In this series of articles, I’m looking at rookies from the 2019 class that can be removed from your taxi squads to make room for 2020 rookies. These are players that all have little to no dynasty value, but dynasty owners selected in at least some 2019 rookie drafts. Here are the links to parts 1-3:
In this part, it’s time to examine some of the quarterback fliers that people selected in 2019 rookie drafts that no longer belong on your rosters. Since I didn’t do superflex rookie rankings, I’ll just go through these players in the order they went in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Will Grier
In the 2019 rookie quarterback class, most people had Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins as their clear top two quarterbacks. However, behind those two, some rated Will Grier in the same tier as Daniel Jones and Drew Lock. At Florida, Grier redshirted his 2014 season before eventually becoming Florida’s starting quarterback in 2015. Unfortunately for Grier, midway through the 2015 season, the NCAA suspended him for violations of the performance-enhancing drug policy. He missed the rest of the 2015 season and decided to leave Florida and transfer to West Virginia.
After sitting out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Grier became West Virginia’s starting quarterback in 2017. In two seasons at West Virginia, Grier completed 65.7% of his passes and threw for 7,354 yards. He also threw 71 touchdowns compared to only 20 interceptions. While he provided almost nothing on the ground, he was a solid passer and therefore, would give some upside to an NFL team.
During the 2019 NFL Draft, Grier slid further than most expected. He was the fifth quarterback taken, but I thought he would land somewhere in the second or early third round. However, he fell to the 100th overall pick in the third round to the Panthers. He joined a quarterback room with starter Cam Newton and backups Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke. Throughout the summer, Grier and Allen easily outperformed Heinicke. And with Newton’s injury concerns, the Panthers decided to keep Grier and Allen on the final 53-man roster.
Newton started the first two games of 2019, but the Panthers then shut him down with a persistent foot injury. Newton never returned, and the Panthers eventually placed him on injured reserve. Despite dynasty owners’ expectations, Allen, not Grier, replaced Newton as the Panthers’ starter. While Allen started strong, leading the Panthers from 0-2 to a 5-3 record, he eventually faltered and lost every subsequent game as a starter.
Despite Allen’s struggles, the Panthers refused to give Grier a chance until Week 16, when they were 5-9. In Grier’s one full game, he completed 27 of 44 passes for 224 yards, but he threw no touchdowns and three interceptions. Additionally, he took five sacks for 37 yards lost. Then in Week 17, Grier had another nightmare performance. He completed one of eight passes for four yards and threw an interception before injuring his foot. Overall, nothing about Grier’s 2019 is a good sign for his future.
Going into 2020, the Panthers have completely overhauled their quarterback room. First, they signed Teddy Bridgewater to a 3-year $63 million contract to be their starter. That signing put an end to any chance that Grier could have had at the starting job in 2020. Then, they signed XFL star P.J. Walker, traded Allen to the Redskins for a fifth-round pick, and released Newton. After that flurry of moves, the Panthers now have Bridgewater as the starter with Walker and Grier competing for the backup spot. I expect Walker to win the competition, leaving Grier out in the cold. Considering that Grier still has a shot at the backup job, he could still be a stash in the deepest of superflex leagues. In most formats, though, I would be okay letting him hit the waiver wire.
Ryan Finley
Ryan Finley was in an interesting spot coming into the 2019 rookie season. He found himself clearly as the sixth quarterback behind Murray, Haskins, Jones, Lock, and Grier but still had value to both superflex players and NFL teams. Finley started his college career at Boise State, where he redshirted the 2013 season. In 2014, Finley was a backup before becoming Boise State’s starter in 2015. However, in the third game of that season, Finley suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season.
After 2015, Finley decided to transfer to NC State, where he immediately became their starting quarterback. Based on his lack of playing time in 2014 and his 2015 injury, the NCAA decided to grant Finley an eligibility waiver, allowing him to start three years at NC State from 2016-2018. At NC State, Finley completed 64.5% of his passes and threw 60 touchdowns compared to 25 interceptions.
