With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rear view, most NFL teams have a solid idea of what their roster will look like come September. But with organized team activities and training camps still around the corner, there’s plenty of time for lineups to be tweaked. That’s especially the case if/when injuries arise, prompting last-minute adjustments, even at premium positions like quarterback.
Odds are there won’t be anymore blockbuster deals under center, but let’s say a key veteran goes down, even if just for the short term. The trade winds could very well pick up, especially with so many teams currently overseeing crowded depth charts. A year after journeyman Joshua Dobbs got dealt not once but twice as an emergency starter, which reserve signal-caller could be next on the trade block, provided a vacancy opens up in the coming months?
Here are five names to watch:
The former Washington Commanders starter already took a pay cut to stick around as Kirk Cousins‘ backup. And that was before the Falcons spent this year’s No. 8 overall draft pick on Michael Penix Jr. Only due $4.5 million in 2024, Heinicke could easily prefer to start fresh if Penix gets the No. 2 job, and his 29 career starts could be appealing to a team desperate for immediate help.
By acquiring him for a fourth-rounder a year ago, the Cowboys signaled they might view Lance as a long-term alternative to steady starter Dak Prescott. But the former San Francisco 49ers prospect has yet to take an official snap for Dallas and will be a free agent after 2024, with Cooper Rush seemingly entrenched as the No. 2. Dealing him after June 1 would save $5 million.
All indications are Jaguars coach Doug Pederson loves Beathard as Trevor Lawrence’s savvy backup, but the team also just traded for New England Patriots castoff Mac Jones; at 26, the latter could be a post-2024 option as the No. 2. If, say, the 49ers lost someone to injury, it’s hard to imagine Kyle Shanahan not exploring a reunion after Beathard’s 12-start San Francisco stint.
Humble and mobile as he may be, Willis has effectively been shortchanged by two straight Titans regimes, with current general manager Ran Carthon not only building around young starter Will Levis but adding Mason Rudolph as a new No. 2. It’s possible Willis might prefer a fresh start, and an acquiring team would have the added bonus of getting him under contract through 2025.
The 2023 fifth-rounder appeared in eight games for the Browns as a rookie, starting three in place of the injured Deshaun Watson. But Cleveland made not one but two veteran investments in the position this offseason, adding both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley as Watson insurance. A practice-squad role could be in order, but what if another team likes his potential?
