Sage Rosenfels column: Assessing every NFC team's draft need at QB

Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.

As is the case every offseason, one of the most intriguing pre-draft storylines involves potential landing spots for top quarterback talents making the jump to the NFL.

But how many teams are actually in the market for a signal-caller this time around, and to what degree?

Here's a look at how every NFC team should view its quarterback situation ahead of draft day.

AFC | NFC

No need to draft a QB

This is the category of the fortunate. These NFL teams and their fans should know and appreciate how lucky they are. You’ve either got a really good veteran quarterback, or a young guy who's shown enough that he will probably give your team a chance to win a Super Bowl in his career.

Packers

You have Aaron Rodgers. You previously had Brett Favre for 16 years. Packers fans and Warren Buffet’s children have the same luck. Congratulations. At this rate, when A-Rodg retires in eight years, the football gods will hand you another first-ballot Hall of Famer on a platter.

Falcons

Matt Ryan just won the MVP award, and has plenty of good seasons left in him. You also just re-signed Matt Schaub for a few more years to back him up. Your biggest concern in the quarterback room isn’t the QB, but rather the guy who will be giving him the plays. We shall see how losing Kyle Shanahan affects Ryan in 2017.

Panthers

Two years removed from an MVP campaign, Cam Newton is still one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. There are plenty of concerns surrounding his long-term play as he's getting older and needs to increasingly protect his body. Because of the physical abuse he takes, he must significantly improve his passing skills. Footwork and advanced knowledge of the game are vital if he wants to compete for 15 years in the league. Either way, he is still a top-tier quarterback and Carolina fans know they are lucky to have him.

Seahawks

Russell Wilson was injured for the majority of last season and his numbers showed it. He could no longer extend plays and create his usual magic. His touchdowns were way down, yet Seattle still made the playoffs. The Seahawks may make a few waves on draft day with the Lynch and Sherman situations. Neither will affect their need for a starting quarterback, though. They are set at this position.

Buccaneers

The questions related to Jameis Winston before the draft had more to do with his off-field issues than his football abilities. So far, he's passed that test with flying colors. If he continues on his current path, Tampa will be regularly battling for a playoff spot. The Bucs play in an extremely competitive division, and need to upgrade multiple spots on their roster. Quarterback is definitely not one of them.

Cowboys

Most teams find their future starting quarterback in the first or second round, and occasionally as some sort of free-agent rarity (Brees/Peyton). On the other hand, Dallas found its QB in the fourth round last year and won’t need another for a long, long time. Dak Prescott had a sensational rookie year, but also wasn’t asked to do as much as most other top-flight quarterbacks. If Jerry Jones and Jason Garret continue to put a great offensive line and running game on the field, Dak will have continued success. Having once played for offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, I believe Prescott will show plenty of improvement as he goes into year two. No sophomore slump in Dallas, and no need to look at starting quarterbacks in the draft.

Eagles

I loved Carson Wentz before the 2016 draft and still feel the same way about him now. Philly didn’t have a great roster last year and still managed to compete in the NFC East with a rookie quarterback. Though the Eagles “only” won seven games, four of those came against teams that made the playoffs. Philadelphia is close. Much of its improvement last year was because of Wentz, who had an outstanding rookie season.

Lions

Matt Stafford is coming off one of his best seasons, and it was after losing the Lions’ all-time greatest receiver in Megatron. His arm isn’t getting any weaker and his knowledge of offense and defense has continued to improve - he’s no longer the young gunslinger. Detroit won’t be drafting a quarterback anytime soon. Rather, the Lions are focused on a new monster contract for their starting pivot.

Redskins

This is one of the most difficult teams to write about since they have a young, legitimate franchise quarterback, yet he doesn’t seem to want to be there. Nothing would shock me as it relates to Washington’s draft picks or free-agency choices. One thing I know for sure is that Kirk Cousins has made himself a lot of money because of his play over the last two years. He could be the quarterback in Washington for the next 10 seasons, or he could be traded to San Francisco the night before the draft. Anything and everything is a possibility in D.C., which is not shocking considering the organization's recent history of screwing up a good thing.

