Mason's top 10 quarterback free agents

The quarterbacks who have a better passer rating than Cousins since 2015 (minimum 250 attempts) are as follows: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers. At 29 years of age, his best years should still be in front of him. His season-long production as a starter has been consistent over the last three years: passer ratings between 93.0 and 102.0, completion percentages ranging from 64 to 70 percent, 25 to 29 touchdowns per season and 11 to 13 interceptions a year. You know what you're getting, and yet there is the promise of more for an organization that truly commits its future to him. (Matt Patterson via AP)

Brees has given no indication that he would leave the Saints, even if he was on the open market, so this might be moot even if he is technically a free agent -- and likely one with a hefty price tag. At 39, age is a concern, but Brees' 2017 season was his most efficient in four years, and his average of 8.1 yards per attempt was his best since 2011. The Saints had a complementary ground game to help him, but when they needed a key drive at a high-leverage point, they put matters in Brees' hands, and he delivered like he has for the last dozen years. If he considers leaving the Saints, his presence on the market would be a game-changer. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Remember this: The last high-leverage possession Bridgewater had came in January 2016, when he guided the Vikings through Seattle's then-elite defense for what would have been a game-winning drive in a wild-card game if Blair Walsh had made the chip-shot field goal that the drive made possible. Thus, in Bridgewater, you have a quarterback who has already proved himself in the clutch. The horrific practice-field knee injury he suffered in the 2016 preseason derailed his progress, but his talent and potential remain high, to say nothing of his leadership and character qualities that helped him through the last two years. (Ric Tapia via AP)

Was 2017 a breakthrough or an anomaly? That is the big question for Keenum, who provided a steady hand and consistent production after stepping in for the Vikings until struggling in their 38-7 NFC Championship Game loss at Philadelphia. Keenum's 98.3 rating last season was 19.9 points higher than his career rating heading into the 2017 season, and his 22-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in Minnesota easily outpaced the 24-to-20 mark he carried into last year. If the Minnesota Keenum is the real deal, he could be an above-average starter for the foreseeable future. (Kirby Lee via AP)

Statistically speaking, McCown's production was comparable to that of Keenum last year. Including rushing touchdowns, they both produced 23 scores and completed at least 67 percent of their passes, with just 3.8 passer-rating points separating the two. Of course, Keenum is 30, while McCown turns 39 this year. Furthermore, McCown has a frustrating one-year-on-one-year-off-pattern which would lead to worries that he's due for some regression. However, even if he fades to near his career averages, he brings leadership that will prove valuable, especially for a team that could be grooming a young quarterback for the job. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

He's going to get paid like a starter, even though he has just four career starts to his name -- one of which came in the postseason. None have come in the last 24 months. There were glimpses of brilliance in those four starts, but also moments where he looked ordinary, including in the same game -- just take his Week 16 start against Denver in 2015 as an example. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Is there time for Bradford to write a different act to his career? As of right now, his star-crossed eight-season run in this league is one of the great might-have-beens, as his talent has always been overshadowed by knee injuries. His 2016 season in Minnesota saw him post career highs in passer rating (99.3) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-to-5). He looked even better before he succumbed to another knee injury last September after two games. It's not about whether Bradford is good enough to start and lead a team. It's all about his knee. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Cutler did not join the Dolphins until last August, after Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending torn ACL in practice. He didn't distinguish himself last season, and his passer rating was below the league average for starters for a second consecutive season. Miami signed Cutler to try and keep the team at a playoff level after Tannehill's injury, but the Dolphins slipped below .500 in early November and were effectively out of the postseason mix before Christmas, so his signing failed to accomplish its goal. (AP Photo/Rich Barnes)

Bears general manager Ryan Pace said at the NFL Combine that he would release Glennon at the start of the league year, bringing an expected end to a stint that saw him serve as a bridge to Mitchell Trubisky. At 28 and with 22 career starts in Tampa Bay and Chicago, Glennon should settle in as a backup -- or perhaps in another bridge situation. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Moore has been a solid backup for the Dolphins over the last seven seasons, but they did not think enough of him to hand him the reins last summer when Tannehill tore his ACL. That shouldn't be considered a red flag, and given how the Dolphins fared with Cutler, it's hard to believe that Moore couldn't have delivered a similar level of production given his career 81.2 passer rating and 45-to-36 touchdown-to-interception ratio. (Damian Strohmeyer via AP)