Ryan Fitzpatrick

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

[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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AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Dolphins, Pats

The Ryan Fitzpatrick era may be over in New York, but as Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post points out, the Jets are still feeling the after-effects. Per Cannizzaro, Fitzpatrick’s contract automatically voided on Friday, per the scheduled clause that called for such action five days after the Super Bowl. But, because of the way his two-year deal was structured, New York will carry $5MM in dead money on the 2017 salary cap. Fitzpatrick almost assuredly will not return to Gang Green, and Geno Smith is a free agent as well, which means that the Jets now have two quarterbacks under contract — Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg — that are both severely lacking in NFL experience. As a result, the Jets have been speculatively connected to some of the better quarterback prospects in this year’s draft as well as veteran options that could become available.

Now for some more notes from the AFC East:

  • Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who missed the last 10 games of the 2016 season after a significant shoulder injury, has made a full recovery, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. Jones, who is entering the final year of his contract, indicated that he will be physically able to participate in the Dolphins’ offseason schedule.
  • In the same piece, Beasley writes that Dolphins offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod, who will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins in March, will return for an 11th NFL season if he gets the right offer. Bushrod played for the Saints for six years before joining the Bears prior to the 2013 campaign. The 2016 season was Bushrod’s first in Miami, and though he started all 16 regular season games plus the team’s one playoff contest, he largely struggled, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ fourth-worst guard out of 72 eligible players (subscription required).
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe provides a list of 10 things he believes the Patriots should do this offseason, and he suggests that trading Jimmy Garoppolo should be one of New England’s top priorities. With Tom Brady showing no signs of aging, Volin believes the Pats need to do continue surrounding their starting quarterback with top-flight talent, and one way to do that is by acquiring at least one significant draft asset in exchange for Garoppolo.
  • Another thing Volin thinks the Patriots should do is to re-sign running back LeGarrette Blount to a one-year, incentive-laden deal. After all, that approach worked well for both parties in 2016, as Blount turned his $760K salary into $1.75MM after hitting every incentive in his contract. He tallied career bests of 1,161 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, and as Christopher Price of WEEI.com reports, the 30-year-old Blount would love to be back with the team in 2017, though he does not know what the future holds.

Jets To Start Bryce Petty At QB

Bryce Petty will be the Jets’ starting quarterback the rest of the way, coach Todd Bowles told reporters after last night’s 41-10 loss on national TV. Bowles added that the plan was to hand things off to Petty for the final month of the season heading into Monday night’s game and he insists that the decision was not based on the team’s embarrassing loss to the Colts. Bryce Petty (vertical)

Ryan Fitzpatrick got the start last night and completed five of 12 passes for 81 yards and an interception. In the second half, the Jets turned to Petty, and he completed 11-of-25 passes for 135 yards and a score. Now, as the back pages of New York tabloids are calling for Bowles’ head, the Jets will evaluate their 25-year-old signal caller over the last four games of the season.

Fitzpatrick, for all intents and purposes, will be a free agent after this season. The Jets can’t blame him solely for their 3-9 mark, but his performance hasn’t exactly helped them this year either. Gang Green will move on from Fitzpatrick this spring and they want to know exactly what they have in Petty before they survey the market for available quarterbacks. If Kirk Cousins is retained by the Redskins, the Jets and other QB-needy teams will be left with the Jay Cutlers of the world and a weak slate of options to choose from in the draft.

Jets Notes: Quarterbacks, Mangold, Revis

Geno Smith hasn’t shown the ability to lead a team during his four years in the league, but you can’t knock the quarterback’s confidence. Talking to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, the 26-year-old said he agrees with his mother when she says the signal-caller’s best is yet to come.

“My mom told me something that was pretty special,” Smith said. “She’d been going to my games since I was a kid and never missed a game. And these past few years, I missed more games than I missed in my life and she said, ‘There’s always a time for that, there’s always a season where you feel like things aren’t going right. And then what comes after that is usually the best part of your life.’

