1. Tom Brady, New England
AS much as I hate to admit it, Brady at 41 is still better than 90% of the QBs in the league on any given day, and is still at the top of his game. He cannot move the pocket like he used to, and takes too many hits, but until the wheels fall off, he still tops the rankings.
2. Carson Wentz/Nick Foles, Philadelphia
In Doug Pederson's offense, both can win a title, and they both exist on the same roster. Wentz is taking it easy in training camp while letting his knee come back from major injury, while Foles won a Super Bowl. This is a terrific predicament.
3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta
If not for a massive second half breakdown after the 2017 Super Bowl, Ryan would have a Super Bowl ring. He is probably the best QB in the league without one right now. Ryan is a major winner, and is in the prime of his career.
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans
This is not based on anything other than total value to the franchise, as we can only imagine where the Saints would be without him taking snaps. Brees is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but none of the young guns in the league are good enough to push him, and the league is also full of bad QB play.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
He looks like he is ready to fall down just walking on the field sometimes, and one wonders how much more his body can take, but he still gets it done when healthy, and bad QB play across the league ensures that he stays high on the list.
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
He does not have a ton of talent around him anymore, but when healthy, and we all know he wasn't last season, he is still one of the more dangerous QBs in the game when it comes to finding ways to win games.
7. Phillip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
Simply put, if Rivers is not the QB with the Chargers, this franchise is barely better than the Browns right now. As is, they are getting love as a dark horse Super Bowl contender in 2018. That's all because of Rivers being under center.
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco
I don't want to overvalue him here, but I don't want to underrate him either. What he did once traded to the 49ers was nothing short of special. He now has to do it over a full season. I believe.
9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
No young QB in the league has come as far as Goff has in such a short time, and against all odds at that. There were stories that he was flaky, and could not learn the offense. Sean McVay changed that perception in one season, and here we are. I expect him to rise on the list this season.
10. Russell Wilson, Seattle
I don't love Wilson, but I don't hate him. I just don't see him as others do, as one of the primary elite QBs in this league. I believe he is a solid game manager, but I don't see him as elite. In a league with better QB play, he would rank lower.
11. Derek Carr, Oakland
He has put up numbers, and has played tough. Can he play tough for a tougher than hell coach in Gruden? Gruden is going to ride him like a cheap toy, and word is that people doubt that Carr can perform under that stress. We shall see, but he has not won anything yet, and so we are still waiting on him to be the best he can be.
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas
I was not willing to get on the Dak train as a rookie, as I wanted to see what he could do as a sophomore in the league. This 3rd year will tell a story as to how good he can be. Still, if the Cowboys did not have him, they would have been abysmal last season.
13. Alex Smith, Washington
I think that Andy Reid was a fool for letting Smith go after Patrick Mahomes spent just one year on the bench. Of course, I have never been on the Andy Reid train, so there is that. Smith elevates Washington, but with no run game to speak of, he may have a tougher go in DC than in KC.
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit
He can put up numbers. He can't win clutch football games. I am not as high on him as many are for that reason alone. In all his time in the league, he still lacks the credentials of an elite QB for me.
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota
Cousins, like Stafford, puts up solid numbers, but he does not win big football games. I probably would have kept Keenum under contract and rode that train.
16. Case Keenum, Denver
If Keenum can prove that he can do what he did in Minnesota when nobody was expecting him, He will rise quickly on the list. I just want to see back to back consistent years from him. Is that being too tough?
17. Cam Newton, Carolina
A lot of folks love Newton for his video game style of play, but in all, he hasn't done a damned thing to have earned that love. Last season was a wreck for him, and that 22/16 TD:INT ratio is garbage.
18. Ryan Tannehill, Miami
Tanehill is back after a wasted season being injured last season, but he has a fire in camp that few have seen from him before. He looks like he wants to win, and he looks like he wants to be a leader. All of that is great. Now let's see it when it matters.
19. Joe Flacco, Baltimore
Flacco has been a winner, but that seems to have been a while ago. Still, he is better than anyone else on the Ravens roster, and that includes the reclamation project that is RG3, or the rookie who looked largely lost at times in pre-season action in Lamar Jackson.
20. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
I am not ready to toss him into the garbage heap just yet, but that shoulder has to hold for the Colts to have any shot at winning games this season. If he cannot stay healthy, or if he cannot shake the rust, he is on the way to being done for me.
21. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville
If Bortles can prove that last season was no fluke, and he can build on that, he rises swiftly on this list. Most people don't believe in him even now. I would not say that I do not believe, I just need to see more of what we saw last season.
22. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
I don't like the injury history, and his pop gun arm sometimes sputters out. He needs to play a full 16 this season, and those numbers have to show promise. I was never a huge fan of his as a prospect, and he has to prove me wrong this fall.
23. Eli Manning, New York Giants
He is almost done, of that there is no doubt. Davis Webb is probably not going to be the guy, and Kyle Lauletta will need some work and development. In the meantime, sticking with Manning was probably the best idea, and the Giants worked to get bodies around him to improve in the meantime. I would not pin my hopes on him, but he is better than some other options.
24. DeShaun Watson, Houston
I am not entirely sold on a dual threat QB winning and succeeding in the NFL. The knee injury he took lessens my interest in Watson. If he loses mobility because of the injury, he becomes less as an overall prospect for me. I won't buy in until he stays healthy and wins.
25. Tyrod Taylor/Baker Mayfield, Cleveland
Despite Mayfield showing some promise in one pre-season game, Taylor is likely still the starter while Mayfield develops. Taylor is another game manager. If you don't ask too much of him, you may not be let down.
26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
I think we know by now that Dalton is never going to be a star in this league. The Bengals have to start thinking realistically about moving forward, and obviously, they did not believe that AJ McCarran would be the guy either, as they let him go.
27. Mitch Trubisky, Chicago
He gets a slight bump as the Bears have provided him with some weapons this off-season. He now has to prove what I don't believe, that he was worthy of the trade up to the number one pick in 2017 to land him.
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick/Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
I would be comfortable if I were Tampa in benching Winston and starting Fitzpatrick all season. At least Fitzpatrick doesn't grope women (allegedly) or steal crab legs. Winston is a head case who will never be a true winner or leader in this game.
29. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
He gets an edge because he is the only guy left not competing for his job right now. It's his to handle, or lose. I am not on board with the decision to hand him the keys at this point, but I don't work for the Chiefs. This could end badly.
30. Sam Darnold, Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, NY Jets
Darnold looked good in one pre-season game, but that is all we have of him so far. McCown and Bridgewater are both steady gap fillers, but one of them is likely to be dealt soon. In all, this group could elevate, because they have some promise as a unit.
31. Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen, Mike Glennon, Arizona
Bradford is an injury risk every season, Glennon has largely failed to live up to his over-hyped status, and Rosen looked bad at times, and barely avoided being picked off twice in his pre-season debut, one of which could have gone for a pick 6.
32. Nathan Peterman, AJ McCarran, Josh Allen, Buffalo
Peterman is an implosion waiting to happen most days, McCarran wasn't good enough to beat out Andy Dalton, and everyone goes gaga over Allen's big arm, but they fail to see enough of the bad habits and terrible traits. This is a unit destined for a train wreck this fall.
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