NFL free agency gets going next week, with the tampering period starting on Monday, March 7, and the signings allowed starting Wednesday, March 9. As is often the case, the quarterback market is fairly slim in terms of likely impact players. Most decent quarterbacks do not get to free agency all that often, and so we are left with a handful of whatever.
There are still some interesting names available, and one or two more could join that group. Pro Football Focus put together their rankings of the best quarterbacks already set to hit free agency. They updated the list following Sam Bradford's contract extension and Kirk Cousins getting the franchise tag. Their rankings include:
1. Ryan Fitzpatrick
2. Brock Osweiler
3. Matt Moore
4. Tarvaris Jackson
5. Brandon Weeden
6. Matt Hasselbeck
7. Kellen Moore
Two quarterbacks other rankings have included are Drew Stanton and Chase Daniel.
This group does not include two players who are not yet set to be free agents. They are San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III. Kaepernick's agents requested permission to seek a trade, but the team has not provided any notable response as far as we can tell. RG3 remains under contract with Washington, but team president Bruce Allen has already said RG3 will play elsewhere next season.
Where would you rank those two quarterbacks given the existing market? For Kap, where would you rank him as a free agent, and where would you rank him if it would cost some kind of draft pick compensation. I can't imagine it's more than a day three pick, but that obviously changes his value somewhat compared to if he is simply a free agent.
I would put both ahead of Moore, Jackson and so forth. Osweiler showed some signs last year, but he struggled enough that the Broncos benched him late in the season. Fitzpatrick looked sharp for significant stretches, with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker both putting up huge seasons. Of course, what do you take from a breakout year at age 33?