.  Good enough that with an elite defense, the Ravens could (and did) reach and win a Super Bowl.  This year, the defense is good, not elite, and the RB situation is so-so.  I’m intrigued as to what the Ravens can do with their core of wide outs with Flacco at the helm, but this is another QB who only has so many years left in the tank.  I see a better year statistically than last, but as stacked as the AFC is, it will be quite the feat to reach the playoffs in 2017.

2017 QB Rankings: The Four/Five Who Could be Something

Welcome back! In this small section we take a quick look at some under performing, mechanically challenged, or locked in positional battle  QB's who could be more than what they've shown.  Leave comments if you get em.  Follow us on twitter @tripleSpodcast

27. Brock Osweiler – A below average QB with lofty expectations. If he can bump his play to about average, then he could see a sizable number of starts with the Browns.  Cleveland’s offense is nothing to heap praises on, but with a QB who could keep from making crucial mistakes, they could win 5 or 6 games.  As for Brock?  Assuming he takes the right steps and keeps learning, he could have this job.  If Deshone Kizer doesn’t snatch it out from under him.

26. Blake Bortles – Throwing mechanics.  If you watch football casually, you may not even notice if a QB has poor mechanics.  As a rule though, Bortles has poor mechanics.  And the trope train rolls along every single year, with his coaches and staff claiming that they’ve fixed said mechanics.  Until this ruse becomes reality, Bortles will continue to see high INT numbers.  This year, however, with the addition of Fournette, they may be able to get away with throwing less and limiting the number of mistakes Bortles can make.  Regardless, if things don’t change in the next year or two, expect Jacksonville to be in the market.

25. Carson Wentz – Another QB with massive potential that is being limited by less than stellar mechanics.  A long throwing motion can tip a CB or LB as to which receiver he’s about to throw to before he even releases.  Wentz is still young, and it will be interesting to see what the Eagles do to help.  The addition of Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith improves that offense dramatically.  Gut instinct tells me that Wentz has a breakout year in an already competitive NFC East.

24. Trevor Siemian/Paxton Lynch – One of the few QB battles unresolved going into training camp.  There are pros and cons to either QB.  Siemian is a Peyton Manning type, methodical, running only when absolutely necessary.  He’s got an accurate deep ball and can get the ball out of his hands in a hurry.  The cons come with his lack of athleticism.  He has a challenging time evading pressure and running away from defensive ends.  Lynch on the other hand is tall and quick. He has a rocket arm and stands head and shoulders above his offensive linemen.  What he lacked in the 2 starts he had in 2016 was quick decision making, generally holding onto the ball too long and making poor throws under pressure.  If he can quicken up his release under pressure, while making smarter throws to check-downs if he needs to, then I can see Lynch taking this job in 2017. 

2017 QB Rankings: The First Five:The Last Five

Welcome to the first installment of my 2017 QB Rankings.  Now, you will look at #32 and yell in anguish and say, Watson is a million times better than Osweiler or Glennon! And you may be right, but until he step onto the field, he's an unknown.  An unknowns get ranked at the bottom.  Now that we're past that, I hope you will read and comment with your angry comments, and wait for my next installment which hopefully will be out later tonight or early Sunday. Now onto the show.

32. Deshawn Watson – There were no surprises when the Texans picked Watson in the 1^st round of this year’s draft.  They had had enough of Osweiler’s mediocre play, and nothing Tom Savage did screamed “Starting NFL QB.”  As a rookie, we have no idea how his style of play will translate in the NFL.  We could point to the success of Dak, or the failures of Goff.  We could tell ourselves that Bill O’Brian is the QB whisperer and that Watson will be the next big thing.  Nothing that happens until Watson takes a regular season snap will mean a thing.  If the Texans are smart, they can make him look good with an easy, run and read-option heavy offense, and ease him in with minimal problems. 

31.  Jared Goff – The 2016 #1 pick overall did not look very good in his first string of starts this last season.  There are a number of excuses that one could point to for this, but the first and foremost will probably come down to this: He just wasn’t ready.  Now, that’s not to say that the Ram’s did a bad thing in starting him when they did.  If a QB is going to grow and learn, what better way than to be thrust into the fire of leading a downhill Rams team.  While it will be interesting to see Goff under a new head coach and a new system.  I can’t help but think that it will be more of what we saw last season.

30. Mike Glennon – Glennon is an enigma.  He’s got the size, arm strength, and athleticism that lends one to believe that he could find success in the league.  Then you realize that he’ll be starting for the Bears.  Now, if you look at the big picture, there a few things to like about this team.  For instance, their 2^nd year RB Jordan Howard is talented and will play at a high level, and their defense is stout.  Now for the bad, their WR situation is not great, and with a rookie QB waiting for you to fail, it could happen sooner than later.

29. Brian Hoyer – The 49ers are in a very weird position.  They are coming off a 2-14 season, with a new system in the works, and a temporary QB in Hoyer.  The weirdest thing about this situation?  I think that this team could go 8-8.  Now before you laugh in my face, let me say, go take a look at the Niners defensive roster.  Are you back?  It’s pretty good, in theory.  Hoyer’s no elite talent, but he’s sufficient, and the right coach (Shanahan) can get the most out of him.  I predict that he has one of the best season of his career in San Fran.   

28. Josh McCown – Another QB in an odd spot.  Although I feel a little bad for McCown.  When he played for the Browns, there was no expectation for winning and when he did, he was celebrated. Now don’t get me wrong, for the Jets, there is no expectation for winning.  And watching the Jets shed talent like winter pounds is worrying for a QB who just left Cleveland.  There’s even a chance he may not start a game (barring injuries.)  As a savvy veteran, he’ll figure out a way not to look to bad, and will muscle through.  If I had to have a hot take, it would be that McCown starts and wins the first game. And then doesn’t see the field for the rest of the season.