Good Help is Hard to Find: The Great Quarterback Search of 2016

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ed. Note- Since the posting of this article, the Browns have signed Robert Griffin III to a 2-year, $15 million contract, because of course they have.

We all know that quarterback is the most important position, not just in football, but in all of American sports.

The guy touches the ball (almost) every play, is responsible with making pre-snap reads/adjustments, needs to put the ball in the hands of his team's play makers, typically serves as the face of the franchise, and generally sets the tone for everything his coach wants to do offensively.

With all that in mind, it's pretty easy to see why players like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger have all signed $100 million deals in recent years. Heck, it's even understandable that players like Joe Flacco and Eli Manning have as well. At least they've proven to their teams they can win championships.

But in every NFL team's desperate search to find its next franchise quarterback, the market has gotten a little out of whack.

NFL Week 4 Primer (With Picks) - Still Can't Be Sure

The Bengals and quarterback Andy Dalton (14) come into Week 4 undefeated and riding high, while linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) and the 0-3 Ravens badly need a win Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

 By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We've learned a few things over the first three weeks of the season - The Packers still have an elite offense even without Jordy Nelosn, the Broncos have maybe the best defense in football, the Patriots plan on scoring a lot of points, and the Cardinals are taking no prisoners. Meanwhile, Chicago and New Orleans suck, and the AFC South is a dumpster fire as usual.

But there's a lot we still don't know. For instance - is Atlanta actually good? They've beaten three NFC East teams, but the NFC East might suck. Are the Panthers good? They're also 3-0, but they've also defeated three terrible teams. Are the Colts as bad as they look, or are the Bills and Jets just much better than we were anticipating? How good (or bad) are teams like Tennessee, Oakland, Kansas City, Minnesota, St. Louis, and the entire AFC North? There's still a lot of uncertainty about.

Game(s) of the Week

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (8:25 p.m. Thursday, CBS/NFL Network)

I know Ben Roethlisberger isn't playing in this one, but it's still Steelers-Ravens in Pittsburgh, and both teams have a ton to play for. The 2-1 Steelers are just hoping to stay afloat without their franchise quarterback, and they'll lean on the largely washed up Michael Vick to manage the offense, hoping that All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown and All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell can bring him along.

On the other side, the Ravens are 0-3 for the first time since the club moved to Baltimore, and staring a playoff-less season in the face. Aging receiver Steve Smith Sr. is playing like a young pup again, but the Ravens haven't found any other reliable weapons offensively. Normally that wouldn't be a huge problem, but Baltimore is currently a below-average defense thanks to the loss of All-Pro linebacker Terrell Suggs, ranking 22nd in the league in total defense (and that counts a solid Week 1 performance in which Suggs played most of the game).

Both teams have issues in the secondary, but can the toothless Ravens skill position group or the Vick-led Steelers offense capitalize?

Joe & Daphne's Preview: The AFC East

Daphne: "Release me vile human!"

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Daphne Parello (@DaphnePup)

Welcome to our first NFL preview of the summer! My pup and I are happy to have you. Over the next several weeks we will be taking a look at every division in the league, along with making playoff and award predictions.

We begin today with the AFC East, a division owned by the New England Patriots, or, more specifically, quarterback Tom Brady, who has won the division in all but one of his healthy seasons since taking over as the Patriots' starter in mid-2001. That's 12 division titles in Brady's 13 seasons, if you're curious, with the Patriots winning the division 12 times overall in that 14 year span.

In that time, only one other quarterback has won the AFC East: The immortal Chad Pennington, who went 7-2 as a starter for the 2002 Jets, and led the Dolphins to a division crown during Brady's injury lost season of 2008.

Unfortunately, Chad Pennington ain't walking through that door for anybody in the division.

Still, the AFC East could be better and deeper than it has been in years, thanks to some suddenly salty defenses. But, will the division's traditional also-rans get enough out of their quarterbacks to capitalize on their stellar defensive fronts? Daphne and I examine.

