Dak Prescott and Jadeveon Clowney highlight the list of potential free agents for 2020.
At the moment, the 2020 free-agent class looks stellar. It’s loaded with current, former and potential franchise quarterbacks and one big-time wide receiver
It also has some strong pass rushers. There are a few solid offensive linemen and a smattering of talented players at other positions. There could even be some big additions that could be added to the list if their current teams decide to let them go.
Hypothetically, this could rank as the best free-agent class ever. But let’s keep in mind that much can change between now and the official opening of free agency in March.
When it comes to the very top players on the list, their current teams are going to fight like heck to keep them with new contracts. That’s especially true with the quarterbacks.
Think about this for a second – who’s the last true franchise quarterback to switch teams in free agency? I say Drew Brees, who went from the Chargers to the Saints in 2006. Even then, the circumstances were unique. Brees had a severe shoulder injury and there was uncertainty if he would be able to play again. Plus the Chargers had Philip Rivers waiting in the wings. The Saints took a gamble on Brees and it paid off hugely.
But, again, that kind of thing is rare. The list of free agents will look much different in March than it does now.
Still, it’s fun to look at who is scheduled to be available in free agency. Here’s a list of the top 25 players, who, at the moment, are supposed to be available in March and it includes a couple of guys who are likely to be added to the list (Cam Newton, for example) who are likely to be released by their current teams and join the free-agent pool.
25. Brandon Scherff, G, Washington Redskins
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Interior linemen seldom get big money in free agency. But Scherff could be the exception. He’s a dominant run blocker and those are hard to come by.
Our weekly NFL underdog betting staple continues into Week 13 where Ken Pomponio features three teams likely to upset their underdog odds
We’re past Thanksgiving, so the real NFL season is underway.
At least that’s how the saying goes.
In this space, we’re bringing a 21-15 overall record into the closing stretch after going 2-1 last week. I was on pair of underdogs who covered in straight-up losses (Colts +3.5 against the Texans and Cowboys +6.5 vs. the Patriots) and another (Packers +3.5 at the 49ers) that most definitely did not.
Now, with the trio of Turkey Day games already in the Week 13 books, we’ll have to come up with three underdogs from the rest the card, utilizing, as usual, Wednesday’s posted point spreads from BetMGM.com. Here goes …
Tennessee Titans (+2.5) at Indianapolis Colts
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
These two AFC South foes met back in Week 2, and the visiting Colts came away with a 19-17 road victory for their 19th win in the last 23 meetings with the Titans since the start of the 2008 season.
But it’s been the Titans who have since undergone the greatest transformation, winning four of five games since Ryan Tannehill replaced the scuffling Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback in Week 7. Tannehill has been much more than just a fill-in, throwing for 10 TDs and rushing for three more while throwing only four interceptions.
Indy, meanwhile, is trending in the opposite direction, having dropped three of four since Week 9 with QB Jacoby Brissett missing two of those losses with a knee injury.
Brissett has been back for the last two games, but two of his top weapons will missing Sunday as tight end Eric Ebron has been placed on injured reserve list and No. 1 wideout T.Y. Hilton is sidelined after suffering a setback with his nagging calf injury in practice this week.
That’s more than enough to tilt the balance in favor of the red-hot Tannehill and the Titans if you weren’t leaning in that direction already.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
(Photo Credit: Jason Getz – USA TODAY Sports)
This matchup of 4-7 Florida foes also is a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions of late as the Bucs have won two of their last three while the Jags have dropped three straight, losing by at least 20 each time.
Tampa quietly owns the league’s No. 3 scoring offense at 28.4 points per game, and only the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, with 3,788 in 12 games, has thrown for yards than the Bucs’ Jameis Winston (3,391 in 11). Winston also ranks fourth with 22 TD passes but, of course, the problem is interceptions as Winston has tossed 20 — six more than any other QB in the league.
Meanwhile, QB Nick Foles is back at the helm in J’ville, but he’s guided the Jags to only 33 points in his last two starts.
Foles has a capable sidekick in running back Leonard Fournette, but (again) the Bucs quietly own the league’s No. 2 defense against the run. Jacksonville doesn’t have cornerback Jalen Ramsey anymore to help deal with Tampa’s standout WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who have both already eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season and have combined for 16 scoring receptions.
Look for the Bucs to prevail in a shootout.
Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) at Seattle Seahawks
(Photo Credit: David Berding – USA TODAY Sports)
It’s another intriguing Monday night matchup as the NFC’s two current wild-card front-runners put their superb records on the line.
Both teams feature QBs (Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins) playing at elite levels, and well-rounded, top-10 offenses going against shakier-than-most-expect defenses, particularly against the pass, so there should be some back-and-forth action on the scoreboard.
Despite their 9-2 record, though, the Seahawks are stunningly 0-5 ATS against the midweek lines at home this season while the 8-3 Vikings have covered and won in three of their last four road contests.
Take the Purple and the points.
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It didn’t take long for the Tennessee Titans to realize they had a glaring problem at quarterback this season.
It didn’t take long for the Tennessee Titans to realize they had a glaring problem at quarterback this season.
That was marked by the benching of former starter Marcus Mariota in the third quarter of the team’s Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Tannehill has performed well up to this point, recording a 4-1 overall record a starter for the Titans and completing 111-of-154 passes for 1,420 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions.
Touchdown Wire’s Pat Yaskinskas believes Tannehill could be the long-term answer for Tennessee at signal-caller.
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“It’s fairly obvious that Marcus Mariota won’t be back with the Titans after being benched in Week 6,” he wrote. “When he went to the sideline, the common belief was that backup Ryan Tannehill would be used just to get the team through the season. Think again. Tannehill has made a case that he’s the long-term answer. He’s won four of his five starts, including Sunday’s blowout of Jacksonville, in which he threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. After flopping in Miami, Tannehill is playing like a franchise quarterback. He can become a free agent after the season, but the Titans can’t afford to let that happen. They’ll sign him to a large contract for the long term.”
It’s true that Tannehill has done a fine job for the Titans, but he’s be inconsistent at other points in his career, so it will be interesting to see if he can stay on a hot streak.
He’ll also have to prove he’s a more viable option than other quarterbacks in a strong 2020 NFL Draft class filled with names like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love — just to name a handful.
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Tannehill and the Titans will face yet another division opponent in the Indianapolis Colts at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.
And Sunday’s 42-20 win over the Jaguars proved to be a statement victory for the signal-caller.
Many were skeptical about Ryan Tannehill’s ability to take control of the offense and stay consistent as the Tennessee Titans’ new starting quarterback.
Now 4-1 as a starter for the two-toned blue in comparison to Mariota’s 2-4 start to 2019, it’s safe to say Tannehill has made a good impression upon the city of Nashville.
And Sunday’s 42-20 win over the Jaguars proved to be a statement victory for the signal-caller.
On Sunday, Tannehill completed 14-of-18 pass attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
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He also had seven carries for 40 yards and two touchdowns, showing he could be just as effective in the ground game as he is in the passing game.
Tannehill also joined the ranks of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Houston Texans signal-caller Deshaun Watson with a passer rating of over 100 against Jacksonville this year.
The offense has looked much more efficient as a whole since Tannehill has taken the reins, and the numbers tell the story of just how much more success he’s had compared to Mariota since the switch was made in Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos.
The difference is drastic — from the win-to-loss ratio, to points per game to yardage amassed per game.
The previous time the Titans faced the Jaguars ended in a 20-7 loss, with Mariota completing just 23-of-40 passes for 304 yards without a singles passing touchdown.
He looked lost, unable to show the level of decisiveness that Tannehill has in his place.
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The Titans will face yet another division rival in the Indianapolis Colts at noon CT on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Touchdown Wire’s Pat Yasinskas shares 9 things we learned from Sunday’s Week 12 NFL games.
The NFL results from Week 12 were supposed to set up two huge matchups for Week 13. Umm, looks like that may not happen.
The big games were supposed to be Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in a rematch after the Week 11 game in which Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett clobbered Rudolph over the head with a helmet in a melee that caused Garrett to be suspended indefinitely and 33 players to be fined for their roles in the incident. Cleveland fans set the stage by hitting a Rudolph pinata with a helmet. That seemed to set up a monster rematch for next week.
The other huge game that seemed to be looming was an AFC West showdown between Kansas City and Oakland. The Chiefs, 7-4, were on bye Sunday. The Raiders entered the day at 6-4 and all they had to do was beat the lowly New York Jets to enter next week’s game in a tie with the Chiefs.
But, suddenly, some of the luster was taken off both games by what happened Sunday. Let’s take a closer look at that we examine nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 12.
