Now that Super Bowl LII is in the rearview mirror, we have officially reached the NFL's offseason.
As much as I love the regular season and the postseason, I'm one of the weird ones that actually prefers this time of year. This is where the team building takes place, and this year is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing offseasons in recent memory. Why? It's pretty simple -- the quarterbacks.
We've already seen a blockbuster trade involving a QB, with the Chiefs agreeing to trade Alex Smith to the Redskins, and there's a marquee free-agent-to-be in Kirk Cousins, who is entering his prime. All three of the Vikings' top QBs (Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum) have expiring contracts, which will make that a fascinating situation to watch. We also have a handful of highly touted draft prospects at the position.
With that in mind, I reached out to five NFL executives and asked them the following question: Which quarterback would be the best option to pursue in the offseason? Here are their answers.
Executive 1:Kirk Cousins
"Kirk Cousins is ready made. He will help you win games immediately. He's the safest bet at the position, in free agency or the draft."
Executive 2: Cousins
"I like (Sam) Darnold the best among the college guys, but Cousins is a quick fix at the position. It does kind of depend on what phase of the process you're in. If you're Jacksonville or Minnesota, you have to go for Cousins. If you're a team like Cleveland, you should probably lean more toward Darnold."
Executive 3:Sam Darnold
"I'd say Darnold. He's far from a finished product, but he has a lot of upside and he has solid character. He's a guy that you can be comfortable with building a franchise around."
Executive 4: Cousins
"That's easy for me. It's Kirk Cousins. He is proven and consistent. Love the way he's wired."
Executive 5: Cousins
"I'd lean toward the free-agent market. I really like Cousins."
Summary: That's four votes for Cousins and one for Darnold.
Conclusion: I agree with the opinion of Executive 2. It does depend on where you are in the team-building process when choosing between quarterbacks. Cousins would win you the most games next season, but I like the long-term upside of Darnold. I love the fact that both of those guys are tough and intelligent. They are also very highly regarded off the field. Those are good building-block attributes for a football team.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.