The NFL free agency period for 2014 got started off fast and now rumors have Michael Vick, Josh McCown and Josh Freeman as the top QB targets and the For NY Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans are interested, while other teams may look at a trade for Kirk Cousins or Ryan Mallett instead of the free agent market or the draft.
McCown appears to be the top option on the market over Vick after the season he had last year and since he wants a chance to start, he likely will sign with one of the three teams mentioned above. Vick also would like to start and many have speculated that the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders are his best chances to win a job this season. McCown comes onto the free agent market after he started for Jay Cutler when he was injured last season and he put up some very solid numbers.
Lovie Smith knows McCown from his time in Chicago and that could be a nice fit in Tampa Bay, as the staff has said they will look at quarterbacks in the draft and since Mike Glennon was not their pick, the regime could bring in new blood. McCown would be a perfect option to mentor Glennon or a young quarterback like Geno Smith while serving as a short-term, "bridge" answer for a year or two. Smith and Glennon each showed promise last season, but there were times when both looked overmatched and learning from a veteran like McCown would be a benefit for both.
Last season McCown played in eight games and threw for 13 touchdowns with one interception and he set a career high in completion percentage, connecting on over 66 percent of his passes while going for nearly 2,000 yards. He played so well that many wondered if the Bears should keep Cutler on the sidelines if healthy and while that did not happen, it showed how good McCown looked and that is why he is getting attention on the market.
Vick and McCown have different skill sets and while Vick is getting up there in age, he still has an element of that explosiveness and that could be huge for a team like the Jets or Buccaneers. The Texans are in the mix as well, as ESPN.com is reporting that McCown will look at Houston along with the Jets and Bucs, as they likely will have a new quarterback when the season starts after how bad Matt Schaub was last season.
The Texans can pick Johnny Manziel or another rookie in the draft and keep McCown as the starter for this season as they develop that player, or they could just thrust him into the starting job. Either way, the Texans appear to be ready for a new QB and while they were connected to some Ryan Mallet and Kirk Cousins trade rumors, it appears that those moves have died down and those players are likely to remain with their teams. The Jets are a wild card in all of this, as they have made it clear both Vick and McCown interest them and it will be intriguing to see what they do with Geno Smith if they sign one of the QBs.