The basic law of supply and demand tells us that rare commodities are valued more than more common items. In the NFL, that means a solid quarterback is worth more than a solid running back simply because of the dearth of the former and the abundance of the latter. This dumbed down economics lesson explains why Kirk Cousins is getting $19.9 million from the Washington Redskins for one year and why Sam Bradford will be paid $18 million per seasons for the next two. Those salaries are a product of the market.
With those two signal-callers off the market, the pool of free agent quarterbacks suddenly looks pretty shallow. The top remaining options at the position are Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler and Chase Daniel. Below those guys sit Drew Stanton, Matt Moore, Matt Schaub, Bruce Gradowski and Charlie Whitehurst. Do you trust any of those to lead your team to the playoffs in 2016? I didn't think so.
It will be interesting to see what the New York Jets and Denver Broncos do with their respective free agent passers. Fitzpatrick is coming off the best year of his career - 3,905 yards, 31 touchdowns, 15 interceptions - but is more of a short-term fix than a long-term answer. Osweiler posted a winning record as a starter last year but put up pedestrian numbers and only looked so-so when called upon to take charge. For the Jets, head coach Todd Bowles can probably squeeze another solid year out of Fitzpatrick if wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker stay healthy. For the Broncos, Osweiler may be their best available option regardless of what Peyton Manning decides to do.
Other teams such as the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns were hoping to address their quarterback positions this offseason. Whether or not those teams now all look to the NFL Draft as their only recourse remains to be seen. Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are considered the top two QB prospects in this year's class, but neither is rated as highly as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were last year.
Given the lack of solid options on the open market and in the draft, it could be another long season for the QB needy teams of the world.
