Since I made my last mock, the image has gotten more apparent. The NFL’s free agency era has begun, and both the trade market and free
agency have seen a lot of activity. Although I haven’t kept count throughout the years, I’m going to assume that this offseason will see the
most number of QB transactions in NFL history.
It seems like a quarterback has been acquired or dealt by every team. The Chicago Bears’ trading of Justin Fields for pennies on the dollar
was the greatest deal of the last week. Although the majority of readers of the tea leaves were aware that the Bears were going in this path,
the transaction clearly and loudly communicates the strategy with the first overall pick in the draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to start in one month, and several quarterbacks are anticipated to be selected in the first round. As a
result of their deal with the Panthers last year, Chicago has the first overall pick, but it does not guarantee that club will select the greatest
quarterback in the draft.
Situation is important; for a rookie quarterback, having coaching and a solid supporting group is essential as they set the stage for the
remainder of his career. Very few can really pull the squad out of the muck. The Bears should be applauded for the acquisitions they have
made in the last two years to bolster their quarterback position, including the addition of offensive lineman Darnell Wright, depth on the
offensive line, and wide receivers Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore. At No. 9 overall, they are in a good position to acquire another game-
changing player.
With Stroud, who had one of the finest rookie seasons by a quarterback in a long time, there is no doubt. Because of his performance, the
Texans are in a fantastic position to take advantage of his rookie deal. In his debut season, they made it past the wild-card stage. Due to
injuries, Richardson was sidelined for much of the 2023 campaign. But in a limited sample size, he seemed promising.
Levis was given the chance to start because veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill was injured, and he took full advantage of it. The
Kentucky first-year quarterback was far from perfect, but he did show flashes of talent. Head coach Mike Vrabel of the Bengals was fired
by Tennessee, and Brian Callahan, the offensive coordinator, was brought in as his successor. After that, the group took some action to
improve Levis’ offensive line.
These young quarterbacks are still in the early stages of their careers. Despite having played in 24 games as a starter, Pickett never lived
up to the expectations and was traded to Philadelphia this summer. In 2023, Ridder was given the chance to start, but he was unable to
inspire the group around him. He was consequently moved to Arizona after Kirk Cousins was acquired by the franchise. The Patriots gave
Zappe a look, but they decided to go in a different way this summer, signing Jacoby Brissett and probably choosing a rookie quarterback.
For Lawrence, it had been a story of two seasons. There were two periods: before and after Urban Meyer. Under head coach Doug
Pederson’s tutelage, Lawrence lived up to the expectations of a franchise quarterback in his first season, but his most recent one ended in
a frustrating way.
Throughout his career, Fields has been a consistent runner. In the second part of the 2022 season, Fields made progress as the Bears
tailored the offense to suit his skill set. The club traded Fields to Pittsburgh and dismissed offensive coordinator Luke Getsy following the
2023 campaign. Jones was vying for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, but as he was fending off Bailey Zappe, he was making more
news than stat sheets. He was acquired by Jacksonville this summer as a backup. Out of this quarterback class, Mills has started 26
games, which is fourth most after Fields (38), Jones (42), and Lawrence (50).
