AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent (Signs with Buffalo)

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

CrimsonTheory said:

There's not a lot a starting QB opportunities out there:

Denver: Likely to go after Kurt Cousins.
Houston: Watson and Savage.
Arizona: Could definitely see the Cardinals being interested.
NY Jets: Need a QB, but would they sign one or draft a QB?
Jacksonville: Despite the season, can Bortles be trusted? Probably not.
Minnesota: Bridgewater, Bradford and Keenum are all FA.
Buffalo: If they decided Taylor is no longer worth keeping.
Colts: Have to include the Colts because Luck is likely done as a impact QB.

I think the two best landing spots for A.J. would be Arizona and Minnesota.

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Arizona is a possibility if they aren’t going to play the “ who gets Nick Foles game”. I think Denver and Arizona are going to play late for him to see what deals the Eagles are getting for him.

As for Minnesota I think they cut one and add a 5th rounder. It just seems like the most logical thing to do.

I don’t see Jacksonville is in play.

Jets are, but that is probably the worst destination possible for him unless he just really wants to play a couple of years and get out.

Colts are too worried about what the Pats are doing and trying to prove Andrew Luck is a SB caliber player.

I’m still seeing NYG and NO as his best possible places to go with NE being third. I think too many teams see him as a Matt Flynn mercenary than a franchise qb at this point. NYG, NO, and NE are faced with aging qbs and loaded offenses so they are looking for a qb that is smart young qb that would be able to step in if Father Time starts to come to play and milk a championship out of the team they already have instead of breaking up a team for an expensive 1st round qb.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

81usaf92 said:

Arizona is a possibility if they aren’t going to play the “ who gets Nick Foles game”. I think Denver and Arizona are going to play late for him to see what deals the Eagles are getting for him.

As for Minnesota I think they cut one and add a 5th rounder. It just seems like the most logical thing to do.

I don’t see Jacksonville is in play.

Jets are, but that is probably the worst destination possible for him unless he just really wants to play a couple of years and get out.

Colts are too worried about what the Pats are doing and trying to prove Andrew Luck is a SB caliber player.

I’m still seeing NYG and NO as his best possible places to go with NE being third. I think too many teams see him as a Matt Flynn mercenary than a franchise qb at this point. NYG, NO, and NE are faced with aging qbs and loaded offenses so they are looking for a qb that is smart young qb that would be able to step in if Father Time starts to come to play and milk a championship out of the team they already have instead of breaking up a team for an expensive 1st round qb.

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IMO, AJ wants a legitimate chance to start now. He's not a franchise QB at this time, but there are likely teams that will be willing to see. He looked pretty good in his brief time in Cinn. He had given them the first playoff victory of Lewis' career 'til the team, imploded emotionally. Of course, D's did not have a chance to assess his strengths and weaknesses, but he looked good under pressure in big time games. He probably gets a shot somewhere.

Edit: checked around and was surprised at how highly 3 of the 4 sites I found rated him. There was also doubt expressed, even by those who rated him highly. IMO, justifiably so - he simply hasn't played enough. He had a very good offense at Cinn the year he played those 4 games.

NFL Daily: 7 behind JG, Brees, Cousins, Keenum, Bridgewater, Bradford

Sporting News: 5 behind, DB, SB, Cousins, Keenum; ahead of TB, McCown, Fitzpatrick, Cutler...

Walter Football: Same as SN except JG for SBradford.

If they are correct, AJ will get a chance to start somewhere. IMO, he needs good offensive support: OL, WRs, RBs.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

BamaInBham said:

IMO, AJ wants a legitimate chance to start now. He's not a franchise QB at this time, but there are likely teams that will be willing to see. He looked pretty good in his brief time in Cinn. He had given them the first playoff victory of Lewis' career 'til the team, imploded emotionally. Of course, D's did not have a chance to assess his strengths and weaknesses, but he looked good under pressure in big time games. He probably gets a shot somewhere.

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Well if he wants to play now then there is good possibility that he is going to still be wanting a shot by the end of next season. I think there is a misconception by many Bama fans on here about who plays and who doesn’t. I think many believe that the better player plays, but it is most of the time the most immediately profitable player. For most of the teams in the qb market it is about “ who can put as many butts in seats and what jersey can sell for half the season the most”. That’s a big reason why AJ is probably at best the 4th most sought after experienced qb right now. So I think putting stock in Denver and Arizona at this point isn’t a really good bet unless you are looking at backups.

So then you go to Buffalo. AJ is a better qb than Tyrod but Buffalo has this weird sense of loyalty to him and the fact that he was the qb that was on the team that broke their playoff drought so I think this loyalty continues.

Now to Cleveland and NYJ. The Browns have 2 top 6 picks and the #1 overall. It’s hard to fathom them passing on Baker Mayfield or Darnold, and knowing them they would play him ASAP. I think the ship has said with the bungle trade for AJ starting in Cleveland. That leaves NYJ. NY will probably take the qb that Cleveland doesn’t. If they sign AJ then it will clearly be a temporary arrangement. But the Jets are notorious for unpredictability with drafting and free agents so who knows.

The point is that had the Bengals played with serious intent to trade him before and during the season then he is probably starting at Denver or Cleveland right now, but as it stands AJ is at the mercy of how the big experienced qb sweepstakes goes. So backing up one of the elite older vets maybe the best route to starting looking at it realistically.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

What about the Packers? Rogers is not getting any younger and his backup was not all that last year.


