1. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
Vick's career as a regular full-time starter in the NFL might very well be over. This doesn't mean that some quarterback-needy teams won't go after him to be a quick fix measure while a young signal caller learns the ropes. The idea there would be bring Vick in as a temporary starter, who will be replaced in short order.
If that doesn't work out for the soon-to-be 34-year-old quarterback, he'll likely have to settle on a backup job this offseason. In that, the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Benglas would make some sense. San Francisco will be looking at a veteran upgrade over Colt McCoy behind Colin Kaepernick. Meanwhile, the Bengals have a need at the No. 2 position and could even bring Vick in as competition for Andy Dalton.
Teams that could be looking for either a one-year starter or training camp competition are the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. Recent reports have linked Vick to the Jets as competition for Geno Smith, but I am not too entirely sure that's the ideal situation for either side. Despite a horrendous rookie campaign, Smith is a young quarterback who needs to either be given the starting job or released/traded. You simply don't start a player for his entire rookie season and then move on from him within the matter of just one year.
If I had to put money on a team here, it would be the Raiders. They are currently shopping Terrelle Pryor for the right price and don't have a viable long-term solution on the roster. Even if Oakland does spend a top-round pick on a quarterback, Vick could come in as a stop gap measure.
Prediction: Oakland Raiders
2. Josh McCown, Chicago Bears
There has been some talk of a McCown-Raiders reunion, but most of that came from an interview that the veteran quarterback did with a Bay Area radio station last month. Where Oakland would make some sense, I view Vick as a much better fit in Northern California.
McCown has also been linked to the Jets, which seems to be more of a realistic scenario. While Vick going to New Jersey might bring in more questions than answers, especially considering he might be expected to push Smith, McCown's presence might have a calming influence on the young quarterback. Remember, McCown was more than content with going back to a backup role this past season when Jay Cutler returned from injury, despite compiling 14 total touchdowns compared to one interception.
Prediction: New York Jets
3. Shaun Hill, Detroit Lions
It's the humble opinion of this one writer that Hill should be starting for a minimum of five teams in the NFL today. Among them, Oakland, Cleveland and Jacksonville. He boasts a 13-13 career record as a starting quarterback with 41 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
At 34, Hill's probably past the point of being brought in to contend for a starting gig. This leads me to believe that he'll return to San Francisco as Colin Kaepernick's backup. As mentioned before, San Francisco needs a backup quarterback. Hill would fill that role to a T.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers
4. Josh Freeman, Minnesota Vikings
It's really hard to understand exactly what happened to Freeman during his short tenure with the Vikings. Immediately after being signed away from Tampa Bay after the Buccaneers released him, Freeman was called on to start for Minnesota. By immediately, we are talking less than a week. Freeman responded by having the single-worst game of his NFL career. That was all she wrote for his playing time in Minnesota.
We already know what happened with Greg Schiano and Freeman in Tampa. That's been well documents. What's lesser known is the fact that he's just a few years removed from being considered one of the best young signal callers in the NFL. The talent is most definitely there, it's now up to Freeman to put everything together. Unfortunately, he won't be given that opportunity as a starter in 2014. Instead, the former first-round pick will have to look at catching on as a backup.
A realistic landing spot could be the St. Louis Rams, especially if they decide to pass on a quarterback in the first two days of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Prediction: St. Louis Rams
