It’s A Buyers Market For NFL Quarterbacks
There’s no rush to sign a guy like Kurt Warner these days. Yes, he’s the top available free agent in his position, but for as long as I can remember there haven’t been so many signal callers to choose from. With the amount of teams looking for a QB opposed to the amount of decent players available, many NFL teams have options when trying to pick their guy. They way we see it, there are 5 NFL teams looking for starters (Jets, Vikings, Bucs, Cardinals, and the 49er’s) and anywhere from 5-7 teams needing to add a back up quarterback. With the NFL draft in April, and at least a dozen quality QB’s available in free agency, some of these guys are going to make the bench their new home, or are going to have to lower their asking price.

Teams like Chicago, Minnesota, and San Francisco aren’t panicking; they are used to getting by with what they have, and would more likely bring in a rookie through the draft rather than overpaying a guy like Kurt Warner or Jeff Garcia. While a veteran player could be the missing piece of the puzzle, you have to remember that Garcia crashed and burned in Cleveland, and Warner took 4 years in Arizona before becoming the guy fresh in our minds, hitting Fitzgerald and Boldin on every down.

The following is our quick prediction of what each team needing a starting Quarterback will do, and who might be a good fit.

New York Jets – Brett Favre looked amazing at the halfway point of the season last year, but burned out fast. His age can’t be the only factor in the Jets meltdown, but it was definitely a lesson learned about bringing in an older quarterback.
Could go after: Chris Sims or J.T. O’Sullivan; not instant starters, but great value players to compete with Kellen Clemens.
Our Prediction: Draft a Quarterback. At pick 17 there is a good chance a player like Josh Freeman could fall right into their laps and solve all of their problems.

Minnesota Vikings – Tarvaris Jackson is getting better and might not be replaced, but there needs to be a guy to battle against in training camp. A guy that could be named a starter will either be another option, or push Jackson to become better.
Could go after: Jeff Garcia.
Our Prediction: J.P. Losman. Playing in a dome could be a perfect match for Bernard Berrian and Losman’s cannon of an arm. Losman is a quality quarterback who hasn’t had the privilege of being a part of a team with a great offensive line. He could push Tarvaris Jackson to become more of a pocket passer.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Could go after: Patrick Ramsey, Byron Leftwich, Rex Grossman
Our Prediction: Draft a Quarterback. The Bucs have pick 19 in April’s draft. With the recent trade of acquiring Kellen Winslow Jr. for a 2nd round pick, the Bucs need to get their guy at 19. We think the Bucs will move up to try to grab Mark Sanchez or Josh Freeman.

Arizona Cardinals – the Cardinals are playing hard ball with Kurt Warner and his contract negotiations of wanting 12+ million a year, as they should. Warner is getting interest from the 49ers, but he would be stupid to sign there. The Cardinals need to realize that he could easily sign somewhere else, but Warner needs to realize that no team has better wide receivers than Arizona. Our Prediction: Warner re-signs.

San Francisco 49er’s – Will this team ever find a franchise quarterback? The only thing that changes more than the guy under center is maybe the coaching staff, but I have a good feeling about Mike Singletary and the chances he will find his guy. Alex Smith looks like a bust, and J.T. O’Sullivan is a free agent.
Could go after: Kurt Warner or Rex Grossman
Our Prediction: Jeff Garcia. Bring him back; Garcia is the last good quarterback that played for the 49ers, and he could create a little hype for fans who never wanted to see him go 6 years ago. Alex Smith could learn a lot from Garcia’s 10 years of NFL experience.