Lets start with Collin Kaepernick, the only true free agent of the group. ESPN recently published an article that referred to Kap's current state of unemployment as "curious". This following Spike Lee's tweet storm where he basically said that Kap was being black balled because of his protests last year. Richard Sherman also chimed in claiming that his good buddy Collin was better than at least 20 of the current starters in this league. Here are the facts: He sucks at playing QB. He's a one trick pony. Just like RG III, and other mobile QB's before him, he had a bit of success running a gimmicky option style offense. As time passed teams found out how to shut him down and when he was forced to rely on his arm and reading defenses he became irrelevant.
The stats don't lie… in the past 4 seasons his completion percentage was above 60 only once… and that was only 60.2% in 2015. He also threw 19 picks and had 22 fumbles during that stretch. Honestly, I would probably say he is top 30 in this league (not top 10 like Richard Sherman implied), but most teams aren't clambering to sign the 30th best QB in the NFL who had a significant injury the season before last and who has a public image problem.
Yes, the protests play a small role in him being unemployed. The only 3 teams that have real open competitions at the QB spot are the Browns, Jets and Texans ( I won't count his former team for obvious reasons). The Texans are out of the conversation because the guy who refused to even stand, not to mention salute the red white & blue, would look funny wearing a uniform that is more Patriotic than the team named the Patriots. The Jets were never an option because they are in the biggest media market in the league. The last thing they need is a washed up QB who would bring very little to the field and would light up the back page of the NY Post on a daily basis (Commonly known as the Tebow effect in NYC). I don't think that move would have helped Woody Johnson on his quest to become Trump's newest billionaire political appointee.
As for the Browns.. I think he will probably land there. And that would be his best chance at resurrecting his career. Coach Jackson could potentially help him. So when this is all said and done, this is a non-story drummed up by the media to try and sensationalize anything regarding race. If you are outraged that Kap doesn't have a job right now I ask you to please remember HE opted out of his contract in SF…. he wasn't released. If you think it's a conspiracy I ask you why the fact that Jay Cutler is still unsigned is not making national headlines?
The next QB on the list is the guy who would technically be at the top of the Browns current depth chart… Brock. As I mentioned in a previous post the powers that be in the lone-star state decided to sign a free agent QB to a multi year deal with a bunch of guaranteed money without even meeting with him. Believe it or not they ended up with buyers remorse. So 365 days later they decided to trade Brock and a 2nd round pick to the Browns in exchange for some serious salary cap relief. Cleveland absorbed all of Osweiler's 16 million in guaranteed salary for 2017.
I for one have not given up on Brock. O'Brien has made every QB that has stepped behind his Center look like garbage since he took the reigns as the Texans HC. It's either his system, or his inability to identify the right QB to run it properly. I mean hell, look at the due diligence that was displayed when making the decision to bring Osweiler in last year. LOL!
The more I examine this trade the more I think that Cleveland was the winner. I think they convinced the Texans that they didn't want Brock and that they were intending to execute the trade and then cut him… which helped drive the price up to a 2nd round pick. But now that they have taken Brock off the Texans hands, and got paid with a pretty high draft pick… they don't seem in a rush to move him.
The Browns worse case scenario is that they cut Brock and eat the 16 million. They started free agency with over 100 million to spend. Considering that Cleveland (very predictably) wasn't a hot landing spot for high priced free agents they weren't going to need that 16 million anyway. So when it's all said and done they are left with a 2nd round pick… and gave up nothing but cash in return.
The best case scenario is that Brock actually wins the starting job and starts to excel under the expert tutelage of the Browns HC/ QB whisper himself. So they could end up with a starting QB, which they desperately needed, and a 2nd round pick.
But there are still other scenarios. If they are willing to pay for draft picks, why not approach teams like the Jets or 49ers who have no identity at QB or a team with an aging starter like the Chargers, Patriots or Saints and make an offer that might entice them. How about a late round draft pick in exchange for Osweiler and a deal that would include the Browns agreeing to absorb 80 or 90 percent of the 16 million in 2017. If you could get Brock and it would only cost you 2 million or less against your cap for a 5th or 6th round pick… why not?
The Browns end up with a 2nd and... lets say a fifth rounder in exchange for eating 14 million in dead money this season. Any way this plays out the Browns can't lose. As for the Texans… they had to very publicly admit they messed up big time, they lost a high draft pick trading him away, they now have a gaping hole at QB and there's still the chance Brock goes somewhere else and becomes a solid starter. In every way they are the losers. Their best case scenario is Tony Romo being released. They make a run at him, over pay big time and if they do land him he is on IR before JJ Watt gets his first sack of the season. And they are back where they started.
All this Romo talk brings me to the next QB on my list today… Romo. He's in such a great position. The networks are already lining up to sign him and start his TV career. If he is dying to take one more shot as a starter he waits until he is officially a free agent and then bends the Texans over a barrel and gives them a good rodgering. He can probably get a ton of money out of them. The brass over there are in panic mode.
Another option is that if he really doesn't want to leave Dallas (and is prepared to remain as Dak's back up) he could agree to a pay cut… I'd pay 4 to 6 million for him in that role… especially if I was Jerry Jones. I must admit I have wondered if Jerry has been trying to demonstrate that none of the teams out their really value him that much, considering no one has offered compensation that the Cowboys are willing to accept…. and thats if any team has offered anything at all. Its a great way to show that if none of his potential suitors are willing to put up a high draft pick then you could assume they won't offer much guaranteed money in a contract for 2017. They may also be trying to convince him that he could be embarrassed if he does hit the open market and doesn't get a decent offer.
Here are the facts:
- He's due 14 million under his current contract.
- If any team had already put a 5th or 6th round pick on the table the Cowboys would have pulled the trigger by now.
- The Cowboys will not retain him at the aforementioned cap number.
All that being considered, a pay cut would not be unfathomable. And if Jerry pulls it off, he gets a lot of credit for not dumping Romo on the first day of the new league year. AND, the Texans literally shit their pants.
We could see the Texans going to Defcon 1 and doing the unthinkable… trading into the top 10 to majorly reach and draft Deshaun Watson. They would have to trade away even more high draft picks to make this move… and it might end up being their only viable option.
Sometimes the best move is doing nothing at all. I really think the Texans (and their fans) will regret trading Brock away even more than they regretted signing him.
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