Chris O'Meara/Associated Press
It's good to be a free-agent quarterback. Even one coming off a bad season.
Despite a miserable first (and only) season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Josh McCown isn't hurting for suitors in 2015.
The 35-year-old journeyman, who passed for 2,206 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 starts for the Buccaneers last year, has already visited with the Buffalo Bills. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, McCown will meet with yet another (as yet unnamed) team at this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Those won't be the last stops on McCown's free-agent tour, as the dearth of quarterback talent in the NFL leaves any signal-caller with a pulse a hot commodity on the open market.
Add in that his release by the Buccaneers means he doesn't have to wait until March 10 to find a new home, and the next few weeks are going to be very hectic for McCown.
Here's a look at the potential landing spots that make the most sense for both sides, both from a fit and salary-cap perspective.
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We might as well start with the team we know McCown has visited. In fact, as Florio reported, there was hope that McCown's free-agent tour was going to end before it began:
According to Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, McCown has taken a trip to Buffalo, with the goal of working out a contract on Monday. It’s a smart move by the Bills, since it would tie up McCown before 32 teams and most agents descend on Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine.
McCown left Western New York Monday without a deal in place, but just because the two sides haven't agreed to terms yet doesn't mean that they won't down the road.
There's certainly no denying the team's need under center. With 2013 starter Kyle Orton calling it a career, disappointing third-year pro EJ Manuel and Jeff Tuel are the team's only quarterbacks under contract.
Also, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News reports, McCown's travels throughout the NFL have brought him into contact with more than one member of Rex Ryan's new staff in Buffalo:
He was with the Chicago Bears in 2013 when Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was the Bears' offensive coordinator. McCown also was with the Miami Dolphins during the 2008 offseason when Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee was working in the same capacity with the Dolphins. McCown also was in the San Francisco 49ers' training camp in 2001 when Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman was filling the same role with the Niners.
Six teams in 12 years will do that.
Chris O'Meara/Associated Press
The connection between the Baltimore Ravens and Josh McCown was made by none other than McCown himself.
During an appearance with NFL Media's Adam Schein on Sirius XM/Mad Dog Sports Radio, McCown said that it's "only natural" to connect him and new Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.
After all, it's under Trestman in Chicago two years ago where McCown reeled off the best string of games in his career, throwing 13 scoring strikes against only one interception over eight games (including five starts).
The Ravens are also in the market for some depth at the quarterback position, with youngster Tyrod Taylor, 25, set to hit free agency himself.
With that said, there are a couple of stumbling blocks here.
For starters, obviously if McCown signed with the Ravens, it would be as Joe Flacco's backup, and it's not known how badly McCown wants an opportunity to start for his new team.
It would also take some creative financing. The Ravens are only about $3 million under a projected salary cap of $140 million and have free agents of their own to worry about, including running back Justin Forsett and wide receiver Torrey Smith.
Chris O'Meara/Associated Press
The Bills aren't the only team in the AFC East at a crossroads at the quarterback position.
Much like Buffalo with EJ Manuel, the New York Jets haven't seen the progress they'd hoped for from Geno Smith. Much like Buffalo, the Jets have a new coaching staff.
And just like Buffalo, the Jets have been linked to Josh McCown.
In fact, as Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports, McCown was nearly a member of the Jets a year ago:
McCown, 35, certainly is no stranger to the Jets. The 12-year pro was scheduled to visit the Jets last offseason before canceling at the last minute to sign with Tampa Bay.
McCown could be an attractive depth target again for the Jets, though it remains to be seen if the new regime of Todd Bowles and general manager Todd Maccagnan are as high on him as Rex Ryan and John Idzik.
There have been more than a few mock drafts of late (including Dane Brugler's at CBS Sports) that have linked Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota to the Jets at No. 6 overall.
But even were the Jets to go that direction, bringing in McCown as a "bridge" starter for 2015 isn't a bad idea, especially since the Jets are flush with cap space to the tune of almost $49 million, according to Over the Cap.
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Given the nightmarish season that the Tennessee Titans just endured, there's been more than a little speculation that the team could draft a quarterback with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft.
However, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean , that may not be the case:
Early indications are the Titans are leaning toward giving Mettenberger a chance to prove himself as the full-time starter rather than drafting Winston or Mariota with the second pick. Mettenberger, a sixth-round pick last year, started six games as a rookie while Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst started the other games.
"We like Zach, and I think Zach has the tools to play and start in the league," Titans general manager Ruston Webster said. "We've said all along that this is a part of this process, and we have to do our due diligence all the way through. Zach knows we are going to do that, and this is just kind of part of it."
Still, just because the Titans may not take a rookie quarterback early doesn't mean the team still doesn't need to add one.
After all, Jake Locker is a free agent in 2015. Zach Mettenberger is a second-year sixth-rounder about whom there remains as many questions as answers. And Charlie Whitehurst is, well, Charlie Whitehurst.
McCown would provide the Titans with a veteran fallback plan and a mentor for Mettenberger (a Mettenmentor, if you will), and with over $42 million in cap space, finding the coin to sign McCown (the McCoin, if you will) shouldn't be an issue.
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From both a need and salary-cap standpoint, it's hard to find a better fit for McCown's services than the Cleveland Browns.
Only the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars have a bigger "war chest" than the Browns, who currently sit over $51 million under the salary cap.
The team is also as hard up under center as any team in the league. Brian Hoyer is himself a free agent. Johnny Manziel was a complete disaster as a rookie.
Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio wrote that he doesn't especially like Hoyer's odds of returning in 2015:
Hoyer started the public part of the negotiation earlier this month with a public appearance and some carefully chosen national radio interviews. He's said he'd love to return to his hometown team, where he's spent the last two seasons, but that he doesn't know what's going to happen.
He probably really doesn't. His offensive coordinator and quarterback coach from last season are gone. Hoyer's admitted he wants to know what was in those text in-game messages for which Farmer is reportedly facing NFL sanctions. If Hoyer has outside starting options, he will likely be willing to leave. Or, he may be willing to leverage those for money from the Browns.
If the Browns agree that Hoyer is more likely than not to depart, they can offer McCown just about anything he could want.
Money. The chance to start.
The question then becomes whether starting is enough of a carrot for McCown to endure the stick that is the current circus in Cleveland.
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