This offseason will see quite a few teams looking for a new starting quarterback, and whether it is for 2017 or thinking longer-term, there are a variety of options. Free agency, trading, and the draft all provide some options, but none of them come without questions. And that’s really how the state of NFL quarterbacks can best be described. A sure thing is going to be locked up by his team year in and year out.
Over the next two months, we are going to hear a lot about Kirk Cousins, Tony Romo, Jimmy Garoppolo, Mitch Trubisky, and Deshaun Watson. However, not all executives agree those are the best options. Daniel Jeremiah recently spoke with five executives and asked them, “If your team had a glaring quarterback need, which option would you pursue to solve the problem?”
Two executives cited Tony Romo, and one cited Kirk Cousins. However, one cited Cal QB Davis Webb, and another cited Cincinnati Bengals QB AJ McCarron. Here’s what they each said about those two:
Webb: “If I were a team like Cleveland, I would take impact players at (pick Nos.) 1 and 12 and then trade back into the bottom of the first round for Davis Webb. I think he will end up being the best quarterback of this draft class.”
McCarron: “I wouldn't feel good about making a major commitment to any of these quarterbacks. If I had to choose one, I would go after McCarron. Ideally, you get him for a late second- or early third-round pick. Then, if it doesn't work out, you draft a QB in 2018.”
The McCarron comment suggests an executive who is not a fan of this year’s QB class and figures, roll the dice on him and then go all in next year if need be.
The Webb comment however is interesting considering this year’s quarterback class. We’ve heard plenty about Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and DeShone Kizer, while starting to hear more about Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, Webb was MVP of the Senior Bowl, completing 11 of 16 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. By all accounts he had a solid week of practice, which puts him in a good position heading into the 2017 NFL Combine.
Webb played in spread out offenses at Texas Tech and Cal. Kyle Shanahan has shown an ability to adjust his offense to the skills of his quarterback, but Webb is going to require a lot of work. One scout said he thinks Davis has enough going on upstairs to unlearn some bad habits, but his accuracy in an offense with pre-determined reads and a lot of short throws is something that might scare teams away.