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Rich Cimini (via Twitter) wouldn’t rule out Smith sticking around with the Jets in 2017, but he ultimately believes it’s “unlikely.” Smith is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the Big Apple…

  • Speaking of quarterbacks, Cimini can’t envision the team cutting bait with Bryce Petty (Twitter link). Furthermore, even considering Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s impending free agency, the writer can’t see the team selecting a quarterback in this year’s draft. Instead, Cimini points to a pair of veteran quarterbacks the Jets could pursue: Mike Glennon and Jay Cutler.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes the Jets could cut veteran offensive lineman Nick Mangold this offseason. However, the writer cautions that the team could offer him a “token pay cut” like they did with D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
  • Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes that it “remains possible” that cornerback Darrelle Revis could return to the Jets next season. Fitzgerald tweets that the Jets are on the hook for $6MM of Revis’ salary, so they might as well get some return on the investment. Earlier this week, the veteran cornerback dismissed reports that he’s ready to retire.

Jets Keep Ryan Fitzpatrick As Starting QB

Jets fans hoping for a quarterback change will have to keep on hoping. Today, coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Ryan Fitzpatrick will continue to start under center. When asked about the possibility of starting Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg, Bowles declined to give that any sort of timetable. Ryan Fitzpatrick (vertical)

There’ll be a time and place for those guys to play. It just won’t be next week,” Bowles said (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY).

On Sunday, the Jets suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Patriots. Many things went wrong for the Jets late in that contest, but Fitzpatrick turned in a solid effort overall. Gang Green is obviously out of the playoff hunt, but the Jets are apparently still focused on being competitive this season. Many have called for the Jets to turn things over to Petty, but veterans are said to be adamant about Fitzpatrick remaining in the starting role. Bowles, according to one report, was worried that the team would quit on him if he installed the 26-year-old as the starter. Fitzpatrick has not looked as sharp as he did last year, but he is still said to be a much better option than Petty. Reportedly, Petty’s lack of polish makes Fitzpatrick look like the second coming of Johnny Unitas in practice.

The Jets could theoretically keep Fitzpatrick around next year, but it’s much more likely that they’ll instead cut him loose and absorb a $5MM cap charge. It’s understandable that the Jets do not want to quit on the 2016 season, but they’re potentially hurting themselves in 2017 and beyond by not evaluating their younger options.

Jets Revert To Ryan Fitzpatrick As Starter

What’s old is new again in New York. The Jets announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for them in Week 12, leaving Bryce Petty to serve as his backup. Ryan Fitzpatrick (Vertical)

When asked why he made the decision, coach Todd Bowles explained that he’s doing it because Fitzpatrick is healthy again. Many Jets fans are probably groaning at this since Fitzpatrick is likely not in the picture for 2017 while Petty could be a useful piece for the future.

Petty had flashes of brilliance against the Rams in Week 10, including a 52-yard bomb to Robby Anderson. Ultimately, however, the Rams D ramped things up as the game went along and the game turned into a low-scoring affair for both sides. Case Keenum wound up losing his job to Jared Goff after that game and Petty has lost his grip on the starting role.

Recently, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan claimed that he has “no regrets” about re-signing Fitzpatrick, but we have our doubts given his major struggles this season. The Jets could theoretically keep Fitzpatrick around, but it’s much more likely that they’ll cut him loose and absorb a $5MM cap charge in 2017 as a result.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Fitzpatrick, Revis, Fins

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan says he has “no regrets” about re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, as NJ.com’s Darryl Slater writes.

We’re obviously disappointed by the season in terms of the record,” Maccagnan said. “Based on the season [Fitzpatrick] had prior to this season, he was very instrumental in a lot of our success in the 10-6 season. I have no regrets about bringing Ryan back. I think going into it, we felt very good about the season Ryan had previously. I have no regrets from that standpoint. Of course, I think everybody, and Ryan included, would probably say he holds himself to a fairly high standard. I’m sure there are aspects that he would like to … we all would like to have better success on the field as a team. But from the standpoint of bringing Ryan back, no, I don’t have regrets on that.”

Given Fitzpatrick’s struggles (and possible ceding of the job to Bryce Petty), many fans will roll their eyes at Maccagnan’s assertion. Fitzpatrick turns 34 on Thursday and the Jets will carry a $5MM cap hit on the books for him next season even though he will almost certainly be gone.

