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Josh McCown

Jets, Josh McCown Progressing Toward Deal?

March 18th, 2017 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McCown‘s Jets visit is continuing into Saturday, and the sides are progressing on talks. Contract parameters have emerged during this visit, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv.

With this powwow going “very well,” Vacchiano notes McCown may now lead the pack in the running to be the next Jets stopgap quarterback. Vacchiano confirms the team remains interested in Jay Cutler while also clearly stating the team has no desire to pursue Colin Kaepernick. A Cutler visit was expected, with the Jets reaching out to the 33-year-old passer this week, but it hasn’t occurred yet.

The 37-year-old McCown (he’ll be 38 by Week 1) profiles as another short-term option after Ryan Fitzpatrick previously served in that role. Cutler started in front of McCown from 2011-13 on the Bears and is viewed as the more talented player, so it would be interesting if the Jets opted to sign McCown before hosting Cutler on a visit. New Jets QBs coach Jeremy Bates coached Cutler in both Denver and Chicago but also instructed McCown during two of McCown’s three years in the Windy City.

Gang Green moved from Mike Glennon to Tyrod Taylor to Brian Hoyer, per Vacchiano, this offseason. Glennon’s price tag “scared off” the Jets, Vacchiano notes, before he received his Bears offer (three years, $45MM). The Jets were also open to re-signing Geno Smith before the Giants added him, per Vacchiano, who adds it’s unlikely the Jets use one of their high draft picks on a quarterback after having taken Christian Hackenberg in the second round last year.

The Cowboys are the other serious suitor to emerge for McCown, having hosted him on a visit. This came after Dallas tried to trade for the veteran passer in 2016.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Offense

March 17th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Jay Cutler
  2. Chase Daniel
  3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  4. Colin Kaepernick
  5. Josh McCown
  6. Robert Griffin III
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Christian Ponder
  11. Blaine Gabbert
  12. Ryan Nassib
  13. Shaun Hill
  14. Kellen Moore
  15. Austin Davis

Tony Romo is not a free agent…at least not yet. If the Cowboys do not find a suitable trade and release him, you’ll find him at the top of this list.

Laugh if you must, but Cutler is far and away the best quarterback available on the open market. While most of this year’s QB-needy teams are done with their free agent shopping, the Jets are still searching for their 2017 starter and no one would make more sense for them than Cutler. He’s not all that far removed from playing solid football and he’s a logical transitional option for the Jets until they can isolate a better, younger option for 2018. Jay Cutler (Vertical)

Kaepernick’s reps wisely told the press that he will be standing for the National Anthem this year. Still, Kaepernick is an outspoken guy who wants to use his platform to discuss hot button issues, so there’s no guarantee that the media circus around him will cease. Jets owner Woody Johnson loves seeing his team on the back pages of the New York tabloids, but even he has to have more sense than to entertain Kaepernick. McCown, who has been contact with the team, would be an okay choice if they can’t get something done with Cutler. Chase Daniel could be an option too, but there isn’t much game film on him.

Needless to say, the No. 3 ranked player on this list isn’t an option in New York.

Running back:

  1. Adrian Peterson
  2. LeGarrette Blount
  3. Jamaal Charles
  4. Rashad Jennings
  5. Tim Hightower
  6. DeAngelo Williams
  7. Chris Johnson
  8. Christine Michael
  9. Benny Cunningham
  10. Bobby Rainey
  11. Brandon Bolden
  12. Denard Robinson
  13. James Starks
  14. Matt Asiata
  15. Kenjon Barner

Honorable mention: DuJuan Harris, Antonio Andrews, Khiry Robinson

Adrian Peterson (vertical)The Vikings have moved on and Peterson will not be back in Minnesota. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. When Peterson’s option was declined by the Vikings earlier this month, there were tons of stories (likely sourced by Peterson’s camp) about interest from a litany of contenders. Since then, each team – through anonymous sources – has denied being in the mix for the veteran. It would be easy to doubt Peterson at this juncture, but he has come back from serious injuries multiple times in his career and he is only one year removed from his stellar 2015 campaign. He gets the top spot over the bruising Blount as well as Charles, who hasn’t been healthy in a long while.

Jennings was brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse. Unfortunately, two of his three seasons with the G-Men were marred by injury. Jennings is currently putting his agility to good use on Dancing With The Stars and it remains to be seen how committed he is to football. After that, we have a trio of vets (Hightower, Williams, CJ2K) who could still advance the ball in limited spurts.

In case you’re wondering – Mike Gillislee is not listed here because he is a restricted free agent.

