This is a strange offseason to try and figure out who will be spending the most money in free agency. The normal equation—something like Desperate GM times Impatience of Aloof Owner divided by Faith in Equally Desperate Coach—doesn’t apply as squarely when a new collective bargaining agreement could strike at any minute, altering ever slightly the fiscal directives of those who actually command the purse strings.
Then there is the fact that so many teams might desire new rookie quarterbacks, trade for quarterbacks with a large, existing salary or make an attempt at signing one of the 38-plus year old veterans on the market who will cost a lot of money on short-term deals that don’t provide a ton of financial wiggle room.