2008’s Top Free Agents: Quarterbacks

When the NFL season comes to a close, another begins. It may be called the offseason, but as any fan knows, the NFL is a year-round sport that doesn’t end when the games cease to be played.

Among the notable attractions of the offseason is free agency. It’s where teams will rebuild before the draft and some can become almost instant winners by acquiring the right set of playmakers on offense and defense or else fill needs with veteran players.

Whatever your team needs, it starts with free agency. With that in mind, here are the top quarterbacks who will be either unrestricted free agents (UFA) or restricted free agents (RFA) following the 2007 season. (Edit: Philip Rivers is also an unrestricted free agent, but because there is an almost 0% chance he leaves the Chargers, he has been left off the list.)

Top 5

1. Derek Anderson - RFA - Cleveland Browns

With the kind of season he’s having in Cleveland, Derek Anderson figures to be a hot commodity if the team lets him go this offseason. It wouldn’t necesarily be surprising if they did so, given what the team invested to draft Brady Quinn a season ago, but the more likely scenario is a new contract or applied franchise tag.

2. Rex Grossman - UFA - Chicago Bears

Contrary to popular belief, the Chicago Bears offensive woes are not due entirely to Rex Grossman. Rather, he’s been the victim of a poor offensive coordinator and inferior running game.

With that said, there’s no real telling whether the Bears will invest any more seasons in Grossman, despite having no suitable replacement on hand. Nor is there a quarterback in the draft who will be able to walk in and be better than Grossman. And Lovie Smith has been at his defense at many times throughout the season.

No matter what you think of him, Grossman is a young, serviceable quarterback who could succeed in the right situation with the right coaching. Whether that will be in Chicago or not, we’ll need to wait and see.

3. Daunte Culpepper - UFA - Oakland Raiders

Maybe at one time Culpepper would be a hotter commodity at quarterback, but it’s grown more obvious over the years that he’s nothing without great protection and at least one great receiver (Randy Moss in Minnesota). Of course, Culpepper is a fine backup if he chooses to seek a position like that. Chances are, however, his pride will dictate he searches for a team that needs a starting quarterback, though I can’t think of any team that needs a starter of Culpepper’s caliber at this point.

4. Josh McCown - UFA - Oakland Raiders

Again, this is a player who will likely lose his spot with JaMarcus Russell stepping into the full time role next season. He may sign a new deal to remain Russell’s backup, but it seems likely he’ll seek work elsewhere. Unfortunately, being in Oakland, McCown didn’t have the opportunity to show his true worth to any interested teams.

5. Cleo Lemon - UFA - Miami Dolphins

Lemon is likely known only because of his time as a starter in Miami this season, though he did have some flashes of potential. He has a degree of athleticism working in his favor and his skills as a passer are acceptable, but he’ll likely find nothing more than a spot as a backup this offseason.

Others

Quinn Gray - UFA - Jacksonville

Ken Dorsey - UFA - Cleveland Browns

Ryan Fitzpatrick - RFA - Cincinnati Bengals

Drew Henson - UFA - Minnesota Vikings

Jared Lorenzen - UFA - New York Giants

Seneca Wallace - UFA - Seattle Seahawks