Three Contract-Year QBs (#FantasyFootball)

As a dynasty owner, one must think beyond the upcoming season and more into the future of their franchise.

One important area of focus for every dynasty owner should be which players are entering a “contract year”. The possibility of free agency not only impacts the player themselves but their former and future team’s depth chart and the
players that currently make that up.

NFL Players who are entering a contract year have that extra incentive to showcase their ability to play in the NFL in hopes of earning that blockbuster contract and therefore should be strongly considered by dynasty owners when
making final roster decisions during the offseason.

Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson just received a new contract from his team to keep him out of this conversation. That contract was in the sum of $140 million dollars over 4 years which resulted in him purchasing a new home for his mother who had not asked for a dime throughout his career. Who is up next for that big payday?

This series begins with 3 quarterbacks who are entering the last year of their current contract and therefore should be under your watchful eye(s). Let’s start with one from the Lone Star State.

Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)

There’s not enough time to give a history lesson but the “Lone Star” is a definition of defiance, pride and independence to those who reside in the State of Texas, and Dak is trying to live up to those expectations which are pretty high. He has defied some odds, has taken pride and has had to overcome dependence on others at times so now it’s up to him and the Cowboys to see if they can agree on a new deal for the gunslinger in Texas,

But has he done enough to earn a contract similar to some of the other top quarterbacks in the NFL? This seems to be the big debate leading into the 2019 season especially with other players on the cowboy’s roster expecting to be compensated as well.

Outlook for 2019:

I am confident the Cowboys will not let Prescott’s contract expire but they do have to keep in mind that they have other player’s who are tapping their foot while waiting for some attention to their own contract such as newly acquired WR Amari Cooper.

The Cowboys have an investment in Dak to hopefully lead their team on offense for the next decade and he has done his due diligence to justify them committing to him after finishing the 2018 season with completing nearly 68% of his passes for 3885 yards, 22 TD’s and only 8 INTs.

Not bad for a quarterback who just lost the teams all-time receiving TD leader (Dez Bryant) the year prior and had few options to toss the rock to for most of 2018.

The Cowboys and Prescott will come to an agreement on a contract no doubt. If not, I am sure there will be plenty of teams with their eyes on him next year as the Buccaneers, Titans, Broncos, Jaguars and others may be in the market for a new quarterback if their current quarterback situation doesn’t work out.

Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans)

Marcus has got to get it done this year or the Titans should be looking in another direction at the QB position. He has yet to stay healthy for a full year and has not delivered expectations when he has been under center. Last year his injuries involved his neck, foot and nerve damage although he did complete over 68% of his passes last year but only started 13 games and threw just 11 touchdowns.

Outlook for 2019:

The Titans have to answer questions from their fans and a big one concerns their offense with Marcus is front and center. His teams’ success, or lack thereof, may very well determine his future no matter how well he performs but he must do his part in helping his team succeed for better or worse.

If he fails to lead the Titans offense in 2019 and get them to the playoffs and hopefully beyond, the team may start looking for other options at the position. They did just acquire Ryan Tannehill from the Miami Dolphins to compete in camp and back up Mariota. They realized that they need to get a capable backup for Marcus with his struggles to stay on the field.

Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Jameis just turned 25 and is entering arguably the most important season of his young NFL career as he strives to prove that he can be a dependable and successful starting Quarterback in the NFL after receiving the 5th year option on his rookie contract last year.

Outlook for 2019:

Coming off a controversial 2018 season that saw him suspended for the first three games for personal misconduct reasons while rotating starting quarterback roles with Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout the season, Winston needs to prove that he can be that leader on offense that the team so desperately needs on and off the field.

He has all the tools to take that next step but must commit to being that team leader.

In Summary:

With the QB market in the NFL in such high demand, I don’t see teams letting their stud QB’s move on so I didn’t include players like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees, in this piece since they will likely either stay put or retire. It’s those second and third tier QB’s which could be looking for a new gig next year! It could be an interesting off-season when it comes to teams looking for QB’s next year because there doesn’t appear to be many opportunities when it comes to veterans unless a trade is involved…….stay tuned!

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