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Most marketable backup QBs
Which backups around the league could carry the most buzz into 2013?
Originally Published: June 5, 2012
By Chris Sprow | ESPN Insider
Brian Hoyer has ability as an NFL QB. But will he ever get to show it in New England?
In Week 17 of last season, the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots entered the final regular-season game with nothing to play for. Each had clinched a top seed entering the playoffs; each could afford to rest starters. Green Bay rested its most important starter, and let backup QB Matt Flynn play. Flynn, an impending free agent, went out and delivered a Don Draper-narrated pitch to every NFL team in need of a quarterback: He threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns. Bill Belichick, on the other hand, wasn't ready to help his own backup QB author a brochure. Tom Brady started and threw 35 times in a beatdown of Buffalo. His backup, Brian Hoyer, threw exactly one pass -- the only pass he threw in all of 2011.
Now, we can't definitively say that if Hoyer gone out and pulled a Flynn, he would have had teams lining up to sign him, especially given his restricted-free-agent status, but it's fair to say that Belichick hasn't exactly put Hoyer's abilities on display. Meanwhile, Flynn, having created just enough buzz to build a market, was the hottest QB not named Peyton Manning in free agency, and should start in Week 1 for Seattle. This is the nature of looking at backup QBs as potential commodities: Teams are assessing performance for a ride someone else may or may not have merely taken for a test drive.
Last year, we said Flynn would be the hottest name among NFL backups, this offseason's Kevin Kolb. He was. This year, it could be Hoyer. And while you could argue it behooves Belichick to highlight Hoyer's ability so a trade market emerges, it's just as likely the coach sees him as a sound security blanket behind Brady. After all, Belichick has needed a backup before, and the assurance that someone could run the New England scheme is worth more than, say, the third- to fifth-rounder the Patriots could get for Hoyer in a trade.
Still, that leaves Hoyer at the top of our list for the NFL's most marketable backups for 2012.
Quickly, the parameters: These are guys who could either (A) be available in free agency in the near future, or (B) could draw some interest on the trade market. It's about marketability, period. I've also listed some who don't quite fit the profile of "marketable" just yet.
1. Brian Hoyer, New England Patriots
He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2013, and the Patriots have Ryan Mallett waiting to be the QB behind the emergency glass. Hoyer had an "average everything" skill set out of Michigan State, but three full years with Brady and Belichick and impressive showings in his very limited time on the field (including preseason) will have teams interested. Even if teams are buying on osmosis alone, Hoyer should have suitors.
2. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
Cousins isn't on this list because he's ready to start NFL games -- he's not. He still needs plenty of polish and work to get deeper into reads and anticipate plays at a higher level. He's here because the Redskins could very well have picked him with the intent to sell if a market develops. They really, really could use some draft picks. Plus, if Cousins does see any action due to a Robert Griffin III injury, Mike Shanahan could create a lot of one- and two-read looks in the Skins' offense that would help Cousins show off the skills he does have.
3. T.J. Yates, Houston Texans
He already has a playoff win under his belt, and remember that while Yates is still pretty limited, he didn't have the option of a full-strength Andre Johnson during most of his time filling in for Matt Schaub. So why is Yates here if he's signed through 2014 for chump change? Well, if the Texans decide to tack onto Schaub's deal -- he's set to be a free agent next offseason -- Yates could be worth more as a trade chip headed into the following year. I'm not saying he's going anywhere, just that he's marketable.
4. Mike Kafka or Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
No team likes to market and flip QBs it doesn't need like the Eagles under Andy Reid. They've dealt A.J. Feeley, Donovan McNabb and Kolb, all for deals built around second-round picks. It may be wearing off given the returns that former Philly trio provided their new teams, but there's a track record here, and Michael Vick is almost guaranteed to be on the roster at least through 2015. The obvious caveat is that the backup could be pressed into action at any time because of a Vick injury. And while it might seem unfair to have Foles here, Philly's track record looms large.
5. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
There's no belief here that Seattle has any intention of dealing Wilson, but he's on this list because if Flynn succeeds, then Wilson becomes an asset. And if he shows glimpses in whatever limited time he gets, the guy simply has plenty of intrigue surrounding him. "Everything but height" is a terribly simplified but pretty darn accurate assessment of his scouting profile. Again, this is about marketability, and if Wilson is an August Pro Bowler, he'll generate buzz.
6. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns
There was plenty of talk that the Browns were willing to deal McCoy after they drafted Brandon Weeden. And while that didn't happen largely because there is little market right after the draft -- most teams with a QB void just drafted one at some point -- McCoy still carries some appeal. He could be a productive backup, or even a starter down the road -- it's hard to assess him given how little he had to work with in Cleveland. For one, if Aaron Rodgers so much as sneezes, Green Bay should call.
7. Ricky Stanzi, Kansas City Chiefs
Never considered a high-ceiling prospect, Stanzi is officially a hit away in Kansas City behind Matt Cassel. From there, you just never know. (This is where the list gets a bit thin.)
8. Stephen McGee, Dallas Cowboys
Way down on the buzz scale because Kyle Orton is now in town, and there's virtually no chance McGee will see the field. But he is -- to borrow a baseball phrase -- a toolsy type who could still get a look somewhere down the road.
Not yet
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
He's got a big arm and a ton of athleticism, but Kaepernick is still Jim Harbaugh's project behind Alex Smith. The 49ers have no reason to consider moving Kaepernick, and he's too unproven to draw interest.
If Hoyer is Brady's insurance policy, Mallett is Hoyer's. Has the talent profile of a future starter.
Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
I suspect Locker will beat Matt Hasselbeck for the starting job out of camp. But if he doesn't, it'll elicit a bunch of cries about Locker being a wasted pick in the 2011 draft. In fact, Locker is just the type of prospect -- exceptional physical tools but serious accuracy and read questions that needed work -- to wait on for a year-plus. Tennessee should be patient.
Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos
A prospect who really could use plenty of time waiting and working. No use moving him for quite a while if they liked him enough to take him at No. 57 overall. He won't return that kind of value.
Which backups around the league could carry the most buzz into 2013?
Originally Published: June 5, 2012
By Chris Sprow | ESPN Insider
Brian Hoyer has ability as an NFL QB. But will he ever get to show it in New England?
In Week 17 of last season, the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots entered the final regular-season game with nothing to play for. Each had clinched a top seed entering the playoffs; each could afford to rest starters. Green Bay rested its most important starter, and let backup QB Matt Flynn play. Flynn, an impending free agent, went out and delivered a Don Draper-narrated pitch to every NFL team in need of a quarterback: He threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns. Bill Belichick, on the other hand, wasn't ready to help his own backup QB author a brochure. Tom Brady started and threw 35 times in a beatdown of Buffalo. His backup, Brian Hoyer, threw exactly one pass -- the only pass he threw in all of 2011.
Now, we can't definitively say that if Hoyer gone out and pulled a Flynn, he would have had teams lining up to sign him, especially given his restricted-free-agent status, but it's fair to say that Belichick hasn't exactly put Hoyer's abilities on display. Meanwhile, Flynn, having created just enough buzz to build a market, was the hottest QB not named Peyton Manning in free agency, and should start in Week 1 for Seattle. This is the nature of looking at backup QBs as potential commodities: Teams are assessing performance for a ride someone else may or may not have merely taken for a test drive.
Last year, we said Flynn would be the hottest name among NFL backups, this offseason's Kevin Kolb. He was. This year, it could be Hoyer. And while you could argue it behooves Belichick to highlight Hoyer's ability so a trade market emerges, it's just as likely the coach sees him as a sound security blanket behind Brady. After all, Belichick has needed a backup before, and the assurance that someone could run the New England scheme is worth more than, say, the third- to fifth-rounder the Patriots could get for Hoyer in a trade.
Still, that leaves Hoyer at the top of our list for the NFL's most marketable backups for 2012.
Quickly, the parameters: These are guys who could either (A) be available in free agency in the near future, or (B) could draw some interest on the trade market. It's about marketability, period. I've also listed some who don't quite fit the profile of "marketable" just yet.