9. The Raiders aren’t as good as we thought
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders had seemed to turn the corner and had a shot at winning the division or at least making the playoffs. People were talking about Jon Gruden as Coach of the Year. Those things still could happen, but they’re not nearly as likely after a 34-3 loss to the Jets. Gruden, who seemed to have the perfect relationship with Derek Carr, benched his quarterback in the third quarter. Carr had thrown for just 127 passes and an interception. There’s no question Carr will be back as the starter against Kansas City. But things aren’t looking as rosy for the Raiders as they would have been with a victory over the Jets.
He’s completed 71.3% of his passes in 2019, which ranks third in the league among all passers with at least 90 attempts.
The Tennessee Titans offense has been efficient since Ryan Tannehill took the reins from Marcus Mariota in Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos.
Tannehill has posted a 3-1 overall record as a starter for the Titans, as the team has put together 105 points in its past four contests.
The quarterback is 97-of-136 passing for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions for a rating of 104.4.
He’s completed 71.3% of his passes in 2019, which ranks third in the league among all passers with at least 90 attempts.
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With this, the former Miami Dolphins signal-caller trails only New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (75.4) and the Oakland Raiders’ Derek Carr (72.3).
QB @ryantannehill1 has completed 71.3 % of his passes this season for @Titans, which rates 3rd in the NFL among passers with at least 90 attempts.
The only QBs with a higher percentage are Drew Brees of @Saints (75.4) and Derek Carr of @Raiders (72.3).
Tannehill’s inconsistencies in the past when he was in Miami make it kind of difficult to trust his ability to perform at a high level and lead the team in the long-term, but it’s clear to see he’s off to a strong start.
Neither Tannehill not Mariota is under contract for the next season, and it’s safe to say the writing is on the wall for the latter at this point.
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It will be interesting to see if the Titans make quarterback a priority in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with names like Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert and others presenting solid options for the future.
Tannehill and the Titans will face the Jaguars at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.
The team has been highly efficient in the red zone lately, ending 10 consecutive trips with a touchdown.
The Tennessee Titans (5-5) have had plenty of offensive struggles in 2019, especially at the beginning of the season.
But the team has been highly efficient in the red zone lately, ending 10 consecutive trips with a touchdown.
This number serves as the league’s longest active streak, and leads the NFL with a red zone touchdown percentage of 72%.
The Titans have scored a TD on 10 straight trips to the red zone, the NFL's longest active streak, and lead the league with a red zone TD% of 72%. Making the most of those trips in 2019.
The Titans haven’t been quite so impressive in other areas on offense, averaging 20.3 points (22nd), 319.4 yards (26th), 206.2 passing yards (26th) and 113.2 rushing yards (15th) this year.
Since Ryan Tannehill took the reins from Marcus Mariota in the middle of Week 6’s loss to the Denver Broncos, he’s posted a 3-1 record as a starter and brought new life to a practically stagnant offense.
This season, Tannehill is 97-of-136 passing for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
The 31-year-old also has made some plays on the ground when he needs to, totaling 19 rushing attempts for 83 yards and one score.
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Tannehill and the Titans come off a bye week and a 35-32 win over the Kansas City Chiefs as the team is now back to .500 ahead of the weekend.
The Titans have a combined 105 total points in their past four games, with the latest home victory being their highest-scoring game of the season since Week 1’s 43-13 win over the Browns.
The Titans will face the Jacksonville Jaguars next at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.
Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.
Tom Brady might be the best quarterback ever, but he’s not the best in the NFL right now. He certainly won’t be the best in 2022.
He’s human, after all, and at age 42, regression is inevitable even for someone with six Super Bowl rings. That puts the New England Patriots in an uncertain situation at quarterback two or three years down the road. The New Orleans Saints, with 40-year-old Drew Brees under center, find themselves in a similar scenario.
Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, likely will face difficult personnel decisions at the quarterback position much sooner than that. Only a handful of teams, notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, appear secure in their quarterback situation for years to come.
All this got us thinking about the quarterback situations of the future — and where each of the NFL’s 32 teams ranks in terms of preparedness at the game’s most crucial position.
By quarterback situations, we mean the full overview of each team’s quarterbacks group, including backups and a potential succession plan, if necessary. For this exercise, we will define the future as three to four years down the road.
