It was a double whammy for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
They said goodbye to longtime starter Philip Rivers — although we knew that was definitely happening last month — and Tom Brady (who would have been the Chargers’ best option) decided to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead of signing with the team that had a QB opening in his home state.
So: now what?
We did this with the New England Patriots and some of the names and rankings will look similar. But since we did that post, a few of the QBs are already off the market or nearly so.
Let’s dive in:
1. Cam Newton
Last season’s two games were alarming, but he wasn’t healthy. Now that he’s available via trade and has had a while to get back to 100 percent, he’s still the best option left for teams that need a quarterback.
2. Andy Dalton
Why put him ahead of the guy below when I had Jameis Winston No. 2 with the Pats? I have more faith in Bill Belichick and Co. figuring out how to optimize Winston and minimize his turnovers than I do in the Chargers’ coaching staff. So I’ll go with a more safe option who could thrive in a more talented offense.
3. Jameis Winston
See above, but we know this: Winston has serious talent. If you sign him, you’re rolling the dice on the interceptions going down and for him to continue slinging the football to the tune of 5,109 yards.
4. Tyrod Taylor
The last time we saw Taylor start games for the Cleveland Browns in 2018, he was pretty bad (49.4 completion percentage). But he’s been with the Chargers for a year, so he knows the offense, and he’ll turn 31 this year. Plus, he had some good seasons with the Bills. Don’t count him out.
5. Justin Herbert
Remember: the Chargers have the sixth overall pick in the upcoming 2020 draft, and it seems like a lot of draft experts have connected the Oregon product to Los Angeles. But if L.A. wants to win now, they should probably have Taylor start and ease Herbert into the role.
6. Derek Carr
I still think the Raiders open up the competition between him and Marcus Mariota, but if Las Vegas wants to get some value, he could be dealt now.
7. Nick Foles
Meh.
