Redskins: 3 quarterbacks to target on the free agent market in 2018

There’s no quarterback on the free agent market who is more interesting that Case Keenum. Well, save for Kirk Cousins. Keenum is coming off a great season for the Vikings that saw him lead the team to the NFC Championship game. Now, he might hit the free agent market for yet another year.

Over the course of his career, Keenum had been considered a decent backup at best. Prior to 2017, he sported a 9-15 career record and the Rams let him go as they cleaned house following the Jeff Fisher era. He signed a cheap deal to serve as a backup in Minnesota, and that worked out well.

As I pointed out in my free agents to watch piece from early in the postseason, Keenum was a big surprise in 2017 and had a great year.

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"Keenum is in the midst of what is by far the best season of his career. Originally signed to backup Sam Bradford until Teddy Bridgewater was healthy, Keenum took over the starting job and put up an 11-3 record throwing for career highs in passing yards (3,547) and touchdowns (22). He has looked very good and should get a chance to start in 2018."

Since then, Keenum’s Vikings have been eliminated after he and the team struggled against the tough Eagles defense in the NFC Championship game. Realistically, that was Keenum’s first mediocre performance of the year, and it’s possible that he could keep playing well in the right system. He could be a one-year wonder too, but that’s just a risk a quarterback needy team will have to take.

The Vikings’ decision on Keenum will be telling. If they franchise tag him, it’s obvious that he may be worth a big deal on the market. If they choose to let him walk, that could scare off potential suitors on the market, though the New York Giants and former offensive coordinator turned head coach Pat Shurmur will have interest.

Next: Predicting the results of the 2018 quarterback carousel

In the event that Keenum is available and Cousins walks, the team has to at least look into Keenum. He could be an ideal stopgap for a few years as a bridge to a young quarterback. Some may say that Colt McCoy would be a better option, but Keenum still has more upside. And Keenum, because of his lack of consistent play over his career, will command less than Cousins and could, with a strong supporting cast, get back to the postseason. So, in short, he needs to be considered.