While he found some success at NC State, he fell behind the other quarterback prospects in the draft process. Eventually, the Bengals selected Finley with the 104th overall pick in the fourth round. Finley immediately became the backup to starter Andy Dalton. Since Dalton was near the end of his contract, which expires after 2020, Finley had a chance to be his potential long-term successor.
After the Bengals lost their first eight games, they decided to give Finley a chance to start after their Week 9 bye. In Weeks 10-12, Finley made three starts but ultimately failed. In those three games, he completed just 41 of 87 passes and threw two touchdowns with two interceptions. He also took 11 sacks in the three contests and lost all three games. Finley was so bad that the Bengals decided to turn back to Dalton for Week 13, and they stuck with Dalton for the rest of the season.
Going into 2020, the Bengals have the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and are almost a lock to select quarterback Joe Burrow with the pick. They also still have Dalton on their roster and might keep him as a backup or mentor to Burrow. Either way, there is no path for Finley moving forward, and given his mediocre draft capital, he probably had his chance and blew it already. Therefore, I think you can drop Finley in all but the deepest superflex leagues.
Easton Stick
Easton Stick was the successor to Carson Wentz at North Dakota State, where he continued their FCS dominance. As a four-year starter, he led the team to a 49-3 overall record and won two FCS championships. Because of his college success, the Chargers decided to select Stick in the fifth round with the 166th overall pick. While the Chargers already had starter Philip Rivers and backup Tyrod Taylor, Stick represented a potential long-term project to replace Rivers.
Stick saw no game action in 2019, with Rivers and Taylor taking all the quarterback snaps. After 2019, the Chargers moved on from Rivers, leaving just Taylor and Stick in their quarterback room. Considering the Chargers finished 5-11 in 2019 and made no move to give Stick any snaps, I don’t think they see Stick in their future plans. The Chargers own the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and have their eyes on both Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. They will almost certainly use Taylor as a bridge quarterback and pair him with one of those first-round rookies. Therefore, Stick has no dynasty value, and he can go from your dynasty superflex rosters.
Clayton Thorson
There is almost nothing to say about Clayton Thorson. He was a four-year starter at Northwestern and was a popular quarterback sleeper in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Eagles selected Thorson in the fifth round with the 167th overall pick. Thorson would then compete with Nate Sudfeld and Cody Kessler for a backup spot behind Carson Wentz.
However, Thorson quickly fell behind in the competition. After injuries to both Sudfeld and Kessler, the Eagles decided they needed a veteran backup to Wentz, signing Josh McCown. During roster cuts, the Eagles decided to keep Sudfeld over Thorson. While Thorson eventually signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad, he had no chance to make an impact. The Cowboys have starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush locked in ahead of Thorson. Drop Thorson from your dynasty superflex rosters.
Trace McSorley
Similar to Stick and Thorson, Trace McSorley also entered a crowded quarterback room. McSorley was an inconsistent passer at Penn State, completing just 59.3% of his passes during his three years as a starter. McSorley provided his value on the ground, though. He totaled 473 carries throughout his college career for 1,697 yards, scoring 30 rushing touchdowns.
Since McSorley is a dual-threat quarterback, the Ravens decided to select him with the 197th overall pick in the sixth round. The Ravens had Lamar Jackson as their starter and Robert Griffin III as his backup, so McSorley fit in well with the group of quarterbacks. McSorley represented a possible long-term backup to Jackson if the Ravens decided to move on from Griffin.
However, in 2019, McSorley saw just one rushing attempt for one yard and threw no passes. The Ravens seemed satisfied with Griffin as Jackson’s backup, handing Griffin the Week 17 start when they rested their starters. Going into 2020, Jackson and Griffin remain on the team, and it would take two injuries for McSorley to see the field. The Ravens do like McSorley and might try to convert him to another position, but that means he’ll never be a starting quarterback. Therefore, feel free to move on from McSorley in your dynasty superflex leagues.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Justin. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