Upgrade needed, but good enough for now

Rams

Jared Goff needs to play better in 2017. It’s hard to call a rookie year a disaster for a quarterback since it's so rare that a first-year player excels. I’m excited to see Goff in new head coach Sean McVay’s offense. This system has been player-friendly for its most recent quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan. Goff needs to improve dramatically in year two, while McVay was hired in part because of his ability to get the most out of his quarterback. I will be tracking their results closely this season.

Vikings

Sam Bradford played admirably last year despite arriving in the Twin Cities just a week before the season. The Vikings’ inability to run the football or protect their quarterback forced them into an offense that rarely pushed the ball down the field. They spent loads of cash in the offseason on the offensive line and acquired Latavius Murray to carry the football. Bradford should play even better in 2017, but will it be good enough to supplant Teddy Bridgewater when he comes back from his knee injury? The Vikings have a very unusual situation in their QB room, but this doesn’t mean they will be interested in drafting a quarterback. They have two solid players who must play better, but the offensive line was the biggest problem last year, not the quarterback. My guess is that Bradford starts the season, then either doesn’t play well or gets injured, before Teddy comes to the rescue and plays the hero. This team has two starting quarterbacks and both need to raise their level of play in 2017.

Bears

After four years in Tampa, Mike Glennon is getting a second opportunity as a starter. He was forced into action during his first two seasons and showed the potential to be an NFL starter. The problem is he played bad enough that Tampa drafted Jameis Winston. Glennon is essentially signed to a one-year, prove-it contract. If he plays well, he will get a second season in Chicago. If he doesn’t, he will be on the move a year from now. Either way, the Bears won’t be drafting a quarterback high in 2017.

Near the end of the road

Giants

It’s amazing that Eli, Philip, and Ben were all drafted within 10 picks of each other. Eli didn’t play great football in 2016, yet the Giants still made the playoffs. While Big Ben seems like the closest to retirement, Eli and Rivers may have three to four years left in in their careers. I can’t imagine Manning copying his brother and finishing his NFL tenure with another team. I also can’t fathom the Giants drafting his replacement yet. Considering this weak class of college quarterbacks, the G-Men should start looking to the future a year from now, if not later.

Saints

Drew Brees is another Hall of Famer whose career will be wrapping up soon. Brees continues to rack up huge numbers year after year. The problem is the Saints have struggled to get to the playoffs recently, partially because they play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Not only is Brees near the end of the road in New Orleans, but head coach Sean Payton could be joining him. Brees, like Brady, does a phenomenal job of taking care of his body. He could play for three or four more years, but I believe this train stops before then. Whenever it does, the New Orleans Saints’ coach and quarterback may walk off into the sunset simultaneously.

Cardinals

Carson Palmer is coming off one of his worst NFL seasons and he is 37 years old. That is a bad combination. Bruce Arians’ attack needs a signal-caller who is smart, accurate, and has a big arm to stretch the field. Carson is still smart, but his accuracy and arm strength are deteriorating. If the right quarterback is available, I suggest the Cardinals pounce. Pat Mahomes would be a great fit in Arizona, too.

We need someone now

49ers

There are some definite positives for the 49ers as it relates to the quarterback position. The most important being they hired one of the best quarterback minds in the league as their head coach. Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch were also signed to six-year contracts, so winning immediately isn’t a priority. If they draft a quarterback, he doesn’t have to play right away because they have Brian Hoyer, who's played in Shanahan’s system, to lead the team for a year or two. The negative is that the organization has been a disaster since the departure of Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco hasn’t drafted well, nor has it made smart long-term choices in free agency. Shanahan can coach both athletic and pocket passers so it’s tough to know who the team may chase. It wouldn’t surprise me if the 49ers didn’t draft a quarterback if the guy they want isn’t available. They may ride with Hoyer and add Jay Cutler, or even Colin Kaepernick, after the draft. Who knows? An interesting point to be made about Shanahan is that he has confidence that he can win with almost anyone. With the head coach under contract for such a long time, the 49ers don’t need to draft a quarterback if the one they like isn’t available.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)