Geno's our best option for next season. Cutting him will just leave us without a competent Quarterback. Oh sure, everyone hopes that some 21-year old out there is going to make the jump from the college game to the pros and set the world on fire, but that is pipe-dream stuff. And we all know about the franchise failures that keep drafting top 5 because they continue to follow that pipe dream.
Keeping Geno means we remain a playoff-caliber team on the rise, and a place players will want to come.
Next year's draft has a lot of DBs, some Edge and DTs, and a few OL. There are no superstar QBs. Going with the premise that were are in good shape at DB, and that the suckers in the top 10 will reach for QBs and skill position players, we should have a few decent OL/DL prospects fall to us around pick 20.
Lockett and George Fant will be cap casualties, which means we'll have plenty of money to re-sign Ernest Jones, (perhaps) Jarran Reed, and either Josh Jobe or Tre Brown. So I could see us taking a DL like Kenneth Grant (especially if both Hankings and Reed walk), then an IOL like Booker or Ratledge in the second to replace Tomlinson.
Geno will keep us covered at QB for another year, so we can run a few more guys through camp to see if they can beat out Howell -- but I doubt they will, he's a decent QB -- so then it's a matter of shopping other team's prospects and getting ready to pounce when that player hits FA. Geno's a free agent in 2026, so we can shop with that money or resign him for nearly the same money assuming he doesn't completely ball out next year.
So yeah, I think we're in good shape. I am not worried at all.