To help form these opinions, we consulted with a blue-ribbon panel of one former head coach, two former general managers and one current general manager. They were asked for their thoughts on each team’s quarterback situation. They provided insight to inform our rankings.
With that in mind, we present Touchdown Wire’s future quarterback rankings for every NFL team, from worst to first:
32. Miami Dolphins
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this season, many observers accused the Dolphins of tanking to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and presumably select a quarterback. Since then, Miami (2-8) has been eclipsed by the ineptitude of Cincinnati (0-10) and Washington (1-9), so the Dolphins might not get the first QB off the board. Currently, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen on their roster. Rosen has failed in his playing time. There’s no way he’ll be back next year. The Dolphins have the option to hang onto Fitzpatrick, 36, who’s currently under contract next season at $5.5 million. It makes sense to keep Fitzpatrick around for one more year to help groom a young quarterback. That could be LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa (although his recent hip injury now complicates his draft status), Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Two members of my panel said they like Burrow better than Tagovailoa. Either way, it’s going to take some time to develop a young quarterback.
31. Chicago Bears
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
For the moment, Mitchell Trubisky is Chicago’s starting quarterback. But it doesn’t appear that he will be in that role next year — although he remains under contract and the team holds a fifth-year option on the No. 2 overall pick from 2017. Given his level of play this season, it’s highly unlikely he will receive the option year, and he might not even see 2020 with the Bears — although the cap hit for cutting him would be slightly more than $9 million. The Bears are 4-6 after going 12-4 last year. There’s one main reason for the decline. That’s Trubisky. My panelists say he’s holding the offense back and could end up keeping a good team out of the playoffs. All four panelists agree Trubisky should be nothing more than a backup. Current backup Chase Daniel’s contract expires after this season. So there’s no telling who will be Chicago’s quarterback next year. Maybe the Bears will draft a quarterback. But with a talented roster already in place, the Bears should be first in line to sign New Orleans backup Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Veteran Andy Dalton has been benched, and the Bengals are giving rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley a shot. There should be no turning back to Dalton, even though he remains under contract for 2020 with a $17.5 million scheduled salary. The Bengals can cut Dalton after the season without any salary cap ramifications. It’s too early to judge Finley. Cincinnati is going to end up with an early draft pick and could have a shot at Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts. The Bengals will be starting over. But, given their current state, that’s not a bad thing. “Dalton had more than enough time and couldn’t win consistently,” one panelist said. “I have no idea what they have in Finley. But they have to draft a quarterback if they’re sitting there at No. 1 or 2.”
29. Washington Redskins
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The current situation is a mess. Veterans Colt McCoy and Case Keenum, who clearly aren’t the answer, each is in the last year of their contract. The Redskins have little choice but to play rookie Dwayne Haskins, who has five interceptions and two touchdown passes, the rest of this season. Call it an audition for Haskins. But this situation is complicated because the Redskins currently have interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over when Jay Gruden was fired. There will be a new coach next year, and he might not like Haskins. With an early draft pick likely, the new coach might want his own guy. Give up on Haskins after only one season? Arizona did it with 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen after drafting Kyler Murray. All four of our panelists said Haskins was overrated when he was drafted.
They’ll look to stay hot coming off the bye week as they face the visiting division rival Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans (5-5) have evened out their record following a 35-32 victory over the Kanasas City Chiefs.
They’ll look to stay hot coming off the bye week as they face the visiting division rival Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Titans are favored to just that by a point spread of (-3.5), according to Bet MGM.
The most recent clash between the two teams ended in a 20-7 Jags victory in Jacksonville, Florida, but both teams have undergone some changes since that matchup.
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Nick Foles has made his return under center, but the Jaguars offense didn’t exactly ignite upon having him back. Jacksonville’s ground game particularly suffered in last week’s loss to the Colts, with just nine combined rushing attempts for a total of 29 yards.
Play-calling was incredibly questionable, given Leonard Fournette’s meager eight carries. The former LSU standout is one of the most established rushers in the league, so one would think the Jags would want to integrate him far more into their game plan.
The Titans have also made a quarterback switch, benching Marcus Mariota in favor of Ryan Tannehill in the third quarter of Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos.
The team hasn’t looked back since, with Tannehill posting a 3-1 overall record as the starter.
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The signal-caller totals 1,161 passing yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions since taking over.
The Titans and Jaguars are set to kick off at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.
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