The primary day of the NFL’s authorized tampering interval got here to a detailed Monday evening, and supplied some readability on the sport of quarterback musical chairs. As daybreak broke on Tuesday Kirk Cousins was an Atlanta Falcon, Gardner Minshew was a Las Vegas Raider, Sam Darnold was a Minnesota Viking.
And Justin Fields was nonetheless ready on his future.
The music is slowing down and the potential touchdown spots are dwindling. The place may the previous first-round choose find yourself?
Listed here are a few of the remaining choices.
New York Giants
The Giants are in a tough spot with regards to the quarterback place getting into the 2024 season. After signing Daniel Jones to a brand new contract a yr in the past — following a shocking run to the playoffs — Jones and the Giants took a step again a season in the past. Jones missed important time final yr, resulting from a neck damage that prompted him to overlook three video games, after which a season-ending knee damage. Jones performed in simply six video games, throwing only a pair of touchdowns and 6 interceptions in these video games.
New York has the No. 6 total choice, in order that they might be in place to draft a quarterback. However given the three QB-needy groups on the prime of the draft (Chicago, Washington, and New England) in addition to the variety of QB-needy groups by the draft, the Giants is likely to be QB4 … if they’ll draft a QB in any respect in that spot.
That makes Fields an possibility for the workforce, whether or not to compete with Jones or because the starter if the workforce strikes on from Jones, to compete with maybe a rookie the Giants draft on Day Two.
So maybe the strategy could be to swing a commerce for Fields forward of the draft, after which maintain their choices open because the draft itself approaches.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are in an analogous place to the group that defeated them in a pair of Tremendous Bowls.
With Mac Jones on his approach to the AFC South, the Patriots are firmly within the quarterback market. New England reached an settlement with veteran Jacoby Brissett on the primary day of the league’s authorized tampering interval, which supplies the workforce an possibility, however that’s doubtless not the one transfer the group will make on the place.
New England has been linked with a number of totally different quarterbacks within the draft class, reminiscent of Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, and Drake Maye. However there’s one other path obtainable to the Patriots, one which includes the workforce including one other skilled quarterback by free company or the draft, after which choosing the right participant obtainable with the third-overall choose.
For instance, New England might half with a third-round choose for Fields — extra on his commerce worth in a minute — and draft Marvin Harrison Jr. with that third choose. Instantly that Patriots offense has somewhat extra juice than it did a season in the past.
Denver Broncos
I imply … it’s an possibility.
With Russell Wilson on his approach to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos have a necessity on the quarterback place. Denver is sitting at No. 12 within the upcoming draft, which doubtless places them out of vary for the highest quarterbacks within the class, however gamers like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix might be choices for them both at that spot, or within the second spherical.
Or, they may go in a unique course, and see what Sean Payton can do with Fields for a yr or two.
The largest query mark could be the scheme match. Wilson struggled within the system Payton carried out in Denver a season in the past, however maybe Fields would have the ability to run the offense — and belief Payton’s teaching — higher than what we noticed in Denver a season in the past.
Choices as a backup
Given how the market appears to be slowing for Fields, we might be approaching a world the place the main target shifts from discovering a touchdown spot as a starter, to discovering a touchdown spot as an upper-level backup.
There are a number of choices down this highway for Fields.
With the information Tuesday morning that Marcus Mariota was on his approach to the Washington Commanders, there’s at present a spot in Philadelphia behind Jalen Hurts.
May Fields be that possibility for the Eagles?
Normal Supervisor Howie Roseman has typically used the phrase “QB manufacturing facility” to explain how he views the Eagles. “We’re quarterback builders. We wish to be a quarterback manufacturing facility,” mentioned Roseman when the workforce drafted Hurts regardless of nonetheless having Carson Wentz on the roster. Fields could be a strong match within the offense the Eagles have designed for Hurts, and with backup now a necessity in Philadelphia, this might be an possibility for the Eagles.
Talking of Wentz …
Matthew Stafford is entrenched because the starter in Los Angeles. However behind him, there are query marks. The workforce added Wentz throughout the season final fall, however he’s now a free agent. The workforce drafted Stetson Bennett a yr in the past, however the former Georgia quarterback was positioned on the reserve/non-football sickness listing final September and missed the yr.
Head coach Sean McVay has labored some magic with new quarterbacks up to now — maybe most lately with Baker Mayfield for a number of video games throughout the 2022 season — and Fields might be the following on that listing. And as we’ll focus on in a second, there’s a little bit of a relationship right here …
Anthony Richardson is predicted to be again from a shoulder damage that minimize his rookie season quick. However with Minshew now on his approach to the Raiders, there’s a gap behind Richardson within the Colts’ QB room.
That would make Fields a really perfect possibility. He would slot in the offense that Shane Steichen has put in place for Richardson, and may the starter go down Fields would have the ability to maintain Indianapolis afloat.
Now this might be attention-grabbing …
With Darnold heading to Minnesota there’s a spot behind Brock Purdy open in San Francisco. There’s additionally a pre-existing relationship right here as Kyle Shanahan — together with Mike McDaniel and McVay — is a part of the “QB Collective,” a quarterback coaching group that appears to organize passers for working pro-style offenses.
That could be a program Fields attended earlier in his profession.
There’s, in fact, an alternative choice …
May the Bears determine to hold onto Fields, and commerce out of the first-overall spot?
This appears unlikely in the meanwhile, given the way in which the rumors are swirling round Caleb Williams and the Bears. Every thing appears to be trending within the course of the Bears sitting at No. 1 and drafting a QB, doubtless the USC passer.
But when the commerce marketplace for Fields is really crumbling because it seems, the Bears is likely to be left in place the place buying and selling him isn’t an possibility, and as an alternative they maintain Fields as their backup behind — or to compete with — the quarterback they draft within the first spot.
Simply what’s Fields’ commerce worth proper now?
This appears to be a crucial side to the present dialogue.
Because it appears the commerce worth for Fields is reducing by the day.
Think about this sequence of tweets from earlier this week:
Sadly, from what I am listening to (and seeing), the marketplace for Fields is terrible. The Bears do not get a second for him. Perhaps not even a 3rd. Loopy.
— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) March 12, 2024
At this level, it appears to be like just like the Bears might need to simply accept a Day Three choose, maybe a conditional choice that would improve to a Day Two choose ought to Fields meet taking part in time thresholds together with his new workforce.
However the concept of Chicago getting one thing near what the New York Jets bought for Darnold, for instance, appears to be far-fetched in the meanwhile.