Bob Lobel: Revis and Butt-Head

 By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

How is it possible for a defensive back to hold the NFL hostage? 

How many Super Bowls did the Patriots win without Darrelle Revis? That would be three. One with, three without. Granted, a fifth would be easier with him, and we know the money is available, but you can't take chrome off a bumper if it doesn’t want to go. 

Not the first time the team has had to do stuff like this, and this is the perfect example of why the run of Belichick and Brady has been so memorable. It's so different, and so much more difficult in this world of free agency and salary caps, to maintain a team that competes year after year and actually wins four of those bad boys.  

When it's all said and done, that will be the legacy of what we have experienced. No disrespect intended, but the 49ers and Steelers had their great runs, just not under these ground rules. So be it. 

Long And Suite Preview: The AFC East

Tom Brady is still under center for the Patriots, but it will be New England's defense that will need to carry them if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The AFC East will (in overwhelming likelihood) not be hotly contested. The division title, for years, has been the reward the New England Patriots receive simply for showing up with a healthy quarterback. The Patriots have won 12 or more games in eight of the last eleven seasons. No other team in the division has even done it once. They've won the division in 11 of the last 13. The two years they didn't they came damn close - in 2008, they went 11-5 but lost the division to the also 11-5 Dolphins, despite the Patriots posting a far superior scoring margin. In 2002, there was a three-way tie at 9-7 atop the division, but the Patriots lost out to the Jets on tiebreakers despite, again, a superior scoring margin.

Nobody really expects anyone to challenge the Patriots, which is why they have the second-steepest odds to win their division - Vegas sees only Denver as a bigger lock to win their division. But after the Patriots, the division is very much in flux. And with the conference so up in the air outside of New England and Denver, whoever grabs second in the AFC East could very well be a dangerous Wild Card team.

Tim Tebow, Michael Sam, Tony Dungy and the NFL's "Distraction" Issue

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I love when people leave comments on our site.

Really, I do. It gives me such joy that people take even 20 seconds to either express their agreement with my view or, more commonly, tell me I'm an idiot. 

These comments are usually reserved for my high school power rankings and all star teams, but every now and then somebody will take issue with something I say on a national sports story. When I wrote my blog on Tony Dungy I fully expected it to be one of those kinds of posts.

The issue of gay athletes seems to get people riled up on both sides, and is certainly something that is going to be in the news for much of the foreseeable future.

Now, with these comments, I usually just respond with a couple of sentences in the comments section, but this particular remark, I believe, represents the beliefs of a very large group of the American sports fan population.

If you don't feel like going back and reading the comment in my Dungy blog, I have pasted it below.

Midweek #HotSportsTakes: Is the NFL About to Implode?

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says the "greedy" NFL is 10 years away from implosion.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Midweek #HotSportsTakes is a new weekly segment here on SuiteSports, where we will offer shallow and somewhat incendiary analysis on random hot-button sports topics of the day. Jeremy is taking the week off to prepare our Sweet 16 preview, so I'm riding solo today.

Here we go...

Winners and Losers from NFL Free Agency… So Far

DeMarcus Ware is one of the greatest players in Cowboys history, but he's also old. Like, old enough to be in a picture hitting Donovan McNabb.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Free agency has certainly been eventful thus far.

With the salary cap jumping nearly $10 million to $133 million total, teams had money to spend, and spend they did. Plenty of franchises went "all in," splurging on veterans that can help them win now, while other teams added long-term projects, hoping to lay the foundation for a championship run years down the road.

Either way, here are a few winners and losers, along with a few teams that could go either way, from the first work-week of NFL free agency. I know, we should all be paying attention to the NBA/NHL home stretches and college basketball conference tournaments, but this is America... You know you want to hear more about football, even when training camps don't open for over four months.

The Top-10 Super Bowls in NFL History

For historic plays and dramatic finishes, Super Bowl XLIII is tough to beat, but is it No. 1 on our list?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

By now you're surely ready for Super Bowl Sunday, and what should be a fantastic game between Denver and Seattle.

