How Ryan Fitzpatrick could impact the 2016 NFL Draft

It’s s little shocking that Ryan Fitzpatrick has been unable to find a team willing to pay him close to his salary demands. The New York Jets are playing hardball with last year’s starter which could have a major impact on the upcoming season.

Fitzpatrick has had a journeyman career which has seen him bounce around between teams such as the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and Jets. Things took a positive turn last year when he was able to help lead the Jets to a 10-6 record.

He showed major improvements with his decision making which resulted in less turnovers and a career high in touchdowns. Despite his success, Fitzpatrick sits on the open market unable to find a landing spot. With the Draft quickly approaching things are starting to reach crunch time.

There are more than a handful of teams that could benefit from adding Fitzpatrick to the mix. The Jets are the most obvious as they’ll have to turn to Geno Smith if they are unable to get Fitzpatrick under contract.

Another team that makes sense is the Los Angeles Rams who have Case Keenum slated as the opening day starter. Fitzpatrick has a better track record than Keenum and could help the Rams finally get back to the playoffs.

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The Denver Broncos are working on trade to land Colin Kaepernick, but that’s a risky move for a team looking to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. Fitzpatrick would give the Broncos a little more stability and arguably more upside than what they got last year from Peyton Manning.

One of more interesting storylines from where Fitzpatrick lands is how it impacts the NFL Draft. Each of the teams mentioned above would likely look to use an early-round pick on a quarterback if they don’t land Fitzpatrick.

The Jets would be a prime candidate to work a draft-day trade in an attempt to grab one of the top prospects. Los Angeles doesn’t have their future franchise quarterback on the roster and should also be aggressive.

Either way, I expect the market for Fitzpatrick to really heat up in the week or two before the draft.