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Kirk Cousins is the big fish in the NFL free agency pond. Let's get that out of the way immediately.
Due to the money he'll demand—an outrageous number that'd cause even the strongest GM stomach to turn sour—he represents free agent quarterback domino number one. What happens with Kirk will affect so much of the rest of the offseason.
Now that we've mentioned that, meet AJ McCarron. (And yes, Brent Musburger, AJ's the star of the McCarron family show these days.)
McCarron will officially become a free agent in three weeks once the NFL calendar turns over thanks to a judgment by an independent arbitrator in his claim against the Cincinnati Bengals. The league doesn't think he should be an unrestricted free agent, but that means very little now.
The decision looms large. It's the difference between black and white, soft and hard, rich and poor, happy and sad. McCarron is set to become a much richer man as one of the 32 NFL teams will offer him up starting quarterback money in a pass-happy league starving for more arms.
Here are the top likeliest landing spots for free agent AJ McCarron.
1. Denver Broncos
Interestingly enough, it seems as though the Denver Broncos top the list for all of these free agent quarterbacks. Who knows why. Perhaps it's the John Elway effect coupled with the fact their defense is ready to win immediately. In any event, these Broncos are the likeliest team to land AJ McCarron should Cousins pass up the Rocky Mountains.
Denver holds the number five pick in the upcoming draft and could potentially land Josh Allen or even Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen should things break right. The three quarterbacks we saw in Denver a season ago—Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler—may all be looking for work together. Elway could opt to cut all three.
Inking McCarron to a more efficient starting QB deal coupled with a young option somewhere in the draft may just be the strategy Elway has his heart set on.
2. Cleveland Browns
From all indications, AJ McCarron is a kid who loves a challenge. Let's talk Cleveland Browns football.
All jokes aside, the Browns are closer than many believe. They may have just matched the 2008 Detroit Lions historic winless season, but a new regime is in town and in this league, fortunes can change on a dime (just ask Mo Lewis and Tom Brady).
In the case of Cleveland, the McCarron situation becomes hazy in knowing the organization holds the No. 1 and No. 4 overall selections in a loaded-QB pool. The reason why the Browns are so high on this list is due to the idea McCarron cannot be ruled out even if Cleveland does snag a youngster with either the first or fourth selection.
It really all depends on where Kirk Cousins winds up and considering Denver is a top option, McCarron to Ohio just feels right.
3. Arizona Cardinals
Yet another starved quarterback franchise will be in the running for AJ McCarron, the Arizona Cardinals.
Carson Palmer is gone. Bruce Arians … gone. Larry Fitzgerald is still employed and remains one of the most respected individuals in the game.
With Arians gone and Mike McCoy in under newly-minted head coach Steve Wilks (as Arizona's offensive coordinator), it's tough to gauge exactly what type of offense will be present in the desert. Additionally, the Cards hold the 15th pick in the first round. Perhaps Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson could be on the board as a target. Perhaps not.
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Perhaps McCarron coupled with one of those two youngsters is the perfect new formula for a brand new staff in Zona.
4. New York Jets
Again, it's all about Kirk. Where will Cousins land?
Recently, noise from Florham Park, New Jersey has created madness within the NFL ranks as Rich Cimini of ESPN New York's latest report has the Jets doing “whatever it takes” to land the man who's bound to break annual income records.
“The Jets want him badly, and sources say they're willing to pay whatever it takes — unless the Washington Redskins decide to tag him for a third time (unlikely). Money aside, the Jets hope to convince him he'll have a chance to win in New York. Because of obvious deficiencies on the current roster, they must sell him a championship vision. Their recruiting pitch also will stress his familiarity with the offensive system. In addition to making Cousins wildly rich, the Jets want to let him know he'll be comfortable with the scheme and coaches.”
Moreover, Cousins has already stated wonderful things about Jets new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, via Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
“With the Jets, the first thing that stands out is Jeremy Bates has a connection to coach [Mike] Shanahan,” Cousins told ESPN's “NFL Live” earlier this month. “Both Mike, Kyle [Shanahan], that whole system I played in. Sean McVay comes from that tree. I just think so highly of them as play callers, as offensive gurus if you will. Because Jeremy comes from that tree, it would be exciting to think about working with someone like that, knowing how important Xs and Os and game planning is and having the right play caller.”
Meanwhile, the Jets have already passed up McCarron once, per Cimini. Prior to the start of free agency a year ago, they received a call from Cincy, offering McCarron in a trade, but the Jets declined due to not wanting to relent compensation.
That was an entirely different world. New York was up against the cap and was holding all of their chips back until this very moment. Should Cousins wind up elsewhere, the Jets could easily pounce on McCarron.
Final Thoughts
One simply cannot be discussed without the other. When it comes to potential AJ McCarron landing spots, the name Kirk Cousins must appear. They are the bonafide No. 1 and No. 2 QBs in the free agent class (save for a few Case Keenum fanatics).
While these four destinations are the favorites for both guys, franchises such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills cannot be ruled out.
When you think NFL free agency, picture Kirk leading the way and AJ strategically maneuvering close behind.
