Let the QB battle begin at the top of the NFL draft after the New York Jets move up to #3, but who will be the next team to make a move? My instinct tells me the Bills are not done, Miami may make a bold move and Denver still is looking for a future after Case Keenum.
The bidding war bar has been set, and it will only get higher after the Jets gave the Colts 3 second round picks and the 6th overall pick to three spots in next month's draft. Which team will mortgage their future to get to one of those top two spots?
Miami is the more likely candidate to make a move up the board, as they have moved some key players to make room for a new acquisition whether in free agency or the draft. Ryan Tannehill is coming off an ACL tear and his future may be in doubt as his production has not lived up to his $96 deal he signed back in 2015. Miami would like to have a back plan in case they decide to pull the plug on a soon-to-be 30-year-old Tannehill. They have the #11 pick so they could package a deal to grab one of the young guns in this draft, let him learn and wait his turn. If Tannehill is not a go in preseason it could open the door for their future signal caller.
John Elway has not found that quarterback that he like after Peyton Manning called it a career after the 2015 super bowl winning season. They moved up to take Paxton Lynch the following draft but he has struggled with consistency, while Trevor Siemian (Now with Minnesota) showed some brilliance, he too failed under pressure. Enter Case Keenum, a journeyman who finally got his shot in Minnesota leading the team to the NFC championship, but fell short due to meltdown under pressure. He signed a 2-year $36 million dollar deal, but is Denver really sold him? I don't think so, they could use the #5 pick to solidify their future and finally put their team back in Super Bowl contention.
Sean McDermott made one of the boldest calls last season by benching Tyrod Taylor for Nathan Peterman, which sparked the debate, would it be the end for Tyrod in Buffalo? The answer would end up being yes, after they traded him before the new league year to the Cleveland Browns. Now the Bills are stuck between a rock and a hard spot as they will have to scramble to find a future QB. They signed A.J. McCarron but he's only started a handful of games and like the Broncos, Buffalo only committed to a 2-year deal. It could mean the Bills who have 2 first round picks (12th,22th) could move up and would not have to break the bank because of the trade points system. They could get into the top three but can they pay the ransom the Browns and Giants want at #1 and #2? Let's keep an eye on that aa the draft nears.
The Arizona Cardinals would have made my short list but they signed Sam Bradford (1-year $20 million, $15 guaranteed) and Mike Glennon to contracts and they really don't have the wiggle room, because they have other holes to fill after losing key players this offseason. If they had moved up it wouldn't a smart move, because moving up to one of the top spots usually QB is the reason why you do it.
There is a lot that can happen between now and draft night, but these are the three teams I would put my money on to make a deal on or before day 1 of the NFL draft.
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