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Jets To Host Josh McCown

March 17th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will meet with free agent quarterback Josh McCown on Friday and Saturday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reported earlier this week Gang Green had reached out to McCown.Josh McCown (vertical)

McCown is now entering his age-38 season and hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent seasons, but he’d be able to give the Jets some level of competency at the quarterback position. Geno Smith, who may have been an option for New York, signed with the crosstown rival Giants earlier today. The Jets have also been linked to free agent Jay Cutler and a host of draft prospects as they seek to upgrade under center.

Appearing in five games (three starts) for the Browns in 2016, McCown completed 54.5% of his attempts for 1,100 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s also drawn interest from the Cowboys this offseason, and took a visit to Dallas earlier this month.

Jets Reach Out To QB Josh McCown

March 13th, 2017 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re nearly one week into free agency and the Jets still haven’t resolved their starting quarterback situation. They could be getting closer to figuring out the puzzle, however, Recently, the Jets reached out to Josh McCown‘s camp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Josh McCown (vertical)

The Jets, Rapoport adds, have “lots of options” for their quarterback spot. That is true, though none of those QB options are particularly inspiring. Jay Cutler probably stands as their best free agent option and the Jets have made contact with his reps. If they can’t wrangle Cutler or McCown, their best option in free agency could wind up being a reunion with Geno Smith. No matter the outcome, this could be a rough year for Jets fans.

McCown made five appearances (three starts) with the Browns last year as he battled injuries. In that small sample, he completed 54.5% of his passes, averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, and threw six touchdowns against six picks. I had McCown listed as one of the ten best quarterbacks on the board at the outset of free agency. Now, with other signal callers off the board, he’s a bit higher in terms of those still available.

McCown recently visited the Cowboys and there is said to be mutual interest between the two parties.

Josh McCown Visiting Cowboys

March 8th, 2017 at 6:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are looking into finding a backup quarterback for Dak Prescott. Of course, they already have a No. 2 QB, but he might not be around for much longer. The Cowboys are hosting Josh Mccown on a visit today, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Josh McCown

For a while now, there has been talk of mutual interest between Dallas and the veteran signal caller. McCown will turn 38 in July and he certainly has the experience to hold down the fort, if necessary, and also help to mentor Prescott. Unlike Tony Romo, he’s at a point in his career where it makes sense to take on a backup role for a winning club.

McCown made five appearances (three starts) with the Browns last year as he battled injuries. In that small sample, he completed 54.5% of his passes, averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, and threw six touchdowns against six picks. I have McCown listed as one of the ten best quarterbacks available in free agency this week.

Speaking of Romo, here’s the latest on him: He wants to join the Broncos, the Texans‘ front office is split on him, and the Chiefs are not among the clubs with interest.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Offense

March 6th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.

Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.

Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Updated 3-7-2017, 2:55pm CT

Quarterback:

  1. Mike Glennon
  2. Nick Foles
  3. Brian Hoyer (story)
  4. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  5. Colin Kaepernick
  6. Josh McCown
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Christian Ponder
  12. Blaine Gabbert
  13. Geno Smith
  14. Matt Schaub (story)
  15. EJ Manuel

Honorable mention: Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Shaun Hill Mike Glennon (vertical)

Colin Kaepernick’s agents have (wisely) let everyone know that their client will stand for the National Anthem in 2017. That may seem like a minor point, but teams say they would have automatically removed him from consideration if he continued his attention-grabbing protest. He grabbed headlines for his actions on the sidelines last year, but he actually turned in an OK season. From a football standpoint, Kaepernick would make sense for a lot of teams as a QB2 with upside.

Interestingly, this list includes three quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it as the Jets’ starter and three rejects from the 49ers. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all six of those players (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert) come with varying degrees of potential and proven effectiveness. Smith, somehow, could reportedly be retained by the Jets and installed as the starter in 2017.

Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.

Running back:

  1. Eddie Lacy
  2. Adrian Peterson
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Jamaal Charles
  6. Darren McFadden
  7. Jacquizz Rodgers
  8. Rex Burkhead
  9. Rashad Jennings
  10. Danny Woodhead
  11. Tim Hightower
  12. DeAngelo Williams
  13. Andre Ellington
  14. Chris Johnson
  15. Christine Michael

Honorable mention: Robert Turbin, Travaris Cadet, Benny Cunningham, Lance Dunbar, Bobby Rainey, Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, James Starks

Adrian Peterson (vertical)As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.

The Patriots believe they won’t be able to match the offers that come in LeGarrette Blount‘s direction. Latavius Murray could circle back to the Raiders, but he won’t be agreeing to a deal with them before free agency opens on Thursday.

Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.

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Mutual Interest Between Cowboys, Josh McCown

February 27th, 2017 at 7:44am CST by Zachary Links

There’s mutual interest between the Cowboys and backup quarterback Josh McCown, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the Tony Romo situation has to play out first. Werder adds that the Cowboys’ desire to add McCown could be a factor in the timing of the call on Romo. Josh McCown (vertical)

Of course, Romo currently stands as the No. 2 quarterback on the Cowboys’ depth chart, but the veteran is pushing for an opportunity to start elsewhere. It is believed that Romo would like to be granted an outright release while the Cowboys, presumably, would like to get something for him via trade. If Romo is cut loose, he will have total freedom to choose his next team. In that event, some have speculated that the Cowboys and Romo could make a tacit agreement in which Romo does not sign with a specific list of rival clubs.

McCown, 38 in July, is listed as one of my top 15 quarterbacks available this offseason. He’s obviously no longer a starting caliber QB, but he could serve as an experienced Plan B behind star Dak Prescott. For his part, McCown says he has heard from four or five interested teams.

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Kirk Cousins
  2. Mike Glennon
  3. Nick Foles
  4. Brian Hoyer
  5. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  6. Case Keenum
  7. Matt McGloin
  8. Mark Sanchez
  9. Geno Smith
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Josh McCown
  12. Christian Ponder
  13. Blaine Gabbert
  14. Matt Schaub
  15. Ryan Nassib

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams. Kirk Cousins

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

  1. Le’Veon Bell
  2. Eddie Lacy
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Darren McFadden
  6. Jacquizz Rodgers
  7. Rashad Jennings
  8. Danny Woodhead
  9. Rex Burkhead
  10. Tim Hightower
  11. DeAngelo Williams
  12. Andre Ellington
  13. Chris Johnson
  14. Christine Michael
  15. Robert Turbin

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

LeGarrette Blount (vertical)In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

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4 To 5 Teams Interested In Josh McCown

February 23rd, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Having landed on the open market when the Browns released him Feb. 7, quarterback Josh McCown isn’t going to have difficulty finding work in free agency this offseason. The soon-to-be 38-year-old has spoken to four or five interested suitors over the past couple weeks, though he’s going to take his time picking his next club, he informed SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday (Twitter links here).

Josh McCown (vertical)

Unless McCown ends up with a previous employer, the team he chooses this year will be his 10th in the NFL since the Cardinals used a third-round pick on him in 2002. The journeyman has typically served as a backup, having started double-digit games in just two seasons, and indicated he’d like to mentor a young signal-caller if he takes on a reserve role with his next team. McCown also regards proximity to his home state, Texas, and joining a contending club as important factors.

Speculatively, McCown’s list of preferences could point him to Dak Prescott-led Dallas, which will trade or release backup Tony Romo and could lose both Mark Sanchez and Kellen Moore to free agency. It’s also worth noting that the Cowboys showed interest in acquiring McCown from the Browns when Romo suffered a back injury last summer.

McCown ultimately stayed in Cleveland in 2016, of course, and totaled five appearances (three starts) with the 1-15 Browns as he battled injuries. When on the field, McCown completed 54.5 percent of passes, averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and tossed six touchdowns against six interceptions. During his 82-game, 60-start career, McCown has posted fairly similar numbers to his 2016 output (59.1 percent completion rate, 6.7 YPA and 79 scores against 69 picks).

Josh McCown Eyeing Future Coaching Career

February 11th, 2017 at 5:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran NFL quarterback Josh McCown isn’t ready for retirement just yet, but he is already considering a career in coaching following his playing days, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Browns coach Hue Jackson recently predicted McCown would be a “rising star” in the coaching ranks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and told McCown he’d be welcome on the Cleveland staff any time. Indeed, many NFL clubs would be interested in hiring McCown as a coach after he retires, per Rapoport.Josh McCown

[RELATED: Tyrod Taylor On Browns’ Radar]

“I definitely don’t discount it as part of my future,” McCown said in regard to coaching. “It’s just when that time is. I don’t feel like it’s now. I could wake up tomorrow and feel a deep conviction that, you know what, I was supposed to go that route, and I would pursue it. But right now, I feel like I still have something left to give as a player, so I want to maximize that as much as I can.”

McCown, 37, was released by the Browns earlier this week in a move that saved the club more than $4MM. During his two years in Cleveland, McCown often dealt with injuries and posted only a 1-10 record as a starter, but as Ulrich notes, McCown often played better than his statistics indicated. From 2015-16, McCown completed 60.4% of his passes while tossing 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

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