The 2 biggest QB mysteries in the NFL appear to have been solved, and it has huge implications for the rest of the draft
- Two of the biggest quarterback mysteries of the 2019 offseason appear to be solved, with Nick Foles reportedly set to join the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of free agency, and Kyler Murray widely rumored to be heading to the Arizona Cardinals with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
- Should both of those reports come to fruition, it sets the rest of the first round of the draft up for plenty of intrigue, pitting teams in need of a quarterback against each other in a poker match regarding which franchise is willing to trade up in the draft.
- With the incoming draft class loaded with defensive talent, teams near the top like the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers might be willing to trade down and benefit in the long run.
Two of the biggest mysteries of the 2019 NFL offseason are rumored to solved.
First, Les Bowen of Philly.com reported that Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles will sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars when free agency opens March 13.
The Eagles had the chance to use the franchise tag on Foles and keep him on a one-year, $25 million deal with the hopes of trading him away for value, but instead opted to let their former Super Bowl MVP walk and choose his destination.
Read more: In a stunning move, the Eagles will let Nick Foles become a free agent and seek a long-term contract
While nothing is set in stone yet, Jacksonville is a sensible destination for Foles — the Jaguars have a team already built to win now but have been held back by inconsistent play at quarterback by Blake Bortles. After a run to the AFC Championship in the 2018 postseason, the Jaguars won just five games last year.
In Foles, they get a quarterback who has already proven capable of playoff success, and importantly, beating Tom Brady.
Foles is the biggest name on the quarterback free agency market, and it's possible the biggest name in the NFL Draft has also already found his home.
According to NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been telling people that selecting Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in April's draft is a 'done deal."
Kingsbury said he'd take the Heisman-winning quarterback with the first overall pick if he could even before he was an NFL head coach.
If Murray does wind up going to Arizona with the first pick, it leaves the teams below with some interesting decisions to make regarding how they want to play their hands in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Picking behind the Cardinals are two teams that do not need a quarterback, and are likely open to trading down — the San Francisco 49ers at No. 2 and New York Jets at No. 3.
Just behind them is the Oakland Raiders, who have stood behind quarterback Derek Carr in public, but with three first-round draft picks, have the most leverage of any team should they decide they want to make a move for their player
And just behind them are two teams that are all publicly regarded as in the market for a quarterback — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5) and New York Giants (6).
This leaves us with quite the poker match.
The 49ers and Jets are in an enviable position near the top of the board. Should the Buccaneers or Giants decide that they've found their man, trading up into the top 3 may be the only way to ensure that they get their guy. With a pool deep in defensive talent, chances are either team could still find a player high on their list a few spots back.
Should the Cardinals take Murray at the top of the draft, San Francisco also has an opportunity to pick edge rusher Nick Bosa, widely regarded as the best available player of the 2019 class. The 49ers could keep Bosa for themselves, or entice teams looking to draft the game-changing defender into a trade, making their second pick even more valuable.
If Bosa goes second, the Jets pick at No. 3 suddenly becomes the top spot for quarterback-needy teams to trade up to and get their guy. Beyond the Giants and Buccaneers, the Dolphins, Redskins, and possibly the Patriots could be teams to watch as the draft approaches — depending on how the first two picks shake out, any one of them could decide to pull the trigger and secure their pick of the incoming quarterback draft class.
There is almost no chance that this year's draft will match last year's mark of five quarterbacks taken in the first round. But with names like Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Daniel Jones, and Drew Lock available, and plenty of teams still in need of a trustworthy signal-caller, there is still plenty of intrigue to follow at the top of the board.
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