We are now days away until the start of NFL Free Agency, and many teams hope to find the answer to a quarterback problem this offseason. Some teams, like the Los Angeles Rams, answer their problems with trades, like the one that now has Matthew Stafford in LA. With Dak Prescott now staying in Dallas, thanks to a four-year, $160 million deal with the Cowboys, who is the new priority target among quarterbacks?
A few teams are going to turn to the draft, but there will certainly be some who turn to more proven options. Here are the top five free agent quarterback options available.
5 Best Free Agent Quarterbacks | 2021 NFL Free Agency
5. Jacoby Brissett
Jacoby Brissett is really only on this list because virtually all of the other options are either entirely washed up or have done next to nothing in their NFL careers. Brissett is only 28 and has a solid 2.4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. While Brissett certainly isn’t a mobile quarterback, he can get some yards on the ground if needed. While his stats are average to pretty solid across the board, the problem with him is his record. Sure, he hasn’t often been in good situations, but his 12-20 career record is something teams will have to think about.
4. Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton is a fine quarterback. Nothing more, nothing less. He had plenty of reps with the Dallas Cowboys, after Dak Prescott’s gruesome leg injury. With one of the most high-powered offenses in recent memory, Dalton was just there. Over 2,100 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions isn’t bad, but he really should’ve been better. He is certainly not the sexy choice at quarterback, but for a team that needs a placeholder for a year or two, he’s your man.
[sc name=”nfl-fa-date” ]3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Every time the masses think Ryan Fitzpatrick is finally finished, he just comes back and balls out again. Although Fitzpatrick looked better than rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins made it very clear they don’t want to wait for Tua time. In case anyone was wondering, they made it very clear by throwing him into his first game in front of one of the best defensive teams, headed by arguably the best defensive player of all time. Fitzpatrick was 4-3 for the Dolphins, which is certainly impressive with the lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball, minus running back Myles Gaskin.
The only problem; even with his resume, who wants a 39-year-old quarterback that isn’t in that elite tier?
2. Tyrod Taylor
I love Tyrod Taylor and dammit you should too. Arguably the most unlucky and underappreciated quarterback in the last 10 years, Tyrod has a 2.7 touchdown to interception ratio and in three full seasons as a starter and has never thrown for more than six interceptions in a season. The only problem for Taylor is that he isn’t flashy. While he won’t win you many games on his own, he also will almost never lose you any. He still has something left in those legs and you can’t discount the fact that he got a Buffalo Bills team to the playoffs before they even knew what offensive talent looked like. He will likely be the steal of free agent quarterbacks in a year’s time.
1. Jameis Winston
There really is no debate who’s the best free agent quarterback on the market. Sure, he will throw a hell of a lot of interceptions, but he has still thrown for over 4,000 yards twice and over 5,000 yards once in three full seasons as a starting quarterback for Tampa Bay. He now has a year of learning behind legend Drew Brees under his belt and is still only 27 years old. He has a lot left in the tank, and I’m sure he’s received plenty of pointers on how to limit those turnovers. His floor isn’t all that low and his ceiling arguably hasn’t even been seen yet. Jameis Winston is the cash cow on the quarterback market
