From a personnel perspective, finding a franchise quarterback is the most difficult thing to do in the NFL. Using an early first-round pick on a quarterback is very risky, and it usually takes quite a while for rookies to develop. Plus, QB-needy teams such as the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams are unlikely to be drafting early enough to get a star quarterback prospect. Rarely are franchise quarterbacks traded or released.
But as usual, quite a few teams will be looking to upgrade at the most important position on the field this offseason. Below I have listed my 10 top quarterbacks who are either likely to be available this offseason or could realistically become available. Jay Cutler and Eli Manning aren't listed, as it seems far-fetched that they'd hit the open market, but if there are coaching changes for the Bears or Giants, either could conceivably be traded or released.
Also, the Jets or Bills might take a draft pick to move on from Geno Smith or EJ Manuel, respectively. There is an obvious shortage of quality quarterbacks, so even the players at the top of this list are long shots to become the true answers for their present or new teams.
Here's a look at the top 10 QBs likely to be on the market in 2015, followed by others who might be traded or released and a tier-based roundup of the remaining free-agent QB landscape:
