Keidel: Free Agent Deals Inflate Fitzpatrick's Market Worth
By Jason Keidel
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Remember Matt Flynn?
A backup quarterback subbing for a surefire Hall of Famer, Flynn lit up the Detroit Lions for a few quarters at the end of the 2011 season, then parlayed his ephemeral magic into a starter's salary.
Likewise, Brock Osweiler laughed his way into thin air of untold riches, duping Denver and Houston into thinking he was Peyton Manning's seamless successor. Osweiler morphed from backup into billionaire (well, millionaire) in the 20 minutes it took Manning to tearfully retire from football.
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But one other man had to be as happy as Osweiler: Ryan Fitzpatrick.
One stroke of Osweiler's pen had a beautiful, binary result for Fitzpatrick. It created a swollen monetary market for his services, and created a second QB chasm in Denver. Now the Jets and Broncos are interested in the Jets' signal-caller, who also had the serendipity of his best season in 2015.
With the obscene raise Osweiler enjoyed in Houston, where he got millions more than Denver offered, sans a state income tax, Fitzpatrick and his agent can practically name their next contract.
Granted, Fitzpatrick has a longer resume, but his salary next year will be way more commensurate to last year's stellar stats than those over his journeyman career. Depending on the report, he will command between $15 million and $18 million per year, plus the guaranteed money Sam Bradford ($22 million) and Osweiler ($37 million) received. And how many years do you give someone in their mid-30s who just had the best year of his career?
If Flynn was worth $26 million and Osweiler is worth $72 million, what's the price for a 10-win quarterback in Gotham? No disrespect to Houston, one of the five largest cities in the U.S., or Denver, perhaps the most stable franchise in football (two losing seasons in 30 years), but the Big Apple -- the media vortex of America -- is a different beast.
Fitzpatrick has the Jets bent over a barrel, as the Amish Rifle can reload with silver bullets after the next deal he is sure to sign.
The only good news for Gang Green, who are still galaxies away from Fitzpatrick in negotiations, is that Denver seems to think Fitzpatrick's monetary demands are a bit exorbitant. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two could not agree to terms. Denver is still surely shell-shocked by Osweiler's defection, and are suddenly stag at the Super Bowl party they're throwing this spring.
But Fitzpatrick should be careful. While he did post the best numbers in franchise history (31 TD, 3,905 yards), the journeyman QB with the epic beard could negotiate his way out of a colossal payday.
Meanwhile, the Jets just chatted with Robert Griffin III, and the Broncos have expressed interest in Colin Kaepernick, two players who seemed to have the world by the horns just two years ago, yet now find themselves sliding down the slick edges of the sport.
Beyond last season, there's nothing to suggest Fitzpatrick is exponentially better than either. Both are younger and more naturally gifted than than the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick, who started in 2015 largely because presumed started Geno Smith got his jaw smashed by a former teammate during a prepubescent spat over $600.
Not to mention Fitzpatrick plays with the luxury of all-world wideouts. Indeed, the Jets could boast the best wide receiver tandem in the sport, with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker on Fitzgerald's flank last year. Not to mention the recent signing of running back Matt Forte, who comes with injury and age concerns, but has been an all-world, all-purpose back for some time.
Kaepernick has lost Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis over the last two years, and now safety valve Anquan Boldin is a free agent. RGIII hasn't played a snap since 2014, but there's no doubting his raw talent. His dedication -- is it about the ball or his brand? -- has always been the issue.
The Jets can't be in a good mood. On top of potentially losing the chemistry that came with a QB on an unexpected roll in his twilight, the Jets lost running back Chris Ivory, defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison and recently released cornerback Antonio Cromartie. They have perilously small space between their current payroll and current salary cap.
Fitzpatrick is in a most enviable position. The QB demand so exceeds the supply that an NFL gypsy is now as valuable as Joe Montana. Signing with the Super Bowl champion isn't a bad idea. But there's something to be said about staying home, where the Jets are surely hungrier, even if they're not quite better, than the Broncos.
Who would have thought 12 months ago that two teams with a combined 22-10 record would be jousting for a QB on his sixth NFL team last year. It's good to be Ryan Fitzpatrick. Time to take aim at the Amish Rifle.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel