There were five quarterbacks taken in the first round of April’s NFL Draft and every single one of them is a potential franchise signal-caller. In fact, we could see several of them on the field this year depending on how a few quarterback battles wind up.
In the last collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association, a rookie wage scale was passed that’s been nothing short of a boon for the league and, I would argue, for the players as well. Not the rookies, but for guys going into their second contracts and the cap flexibility the rookie scale has given teams to keep their own, proven guys paid. There are no more monster contracts for rookies anymore. No more “bonus babies” as they were called. For a player taken in the first round, a team has the opportunity to give them a fifth-year option on their rookie deal.
This is why, especially with quarterbacks, it’s so important for a team to take them in the first round.
In this season’s draft, we had Baker Mayfield (No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns), Sam Darnold (No. 3 to the New York Jets), Josh Allen (No. 7 to the Buffalo Bills), Josh Rosen (No. 10 to the Arizona Cardinals) and Lamar Jackson (No. 32 to the Baltimore Ravens) all snatched up on opening night.
Here are the odds of each of those quarterback battles getting to start Week 1 of the regular season:
Sam Darnold (-130)
Josh Allen (-250)
Baker Mayfield (+650)
Josh Rosen (+650)
Lamar Jackson (+1200)
Who’s the best bet out of that group? Chris Gronkowski thinks it’s Darnold, with a nod to Mayfield too.
“I think Sam Darnold will be the first rookie quarterback to lock up the starting job,” Gronkowski said. “The Jets are looking for him to be their franchise quarterback and after a good Week 1 in preseason, it looks like they have found their man. Don’t be surprised if Baker Mayfield jumps into the starting roll Week 1 for the Browns as well. After a solid performance, the Browns will be sure to push Mayfield to take over the starting job. If they can get him mentally ready in the next three weeks, I can see Mayfield starting in Week 1 as well.”
Related: Listen to Episode 2 of the Gronkcast
I think Gronkowski was dead on when he made this pick last week, but the NFL landscape has changed over the weekend. Bills supposed starter A.J. McCarron injured his shoulder last Friday and it was feared he’d broken his collarbone. That doesn’t seem to be the case now, but Allen is already getting the nod as the starter for Friday night’s tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Allen was 9-of-19 for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the preseason and 9-of-13 for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Browns in Week 2. With McCarron likely sidelined for the next two weeks, at least, he’ll have every opportunity to win the job outright for Week 1. Even if Allen is up and down in his performance, McCarron just might not be ready. Not only should you look hard at Allen, Bills head coach Sean McDermott may shock the world and give the nod to Nathan Peterman and that’s a +820 payoff. Peterman is the only quarterback on the roster that started a game in 2017.
The Gronkcast Episodes:
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 9: Inside The NFL: Featuring Rob Gronkowski’s bodyguard Bobby Goons
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 8: Inside The NFL: Inside A Players Life in the NFL
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 7: Inside The NFL: An Interview with WWE superstar Mojo Rawley
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 6: Inside The NFL: NFL Week 2, BulletProof Picks, NFL Head Coaches
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 5: Inside The NFL: A Day In The Life of An NFL Player, NFL Week 1
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 4: Inside The NFL: NFL Betting Strategies, The Best NFL Prop Bets
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 3: Inside The NFL: What It’s Like To Be A Rookie In The NFL
