NFL free agency officially begins on March 14, and for die-hard NFL fans, it is the beginning of the new season in many ways. According to the official NFL.com website, all clubs must be under the 2018 salary cap prior to 4:00 PM ET. Meaning, if they want to slap a last-second franchise tag on a player to keep him, they have to do it before then. With this year's free agency class, especially at the quarterback position, some last-minute tags may be coming soon. However, as of right now, here are the best quarterbacks up for grabs. Most of the information in this article came from a report by the Detroit Free Press.

The top five

Kirk Cousins: Cousins is the best quarterback out there who will be suiting up for a new team in 2018. It seems to be between the Vikings, Jets, Broncos, and Cardinals. Right now multiple sources believe that Minnesota has the inside track on signing Cousins.

Drew Brees: Don’t panic New Orleans, he isn't leaving - at least he shouldn’t be. Even at 39, Brees has a year or two left in the tank and his play is still at a level that ranks him in the top ten in the game today.

Case Keenum: A one-year wonder or a future star in the NFL. Keenum played awesome in 2017, yet the Vikings seem to be okay with letting him walk away? He is only going to be 30 when the 2018 season begins next September, and it is hard to believe that some team isn’t going to give him a nice deal.

A.J. McCarron: Everyone says how good this kid could be if given a chance. He has only played in a handful of games in his four years with the Bengals, yet he should draw a lot of interest when free agency begins.

Teddy Bridgewater: The ultimate X-factor. Before Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury two years ago, he was playing at a very high level.

If healthy this kid could start any team. At 25, he has a lot of years ahead of him.

Don’t sleep on these guys

Sam Bradford: If Bradford could stay healthy, he would be a starter in this league. He definitely will go either way because he is just too talented to pass on.

Matt Moore: Moore has been a better than average backup in Miami for the last several seasons.

It seemed like 2017 was his year to take over the leadership role - that is until the Dolphins signed Jay Cutler. Moore should get a chance with a team in 2018.

Geno Smith: Another potential star that has been hit by the injury bug. Drafted in the second-round, he still has the skill to make an NFL roster.

Drew Stanton: Mostly a career backup, Stanton is a solid quarterback to have on your roster. He will draw attention.

The list of remaining free agent quarterbacks heading into the 2018 season are listed below.

  • Jay Cutler
  • Chase Daniel
  • David Fales
  • Derek Anderson
  • Tom Savage
  • Chad Henne
  • Blaine Gabbert
  • E..J. Manuel
  • Mark Sanchez
  • Ryan Mallett
  • Joe Webb
  • Kellen Clemens
  • Austin Davis
  • Scott Tolzien
  • Taylor Heinicke
  • Ryan Griffin
  • Tyler Bray
  • Brandon Weeden
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