If the speculated trade price for Jimmy Garoppolo of a fourth-round pick and a future conditional pick is accurate, the competition for the 49ers quarterback should be fierce. (Getty Images)
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The Browns Quarterback Sports Book, located in the Fabulous Rizzo Casino & Resort, takes to the road in Indianapolis next week.
The NFL Combine, more noted for examining, testing and prodding college players eligible for the coming draft, doubles as a breeding ground of trade and free-agent rumors.
Thus, if Browns GM Andrew Berry is going to take an aggressive approach to improving the Browns’ quarterback situation, then conversations should definitely take place in Indianapolis about one or more of the quarterbacks listed on our sports book.
If nothing else, Berry will come away with a much clearer picture of which quarterbacks realistically will be made available once the transaction season kicks off on March 16.
1. Baker Mayfield. Odds: Plus-200 ($100 bet returns $200).
His absence during NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland was conspicuous. Then came the series of Tweets from Jarvis Landry, part of which may be interpreted as a perceived shot at Mayfield for complaining about playing hurt last year while Landry played hurt without saying a thing about his injuries. It just seems that Mayfield is very disconnected from his team and football home right now.
2. Jimmy Garoppolo. Plus-300.
An opinion piece in The Athletic projected Garoppolo’s trade price as a fourth-round pick plus a second conditional pick in 2023. If that is anywhere close to accurate, then what exactly is holding up this deal?
3. Mitchell Trubisky. Plus-550.
There will be a market for him in free agency. The competition might knock a one-year “prove it” deal out of the water and earn Trubisky a legit competition for a starting role somewhere.
4. Kirk Cousins. Plus-600.
Nobody is working the NFL system better than Cousins. He has the Vikings over a barrel with his $35 million guaranteed salary in 2022. His contract position makes both a trade and a contract extension difficult for the Vikings to pull off. They’ll either trade him at a highly discounted price and pick up a large portion of his 2022 salary, or return him for one last lame-duck season.
5. Rookie draft pick. Plus-800.
I’m still high on Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati as a developmental prospect after the first round. We’ll check in with him at the Combine next week.
6. Aaron Rodgers. Plus-1200.
The latest conspiracy theory on Mr. Bizarro is that he doesn’t want to retire this year and be grouped in a Hall of Fame class in five years with Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Rob Gronkowski and Adrian Peterson. The height of arrogance? Following this theory, Rodgers would agree to play at least another year – and the Packers would then decide whether to trade him.
7. Derek Carr. Plus-1500.
Like Cousins, his trade price has to be trending downward because of an expected $40 million-a-year salary range in a new deal. Good luck with that.
8. Matt Ryan. Plus-1800.
If he would just tell the Falcons he wanted out, he would be much higher on this book. But he doesn’t want to leave Atlanta and the Falcons seem OK with carrying a cap charge of $48.6 million for another year.
9. Russell Wilson. Plus-2000.
There remains no indication of a parting of him and the Seahawks.
10. Deshaun Watson. Plus-3000.
The latest development reportedly set a deadline of April 1 for whether he will be criminally charged for allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior. Meanwhile, the Texans’ supposed trade demand of three No. 1s plus starting-caliber players has not changed.
11. Teddy Bridgewater. Plus-4000.
A new addition to the sports book, Bridgewater is looking for his fifth team in six years. He’s a long-time favorite of Kevin Stefanski and has produced a winning record with three of his four teams and is 72-62 overall in his injury-marred career.