Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Brad Berreman
- Edited by Allie Fontana

Top Free-Agent Quarterbacks

Marc Bulger (Baltimore Ravens)

Bulger served as Joe Flacco’s backup in Baltimore last season, however he didn’t take a snap all season. Before he signed with the Ravens, Bulger started 95 games for the St. Louis Rams from 2002-2009 and that experience stands to make him one of the more sought after free-agent quarterbacks. Teams like the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals could all use a veteran signal caller with the leadership qualities that Bulger has displayed throughout his career. Bulger may be interested in and well-suited to serving as a veteran mentor to a rookie quarterback in Minnesota or Tennessee, and should be able to make at least a few starts if necessary.  It is also possible that he stays in Baltimore and helps further develop Flacco.

Since he is likely to be a backup in most of his potential landing spots, Bulger probably won’t make a major fantasy football impact in 2011.  That said, Bugler could be useful in short spurts with a solid supporting cast around him if he gets the opportunity to start a few games.

Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks)  **SIGNED WITH TENNESSEE TITANS**

“The Bald Bomber” will turn 36 early in the 2011 season and he’s expressed a desire to re-sign with the Seahawks as long as they make a fair financial offer. Hasselbeck’s recent injury history is a concern and he’s started all 16 games only once in the past five seasons. On the other hand, teams in need of a capable veteran will no doubt consider bringing him in. Much of the recent speculation, including that of Hasselbeck’s brother (and ESPN analyst) Tim, suggests that the Tennessee Titans are a likely landing spot given his ties to the team’s front office and coaching staff. The Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals may also have him on their radar.

Hasselbeck could be useful to fantasy football owners in 2011, but a lot depends on what he’s role turns out to be. If he stays in Seattle, then he would definitely be the starter. Drafting him as a QB2 and potentially using him in matchup play in the Seahawks’ six games against fairly weak NFC West competitors might work out well.  Hasselbeck would also be the likely starter and a decent fantasy option if he lands in Tennessee or Arizona. Age and injury history add to the risk for fantasy owners, so keep that in mind when compiling your fantasy football cheat sheets.

Bruce Gradkowski (Oakland Raiders)  **SIGNED WITH CINCINNATI BENGALS**

Gradkowksi was shut down early in 2010 due to a shoulder injury, the second straight season he ended up on injured reserve.  His inability to stay healthy led Raiders’ owner Al Davis to suggest that Gradkowski will not be retained by the team when free agency starts.  Gradkowski has only started 20 games in his career, including 11 in 2006 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lack of experience and his injury history make him likely to land as a backup somewhere.  A recently mentioned landing spot for Gradkowski is Cincinnati. The Bengals’ new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is familiar with him from their days together in Tampa Bay.  Of course the status of Carson Palmer, who has threatened to retire if he is not traded, will be a telltale sign of how serious Cincinnati is in any quarterback to come in and compete with rookie Andy Dalton.  Other teams, such as the Tennessee Titans or Minnesota Vikings, may take a look at Gradkowski, however he would not be at the top of any team’s free-agent quarterback list.

Gradkowski has shown leadership ability when given the opportunity to start and his teammates love him, but unfortunately those intangibles are not fantasy football categories.  He is unlikely to be much more than a possible bye-week fill in for fantasy owners in 2011, and that depends on where he lands and how much he plays.

Tarvaris Jackson (Minnesota Vikings)  **SIGNED WITH SEATTLE SEAHAWKS**

Jackson and former Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress were inextricably tied during their time in Minnesota, and Jackson’s failures as a starting quarterback led to the team becoming the epicenter of the annual “Brett Favre Watch” over the last couple years.  Jackson is slated to be a free agent and the odds are that Minnesota will let him go. The team most often mentioned as a potential destination is the Seattle Seahawks, as former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is now the offensive coordinator there. Seattle’s interest in Jackson is likely predicated on their ability to retain Matt Hasselbeck for another year or how he measures up against another veteran should Hasselbeck goes elsewhere.

Jackson is unlikely to step in as the clear-cut Week 1 starter on any new team, consequently his fantasy football impact looks certain to be minimal. 

Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers)  **RE-SIGNED WITH SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS**

Smith has been a disappointment to this point in his NFL career, and the fact the 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick in April suggests his hold on the starting job could be tenuous going forward.  That said, new head coach Jim Harbaugh has suggested that Smith will be brought back to the team and may be the front runner for the starting job. Smith himself seems committed to being a 49er,  as he has been at the helm of player-organized workouts during the lockout.  He is unlikely to have many alternatives on the open market if he is not retained by San Francisco, therefore Smith is likely to take whatever they offer him in a new contract.

From a fantasy football perspective, Smith could be a nice fit in Harbaugh’s version of the West Coast offense and he has enough weapons at his disposal (Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree) to be successful if he can win and keep the starting job.  Smith could become a high end QB2 if everything falls into place.