Here’s more on the Jets and the AFC East:

AFC Notes: Browns, Jets, Broncos

Cleveland fell to 0-10 on Thursday when it dropped a 28-7 decision in Baltimore, but first-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson hasn’t lost any support from ownership. “Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam have been outstanding,” Jackson said Friday (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “Obviously, they don’t like to lose, either, but they understand the plan and what we’re trying to accomplish.” Considering the Browns are in a full rebuild and have “the youngest team in the league with the most rookies,” as Jackson pointed out, it’s no surprise he’s safe.

Here’s more on Cleveland two other AFC clubs:

  • While Jackson’s not in jeopardy of losing his job, he did make a head-scratching choice against the Ravens. During a 13-7 game in the third quarter, Jackson pulled rookie quarterback Cody Kessler in favor of Josh McCown. The veteran completed just 6 of 13 passes for 59 yards and two interceptions, making Kessler’s 11-of-18, 91-yard, one-touchdown performance look great in comparison. Jackson opened up about the QB switch Friday, saying (per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com), “At the time, it was the right decision to make for our football team because I was looking for a spark, and I didn’t get it. I am not going to be perfect in everything I do, and I am not going to do what everybody thinks that I should do. I am going to do what I think is best for our football team. Last night, I made the choice, and it did not work out. I will take the heat.” The Browns will give the reins back to Kessler against the Steelers in Week 11.
  • Jets coach Todd Bowles announced that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be a game-time decision on Sunday (Twitter link via the team). If Fitzpatrick’s knee injury prevents him from playing against the Rams, the Jets will turn to second-year man Bryce Petty for his first-ever NFL start.
  • Defensive end Derek Wolfe and cornerback Aqib Talib will miss the Broncos’ game against the high-flying Saints on Sunday, but head coach Gary Kubiak is optimistic the banged-up pair will return after the team’s Week 11 bye. “I think we’re lucky with Derek, and Aqib has kind of been trending in that direction that whole time,” said Kubiak (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post). “He’s been out there all week. He’s been a part of what we’re doing, but just not ready to get turned loose yet.” Talib’s back injury also kept him out last week for the Broncos’ 30-20 loss to the Raiders, while Wolfe suffered a hairline fracture in his right elbow.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Coughlin, Jets, Cards, Steelers

Former Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he would be lying if he claimed he didn’t miss the sidelines, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. When asked about what the future might hold, the two-time Super Bowl winner said, “Who knows.” Coughlin, 70, will be inducted into Giants Ring of Honor on Monday night.

More from around the NFL:

  • Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick believes he’ll be able to start Sunday against the Rams despite his sprained MCL, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If he can’t, Todd Bowles will go with second-year man Bryce Petty for his first career start.
  • Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu is recovering rapidly from an Oct. 30 shoulder injury and could return much quicker than the original three- to six-week timeline, head coach Bruce Arians said Tuesday (via the Associated Press). While Arians isn’t sure if Mathieu will play against the 49ers on Sunday, he did reveal that the 2015 first-team All-Pro is “real close.” Given that Arizona had a bye last week, it’s possible Mathieu’s shoulder issue won’t end up costing him any games.
  • Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey underwent surgery on his dislocated right thumb Tuesday, though it’s possible he’ll play Sunday against the Cowboys, per head coach Mike Tomlin (via Mark E. Ortega of NFL.com). Pouncey injured the thumb, which is on his snapping hand, in the Steelers’ 21-14 loss to the Ravens last Sunday and left the game in the second half.
  • Recapping Tuesday: Bills center Eric Wood is done for the season; Bene Benwikere is once again without a team; the Jets had a high asking price for defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson prior to the trade deadline; and Greg Hardy is in more trouble.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Suffers MCL Sprain

Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick sprained his MCL on Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The injury is not considered serious, but it could impact the Jets’ quarterback decision. Ryan Fitzpatrick (vertical)

Fitzpatrick turned in an uneven performance against the Dolphins as he was 17-of-28 for 193 yards, one touchdown, and two picks. After the game, coach Todd Bowles said that he will stick with Fitzpatrick if he was healthy. However, it sounds like the Jets will now have an easy out if they want to make a change under center.

At 3-6, the Jets seem pretty unlikely to mount a bid for the playoffs. As they look towards 2017 and beyond, it might make sense for Gang Green to turn things over to Bryce Petty. The Baylor product hasn’t been given much of a chance to show what he can do and at the age of 25, it’s probably time for them to get a proper assessment.

Next up for the Jets is a Sunday home matchup against the Rams.