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Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Snuffy Smith said:

What about the Packers? Rogers is not getting any younger and his backup was not all that last year.


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The problem(s) is that AR still probably has 5-7 years left and AJ as a free agent has control of his contract. If AJ takes a backup role to AR then it’s way different than him taking one to Brady, Brees, and Manning. He would basically be saying I want a ring and I’m okay with just being a backup. The only way I see him taking a backup role to AR is if there are only bad options available and it’s a small length contract

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Snuffy Smith said:

What about the Packers? Rogers is not getting any younger and his backup was not all that last year.


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And now he is dating Danica; that will take a couple years off him.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Good screw the Bengals. They have wasted him.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

I'm a huge Denver Broncos fan and I will be on could 9 if they pull the trigger and give him a shot to start!!!

It was brutally difficult to cheer for Manning. Actually it's been a roller coaster at the QB spot ever since Elway retired.

C'mon Denver.... DO IT!!!

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

tusks_n_raider said:

I'm a huge Denver Broncos fan and I will be on could 9 if they pull the trigger and give him a shot to start!!!

It was brutally difficult to cheer for Manning. Actually it's been a roller coaster at the QB ever since Elway retired.

C'mon Denver.... DO IT!!!

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Life long Bronco fan here too! I don't think we have the cap space for Cousins and don't want Keenum. Hoping and Praying for AJ.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Keep in mind that Cousins is the hottest QB on this list and will likely go to the highest bidder. He's gonna cost a lot of money.

Then again, maybe he also doesn't care about the cash and go where he thinks he can win. He's made quite a bit of money already.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

It's also possible that Nick Foles will remain in Philly as a backup. He almost retired once before and changed his mind when Andy Reid brought him to KC. He loves Philly and he may not be interested in chasing the big bucks to be a starter somewhere else.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

CrimsonTheory said:

There's not a lot a starting QB opportunities out there:

Denver: Likely to go after Kurt Cousins.
Houston: Watson and Savage.
Arizona: Could definitely see the Cardinals being interested.
NY Jets: Need a QB, but would they sign one or draft a QB?
Jacksonville: Despite the season, can Bortles be trusted? Probably not.
Minnesota: Bridgewater, Bradford and Keenum are all FA.
Buffalo: If they decided Taylor is no longer worth keeping.
Colts: Have to include the Colts because Luck is likely done as a impact QB.

I think the two best landing spots for A.J. would be Arizona and Minnesota.

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Let me point out few things. NY Jets probably don't want to draft a QB... I think there is more than plenty teams that are interested. Browns, Jacksonville, Viking, Cardinals, Denver, Bills, jets, Dolphins.... All are a good fit for AJ... But I think Denver and Arizona would be better fit. Minnesota is a run heavy team...

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

I think the Bills are a good fit.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Elefantman said:

It's also possible that Nick Foles will remain in Philly as a backup. He almost retired once before and changed his mind when Andy Reid brought him to KC. He loves Philly and he may not be interested in chasing the big bucks to be a starter somewhere else.

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If Foles is at Philadelphia after the draft then Philly seriously misplayed their hand.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Snuffy Smith said:

What about the Packers? Rogers is not getting any younger and his backup was not all that last year.

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This would be my partisan position as a Packer owner and in using the Iggles' template this year shelling out lower-rung starting QB money for a proven backup in Nick Foles. Look where that got 'em, and look where Green Bay didn't get with generally useless (and now worthless in any trade discussion) backup QB Brett Hundley, forced to come in for Rodgers. Namely, where they didn't get was the end zone at Lambeau: seven starts at home, nada TD passes for Hundley.

AJ would have to sign on in Green Bay (or a few other spots) for a couple years (and all but acquiesce to the "Matt Flynn mercenary" measure of his talents - which he probably would be reluctant to do, though everybody's got a price as the merc mantra goes).

Would also like to know how Crimson Prof sees AJ's getting himself cut loose from his Bengal albatross makes for a paradigm shift in rookie QB pay? A little too oblique for my understanding on the surface.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Bamabuzzard said:

Put in the the right system/situation McCarron is a franchise type quarterback. I watched him fill in for Dalton in the playoff games a few years ago. For him to barely have had ANY pro game experience (much less playoff game experience). I could see franchise potential written all over him. Statistically he didn't have a great game. But his poise and some of the throws and decisions he made during that game showed me he has what it takes to be a franchise QB in the NFL.

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I don't think he is a franchise type guy but I do believe he could be an above average guy who can win with the proper support around him. As a Bronco fan, the draw to AJ(other than being an Alabama fan) is that he should come be looking at a contract that is comparable to a Mike Glennon from last year(16-20 million) as opposed to Cousins who could demand 26-30.

Re: AJ McCarron Wins Grievance Against Bengals and Will Become Free Agent

Bamabuzzard said:

What do you consider a "Franchise" QB? For me, there are degrees of franchise qb's. I don't think hall of famer is a prerequisite for being a franchise QB.

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The term franchise qb is often associated with the idea that a qb has long term protections guaranteed by the franchise. Dalton is an example. AJ played very well but had an uphill battle that overtake him as the starting qb because of the tag.