Like we mentioned earlier this week, Sunday's game will be a Super Bowl like no other, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be remembered as one of the best in league history.

So, which games are the 10 best Super Bowls ever? Are they the games with the most history on the line? The ones with the most drama? The ones featuring the most legendary players?

Well, they are all of those things and more. Check out our slideshow below for my Top-10, and click on the picture in each slide if you want highlights from that game.

Why Your Favorite AFC Team Will Make the Super Bowl Next Year

Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins could be playing on Super Sunday next year... No, seriously. Ok, maybe not that seriously.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe) and Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

We've made it to that comfortable void between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, and two fan bases are in football fandom heaven right now.

Yep, those lucky bastards in Denver and Seattle get to dream about their team's Super Bowl date in just under two weeks, not to mention all the reminiscing they're already doing about the 2013 season and accompanying postseason. You see, making the Super Bowl is such a huge accomplishment, that the season is already a success for both this teams. After all, Peyton Manning did beat Tom Brady to get here, and the Seahawks got to defeat, then totally belittle, the hated 49ers to make Super Sunday.

Only a New England Patriots fan could complain about just making the Super Bowl.

Weekend Football Roundup: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Rivalry weekend produced a whole lot of good, some bad and, unfortunately, some very ugly.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every week, editor's Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the pro and college football weekend that was.

The Good

Rivalry Week

Damn, I mean, just damn.

What an incredible Saturday of college football it was, and it all started with an Ohio State-Michigan game that wasn't even supposed to be competitive. The brawl infused thriller in Ann Arbor gave way to one of the greatest finishes in college football history, as Auburn defeated Alabama by returning a last-second Crimson Tide field goal attempt the length of the field for a winning score.

Bob Lobel: Push-Gate, Brady Looking Mortal and the Sox in the Series

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

It was a lousy way to lose a football game. 

A rule no one knew existed will likely become the least called penalty in the history of the NFL. I'm betting it will never be called again. Not because it will be removed from the book, but simply because the circumstances surrounding its use will not soon be forgotten. 

"Push-gate" will rival the Tuck Rule for its unique quality, being that nobody outside of those wearing striped shirts ever heard of it. Whether it should have been called or not isn’t the question. Really, the question that needs attention is, “who is the person wearing number 12 with the name Brady on the back?" 

Weekend Football Roundup - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Tom Brady threw the game-winning touchdown to beat New Orleans, but was he the real star? (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every Tuesday during football season, editors Jeremy and Joe will bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the college and pro football weekend that was.

(Editor's Note: Joe is too busy this week "going to New Hampshire" and "getting married to his fiancee" to contribute to the recap. I know, selfish, right? So I've taken it upon myself to do the Weekend Roundup myself this week, which is why you won't see initials designating the author of each section. Except this one. Also, I didn't watch any college football on Saturday, so you're only getting NFL coverage this week. Don't blame me, blame Joe. Nobody is forcing him to get married. -JC)

The Good

Aqib Talib

Everyone's favorite NFL writer Bill Barnwell already covered this in his column yesterday, but Talib may as well be the best cornerback in all of football so far this season. After three good-to-great games in coverage opposite Vincent Jackson, Julio Jones, and A.J. Green, Talib produced the best cover game of any defensive player in the league this season, holding Jimmy Graham to zero catches off six targets in Sunday's game.

Playing Talib in "zero" coverage (i.e. no help over the top) for most of the game allowed Devin McCourty to constantly shade towards Marques Colston's side of the field, and Colston ended up with just one catch (off three targets) for 11 yards. When the top two downfield targets for an explosive passing attack combine for just one catch off nine targets, that's an indisputable win for the defense.

Tampa Bay Cuts Benched Quarterback - Josh Freeman Now Free Man

Josh Freeman's days in Tampa Bay are over, but he could find a new home quickly. (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the hilarious decision to release Josh Freeman on Thursday, making him available to sign with any team he chooses. According to ESPN sources, the Bucs contacted each of the 31 other teams but were unable to find a taker for Freeman (or, more accurately, Freeman's $6.2 million cap hit).

