Andy Richardson

If you're in a dynasty league, there is no offseason; not really. Even if the waiver wire is unavailable, both your roster and that of your rivals are filled with players whose value could change dramatically in the coming months -- maybe as soon as two weeks from now.

Nowhere is this truer than at quarterback, since there are as many as a dozen teams with uncertainty at the position -- and some small (and not-so-small) names who may find themselves in the mix to start for those franchises next season. Leaving out two players who seem almost certain to return to their current teams, Kurt Warner and Kerry Collins, here are some names to consider when trying to target quarterbacks with minimal value now, but perhaps sizable value down the road.

Derek Anderson: Eric Mangini went through a weekly quarterback controversy with the Jets in 2007, and odds are he won't want to go through it again. The Browns won't cut Anderson -- according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, he's owed a $5 million roster bonus that's guaranteed -- but the guess here is that they won't bring him to training camp, either. Cleveland needs draft picks and Anderson, despite his lousy 2008 season, could bring one or two good ones. I think there's a decent chance Anderson winds up starting for a team like the Jets come September, so I'm trying to get him for cheap while his future is still uncertain.

Luke McCown: The former Brown (and current Buc) just signed a contract which suggests he may start for Tampa Bay this year; he also played pretty well last preseason. He is no doubt available in most dynasty leagues, and right now he's got about a 50-50 shot of being the Bucs' week 1 starter. Along those same lines, another name to consider is Josh Johnson, the team's 5th-round pick a year ago. With Jeff Garcia almost certainly gone and Brian Griese the other option, Johnson could put himself in the mix with a strong preseason.

Kellen Clemens / Brett Ratliff: Barring a major trade or signing, one of these guys will be the starting quarterback for the Jets next season. Clemens has the experience and draft pedigree, but Ratliff had the stronger 2008 preseason and might have some support from the team's offensive coaches. Whoever lands the job will play behind a good offensive line, be backed by a solid running game, and will have a pair of quality wideouts and a talented young tight end to throw to. Don't look for great fantasy numbers -- the Jets might emphasize defense and favor conservative game plans next season -- but one of these guys could emerge as a serviceable young signal-caller.

Chad Henne: Matt Cassel, the Jets QBs -- and yet another AFC East candidate to consider. Chad Pennington was a legitimate MVP candidate, and he won the comeback player of the year award for the second time. He'll be Miami's opening-week starter. Still, that comeback award suggests he's a guy who has a hard time stringing consecutive quality years together, either because of performance or durability concerns. Chad Henne looked pretty good in limited action last preseason; the 2008 second-rounder might be a legitimate long-term answer for the Dolphins. Worth a roster spot in deeper dynasty leagues.

Kevin O'Connell: Another AFC East quarterback? He's the longest of long shots, but if and when the Patriots trade Cassel, it means one of two things. Either they're fully confident that Tom Brady will be ready for the start of the season, or they're fully confident in last year's third-rounder as a backup or even emergency starter. You'll need a deep roster to consider him, but if Cassel does get traded between now and the draft, it'll tell a lot about how comfortable they are with O'Connell's development.

Michael Vick: You've no doubt heard the Falcons are hoping to trade the currently incarcerated felon's NFL rights, which means they'll be releasing him before much longer. I can say with certainty that there's no chance Vick will ever play on my team, and most NFL owners, well aware that many of us football fans love our dogs, feel the same way. Indeed, when the Falcons announced Vick's availability last week, three teams looking for a starter at quarterback -- the Lions, Bucs, and Jets -- were quick to make public their lack of interest. But on the off-chance you're in the small minority of those who feel Vick deserves a chance to salvage his career -- and that he'll succeed if he gets one -- you can probably acquire him fairly cheaply. There only has to be one NFL owner who cares so little about popular opinion that he'll take a chance on Vick (Al Davis springs to mind); or maybe Vick will get the fans back on his side by announcing he'll be donating half his salary to animal shelters or somesuch. Anyway. Vick will probably resurface in the NFL eventually, so if you're an owner willing to take that risk, his value might never be any lower than it is right now. Personally, I wouldn't sign him, and don't expect him to play in the league before 2010 at the earliest, but I guess you never know.

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