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The NFL off-season is a passer’s fancy
Jimmy Garoppolo has found himself in demand this off-season as potentially nine teams are in the market for a new quarterback. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL off-season is a passer’s fancy

It’s the week before the combine and two weeks before the start of free agency, so NFL news at the moment is mostly concerned with lining up the dominoes for the roster moves to come in the coming month, specifically those under center.

Because there is likely to be so much volatility in the quarterback market, it’s prime silly season for NFL media. Quarterbacks, being the best known players, spur casual fan interest more easily than, say, the fact that Cameron Wake has a new contract, or that Mike Tolbert and Victor Cruz have hit free agency. Even the future of Adrian Peterson is only drawing marginal interest, though that may be in part because of a 2016 season mostly missed due to injury, and the sense that his 32 years of age are finally catching up with the running back.  

It’s shaping up to be a big year for quarterback changes. Seven teams changed starting quarterbacks going into the 2016 season, albeit two of those were the result of preseason injuries. I’m also counting the Rams because, even if Jared Goff didn’t start Week 1, the team obviously made a plan for their future at the position. Only a few weeks removed from Super Bowl LI, there are potentially nine teams that are a decent possibility to make a move at starting QB before the start of the 2017 season: Bills, Jets, Browns, Texans, Chiefs, Broncos, Redskins, Bears, and 49ers. Shockingly, the Jaguars aren’t on that list, though one never does know.

Not all of those moves are guaranteed to happen, and some are very much still in the air. That means there are dubious reports that there’s a “better than 50 percent chance that Kirk Cousins becomes available” and that Jimmy Garoppolo’s possible destinations have apparently been narrowed down to the Bears and Browns. This also means a lot of supposed news items contain headlines that consist of some pundit saying they “wouldn’t be shocked” if a particular move happened, as if that means anything at all.

As the March 9 start of free agency approaches, we’ll likely have a better idea of where each of these players is going to fit, though there’s bound to be uncertainty even as free agency gets underway. There are likely teams willing to switch up some of their draft plans if you can lock down the quarterback of their choice through free agency or a trade.

Anquan Boldin is out stumping


Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin arrives on the red carpet prior to the 6th Annual NFL Honors on Feb. 4, 2017. Boldin is expected to stump for Keith Ellison to be the next DNC chair this week. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

There’s been a lot of talk about the political leanings of NFL players, yet considerably less about how players are actually being engaged with the process. Obviously there are more who simply have a preference rather than a desire to get involved, but this seems like something that will only be more common in the future. Lions receiver Anquan Boldin is one example – he’s traveling to Atlanta later this week to stump for Keith Ellison in the Minnesota representative’s campaign to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. It’s not Boldin’s first foray into social issues. He was one of five players who went to Capitol Hill in November to discuss police brutality and issues of race with members of Congress. Ellison has made criminal justice reform a part of his platform, and Boldin mentioned that was a big reason for his support.

Court stenography to transcribe grumbling

SMH these lawyers already got Aaron Hernandez in prison. This is just running up the score. Belichick has never been shy about doing that to opposing teams, so little harm in doing it to a murderer too. Also, expect one-word answers from Belichick unless someone asks an insightful football question, in which case he’ll hold forth for 35 minutes.

The Dolphins long QB search is finally over

Miami brought back Dan Marino and Bob Griese to let them retire as Dolphins. Not surely why this didn’t happen before 2017, but it’s fun to be able to say Ryan Tannehill beat out Marino for the starting job.

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