Freeman is now three years removed from a particularly strong 2010 season, when he threw for 25 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and finished 6th in the league in passer rating. His 2011 season was undoubtedly disappointing (regression was not kind to Freeman - his interception rate spiked from 1.3% to 4.0%), but he bounced back with an respectable 2012, throwing for over 4000 yards and finishing 18th in Total QBR among 39 qualified candidates.

Catching Up With Bob Lobel: Patriots-Jets Preview

Each week on the "Catching Up With Bob Lobel" podcast, sportscasting legend Bob Lobel and host Joe Parello tackle the biggest sports stories of the week, and revisit the greatest moments in New England sports history.

This week is a Patriots football Thursday, so SuiteSports Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Conlin dropped in to join the discussion on New England's game against the Jets in Foxboro. Does New England have the weapons to contend this year, and why does Vegas seem to think they're going to blow out the Jets after last week's near-loss in Buffalo?

All that, and more, on this week's edition of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel."

More Sports Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with RF Sports Radio on BlogTalkRadio

Weekend Football Roundup - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

There are already a few NCAA coaches on the hot seat. Lane Kiffin might be one of them.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every Tuesday during football season, editors Jeremy and Joe will bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the college and pro football weekend that was.

The Good

Peyton Manning

He threw for seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. That is all.

-JP

Chip Kelly, LeSean McCoy, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and Everything Else Involving Philadelphia's First Half Offense

After seeing one game, I think it's safe to say that Chip Kelly is the best coach in NFL History. Any objections? No? Okay good.

Long and Suite Preview: The AFC East

Belichick and Brady have ruled the AFC East for a dozen years, but how much longer can the Pats dominate the division?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It's been a dozen years of dominance for New England in the AFC East. The Pats have won 10 of the 12 division titles since Tom Brady stepped in for the injured Drew Bledsoe back in 2001, not to mention appeared in five Super Bowls, winning three.

So basically, this has been the Brady/Belichick division for a generation now.

Will that change this season, with new offensive talent assembled in South Florida and a new era underway in Buffalo? Probably not, but for the first time in a while, the Patriots don't look unstoppable on offense, so perhaps this is the beginning of the end for New England's dominant run.

Catching Up with Bob Lobel: Bruins-Penguins Preview

 In this week's edition of "Catching Up with Bob Lobel," Bob and host Joe Parello preview the upcoming NHL Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. Also, Bob weighs in on Rex Ryan and the sad state of affairs with the New York Jets.

Listen to internet radio with Real Fans Sports Radio on BlogTalkRadio

The Best Bad Quarterback Battles in the NFL

You don't think that petition for Tebow will work, do you?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, with historic names like Brady, Manning(Both of 'em), Rodgers, Roethlisberger and Brees capturing nine of the last 10 Super Bowls.

Oh, and I guess last year's winner Joe Flacco ain't too shabby either.

The point is, to play a good football at the NFL level, you need high-level quarterback play. None of these teams have that luxury. So, without further ado, here is a look at the quarterback battles that will be entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

Buffalo Bills: Tavaris Jackson vs Kevin Kolb vs E.J. Manuel

Don't Be Hatin': Tebow Will Play in the NFL in 2013

"Cheer up Tim, somebody will sign you..."

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

I must be the only Tebow moderate in America.

He's as polarizing an athlete as I've ever seen, with half the country throwing blind faith at a clearly flawed player, and the other half hoping he crashes and burns, despite the fact that he has the skills to succeed at this level in some capacity.

Oh yeah, and he's actually pretty fun to watch too.

So, when Tebow was cut by the Jets Monday and I began to hear the "Will any NFL team pick him up?" talk, I was a little disappointed. No, I'm not the biggest Tebow fan, but if you don't think plenty of teams could use a guy like him, you're being very short-sighted.

First, let me start by saying that I don't think any team could handle him worse than the Jets did last season. Only allowing Tebow to carry the ball 32 times and playing him as a punt protector was borderline insulting to a guy that won a playoff game the year before.