Top-drafted quarterbacks likely to sit to start their NFL careers
All four teams have veterans in place — at least temporarily
The NFL draft is done, and the league's grand quarterback reshuffling that began in free agency seems pretty much done. Prominent veterans changed teams. Prized rookies came off the board early and often on draft night. Some teams double-dipped, adding both a quarterback of the present and a quarterback of the future. For roughly one-quarter of the league, things have changed dramatically at the most important position.
It undoubtedly won't work out as planned for everyone. But for now, there is reason for everyone with a reworked quarterback situation to hope. There were, for a change, enough quarterbacks to go around.
Actually, there were more than enough quarterbacks to go around. Each of the four quarterbacks selected in the top 10 of the NFL draft Thursday night went to a team that already had made arrangements this offseason to have a veteran in place who could, if needed, serve as a temporary caretaker of the starting job.
The Cleveland Browns, who made Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma the top overall pick, had traded for former Buffalo Bills starter Tyrod Taylor. The New York Jets, who took Southern California's Sam Darnold with the third choice, had re-signed Josh McCown and signed Teddy Bridgewater. The Bills, who traded up to No. 7 to get Wyoming's Josh Allen, had added AJ McCarron. The Arizona Cardinals, who moved up to 10th for UCLA's Josh Rosen, had signed Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon.
That creates the curious possibility that, while this highly cele-
brated class produced the first occasion that four quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10, all four of those would-be franchise saviors could begin their NFL careers as backups.
"We're not going to rush him," Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said of Allen. "But if he somehow wins the job, then he wins it. There's other players out there. There will be 52 other players out there and if they see that he's clearly the best, I don't think we could do that (keep Al- len on the bench). We wouldn't do that at any other position. We'll let it go. But he's got a lot of catching up to do."
Allen and Darnold probably have the best chances to be Opening Day starters. Allen would have to overtake McCarron, who is well regarded but was a backup with the Cincinnati Bengals before moving to Buffalo in free agency. Darnold's competition consists of McCown, who is respected but has been a backup for most of his career, and Bridgewater, who has not demonstrated whether he can make a successful return from the serious leg injury that ended his tenure as the Minnesota Vikings' starter.
In Cleveland, Mayfield probably will have to wait his turn behind Taylor, who had some success as a starter in Buffalo and cost the Browns a third-round draft choice in their trade with the Bills. In Arizona, Rosen likely will have to bide his time behind Bradford, the oft-injured but competent-when-healthy former starter for the St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Vikings.
It was the rare offseason in which quarterback-deprived franchises could give themselves more than one possibility.
“Ideally you'd probably attack it from both angles in a perfect world," Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said when asked at the NFL scouting combine whether he wanted a veteran or a rookie to address the team's quarterback need.
A fifth quarterback went in the first round Thursday, as the Baltimore Ravens traded up to No. 32 to take Lamar Jackson, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville. He becomes the heir apparent to Joe Flacco in Baltimore.
For now, all those teams with new quarterbacks can envision Pro Bowl seasons and Super Bowl titles. In truth, there are only so many Pro Bowl spots and championship trophies to go around.