We saw a seismic shift in the NFL quarterback position a year ago. Big name stars and day-trippers joined a projectile game that saw virtually all free agent defenders calling a new city home. That, along with some big-name newbies making an immediate impact, and the position of defender was unrecognizable since the previous year.
Type 2021. We have already been hit by a big deal that will guarantee the secondary shake-up of last year’s carousel and record a higher score on the Richter scale. With some big-name players firmly in the trading block, more free agents and 4-5 defenders available for the first round of the NFL Draft, the league will restart its defender position again.
Following the comments by Steelers President Art Rooney II about Steelers not searching for a quarterback, this exercise is 100% team-related and we will dive into what is possible. Let’s check three categories:
Available quarterbacks
Teams looking for a QB
How it relates to the Pittsburgh Steelers
This will be a commercial market like no other. We have seen Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff negotiate with new teams well before the new league year begins. Here are some of the other names in the commercial block and teams that have some rumors of interest
Deshaun Watson – Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and many others
Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay said it is not available, but would be interested in the entire league
Matt Ryan – San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo – New England Patriots
Kirk Cousins - San Francisco 49ers
Carson Wentz – Indianapolis Colts
Sam Darnold -?
Gardner Minchew -?
The free agency does not offer the same big names as a year ago. However, there are some development options, one-off initiators and alternatives available that teams will use to complete their lists.
Dak Prescott – franchise brand, Dallas Cowboys
Jameis Winston – New Orleans Saints
Ryan Fitzpatrick -?
Mitch Trubisky -?
Andy Dalton -?
Tyrod Taylor -?
Cam Newton -?
Jacoby Brissett – Indianapolis Colts
There are a number of other free agent defenders, but none that have any real chance of starting any game in 2021. As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, offering anyone with initial capacity seems extremely unlikely.
There are four or five clear choices in the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft. Where they will go will be a direct reflection of how the names above fit together before the draft. We know that Trevor Lawrence is a virtual lock to be the first general choice for Jacksonville Jaguars. After that, it’s a virtual bid. As of this moment, here are the other five possible candidates from the first round and an estimate of the choices between them – based on the placement of the simulated sketch.
Zach Wilson – 2-9
Justin Fields – 2-15
Trey Lance – 3-19
Mac Jones – 15 – Starting 2nd Round
Kyle Trask – 29th round
At this point, you can predict more than half the league by launching a different starting quarterback than they had in 2020. With an uncertain salary cap and a few veterans on their way out of the league, everything can and will be different. Below is a list of teams (based on the draft order) that will be seriously in the QB market.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence will be theirs soon, but they must also be looking for a reserve veteran.
New York Jets – They could recruit a QB, they could exchange for one, or as new coach Robert Salah stated that they could play with Sam Darnold for another season.
Houston Texans – Deshaun Waston will be negotiated with the choices they make to pursue their next quarterback.
Detroit Lions – They are spending a lot of money on Jared Goff, I think it is too early to find a replacement. Draft is perfectly possible.
Carolina Panthers – Teddy Bridgewater is not the future of this team. They offered Lions the eighth overall choice for Matthew Stafford.
Denver Broncos – The Broncos are not sold on Drew Lock, but he can get another year.
San Francisco 49ers – It looks like an exchange is likely for San Francisco.
Minnesota Vikings – If they negotiate with Kirk Cousins, they will be at stake in the draft.
New England Patriots – Cam Newton is out. They can chase a familiar face.
Washington Football Team – They still don’t have the long-term answer on the list.
Chicago Bears – It is doubtful that they go back to Mitch Trubisky, commerce or free agency makes more sense.
Indianapolis Colts – Rivers is out and they were unable to land at Matthew Stafford. Could they lure Andrew Luck out of retirement?
New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees is expected to officially retire in the coming weeks. Who will take over?
The Steelers are looking to add someone to help this team’s future, and we know that as a fact. They don’t have the money to add a free agent, and unless Ben Roethlisberger retires or gets cut, they also won’t trade for anyone.
So, I see this happening in four ways:
- They recruit someone at 24, probably Mac Jones.
- They switch to Trey Lance’s draft.
- They recruit someone in the second round or later and try to develop them.
- They hire someone at a free agency in 2022.
We know that Steelers don’t like to start newbies right away. So if they give up on writing one in 2021, I am pretty confident that they will pursue someone in 2022 as a free agent. With a ton of money coming out of the books after this season, and with the likelihood of 2021 being Dak Prescott’s last season in Dallas, I think it would be a path the team would like to explore. This would also be a very risky move, the team would essentially be putting all of their chips in one basket and just hoping that Prescott will not be influenced by other suitors.
The smartest move for the future is to be aggressive and get a defender in this year’s draft, but if the Steelers are in yet another round with Ben Roethlisberger in the center, they can leave the future to chance.
If the Steelers really want one of those potential defenders, the best thing that could happen is that all of these renowned veterans would fall on selected teams in the upper half of the draft. Also to have teams like the Jets and the Broncos deciding to give their owners one more year to prove it would be ideal. We know that guys like Justin Fields and Zach Wilson will be gone long before the Steelers have a chance to switch to any of them, but I see Trey Lance as the best fit for this team anyway. If Lance passes the Broncos (choice # 9), the Steelers will have a legitimate chance to make a move. In addition, if the 49ers settle in Garoppolo or add another quarterback, the Steelers will really only have to worry about going through New England.
This will require some luck and a Steelers team willing to make a change, but they can get the franchise’s future here and now. The biggest thing Lance needs is experience, and with Ben Roethlisberger determined to return for another season, the Steelers can offer that to him, as well as a clear path to becoming a full-back in 2022.
What do you think? How will the chips fall and what will the Steelers do in the quarterback this off-season? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.