1. Brian Hoyer, New England Patriots
He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2013, and the Patriots have Ryan Mallett waiting to be the QB behind the emergency glass. Hoyer had an "average everything" skill set out of Michigan State, but three full years with Brady and Belichick and impressive showings in his very limited time on the field (including preseason) will have teams interested. Even if teams are buying on osmosis alone, Hoyer should have suitors.
2. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
Cousins isn't on this list because he's ready to start NFL games -- he's not. He still needs plenty of polish and work to get deeper into reads and anticipate plays at a higher level. He's here because the Redskins could very well have picked him with the intent to sell if a market develops. They really, really could use some draft picks. Plus, if Cousins does see any action due to a Robert Griffin III injury, Mike Shanahan could create a lot of one- and two-read looks in the Skins' offense that would help Cousins show off the skills he does have.
3. T.J. Yates, Houston Texans
He already has a playoff win under his belt, and remember that while Yates is still pretty limited, he didn't have the option of a full-strength Andre Johnson during most of his time filling in for Matt Schaub. So why is Yates here if he's signed through 2014 for chump change? Well, if the Texans decide to tack onto Schaub's deal -- he's set to be a free agent next offseason -- Yates could be worth more as a trade chip headed into the following year. I'm not saying he's going anywhere, just that he's marketable.
4. Mike Kafka or Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
No team likes to market and flip QBs it doesn't need like the Eagles under Andy Reid. They've dealt A.J. Feeley, Donovan McNabb and Kolb, all for deals built around second-round picks. It may be wearing off given the returns that former Philly trio provided their new teams, but there's a track record here, and Michael Vick is almost guaranteed to be on the roster at least through 2015. The obvious caveat is that the backup could be pressed into action at any time because of a Vick injury. And while it might seem unfair to have Foles here, Philly's track record looms large.
5. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
There's no belief here that Seattle has any intention of dealing Wilson, but he's on this list because if Flynn succeeds, then Wilson becomes an asset. And if he shows glimpses in whatever limited time he gets, the guy simply has plenty of intrigue surrounding him. "Everything but height" is a terribly simplified but pretty darn accurate assessment of his scouting profile. Again, this is about marketability, and if Wilson is an August Pro Bowler, he'll generate buzz.
6. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns
There was plenty of talk that the Browns were willing to deal McCoy after they drafted Brandon Weeden. And while that didn't happen largely because there is little market right after the draft -- most teams with a QB void just drafted one at some point -- McCoy still carries some appeal. He could be a productive backup, or even a starter down the road -- it's hard to assess him given how little he had to work with in Cleveland. For one, if Aaron Rodgers so much as sneezes, Green Bay should call.
7. Ricky Stanzi, Kansas City Chiefs
Never considered a high-ceiling prospect, Stanzi is officially a hit away in Kansas City behind Matt Cassel. From there, you just never know. (This is where the list gets a bit thin.)
8. Stephen McGee, Dallas Cowboys
Way down on the buzz scale because Kyle Orton is now in town, and there's virtually no chance McGee will see the field. But he is -- to borrow a baseball phrase -- a toolsy type who could still get a look somewhere down the road.
Not yet
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
He's got a big arm and a ton of athleticism, but Kaepernick is still Jim Harbaugh's project behind Alex Smith. The 49ers have no reason to consider moving Kaepernick, and he's too unproven to draw interest.
If Hoyer is Brady's insurance policy, Mallett is Hoyer's. Has the talent profile of a future starter.
Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans
I suspect Locker will beat Matt Hasselbeck for the starting job out of camp. But if he doesn't, it'll elicit a bunch of cries about Locker being a wasted pick in the 2011 draft. In fact, Locker is just the type of prospect -- exceptional physical tools but serious accuracy and read questions that needed work -- to wait on for a year-plus. Tennessee should be patient.
Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos
A prospect who really could use plenty of time waiting and working. No use moving him for quite a while if they liked him enough to take him at No. 57 overall. He won't return that kind of value.
