Top 10 Quarterbacks in Free Agency Disclaimer: Remember, roughly 90 percent of free agents are free agents only because their last team didn't want them. Peyton Manning (Last team IND, currently 35 years old) See "Weighing Risk and Reward on Peyton Manning" None Matt Flynn (GB, 26) The most fascinating free-agent quarterback of this year - and possibly of this millennium. Is he a superstar in waiting (as the staggering stats from his two career starts suggest)? Or is he a system quarterback with limited tools (as his seventh-round draft status suggests)? On film, in his two starts, Flynn appeared to be the real deal. He played with poise in the pocket, threw with accuracy and, in the Detroit start, displayed an understanding of the complexities of Green Bay's offense. But plenty of quarterbacks have looked like the real deal in their early starts only to be exposed once teams saw enough film of them (see Maddox, Tommy; or Anderson, Derek). Most interesting will be how much a team invests in the 26-year-old. He's worth signing to a hefty but safe Kevin Kolb-like contract, where a team pays big up front but allocates a bulk of the cash into what's basically a second-year option. But if there are multiple teams bidding, will one roll the dice by making a substantial long-term investment? That'd be an enormous, perhaps even reckless, risk. Flynn was closely evaluated in the pre-draft process five years ago and all 32 teams determined he was a seventh-round talent. Not usually do two starts and a bunch of quality practices drastically change that. Kyle Orton (KC, 31) Classic plug-in veteran who has experience in systems ranging from "run-first" to "spread." Orton has a much quicker release than given credit for, and his accuracy is aided by decent anticipation. He's mechanical, though, so if you have limitations at wide receiver, he won't be able to manufacture yards. ROLE PLAYER (Could start in a specific offense, could be a solid backup) Chad Henne (MIA, 26) The 37 interceptions over the last 33 games are certainly concerning. But in a horizontal, shotgun-based scheme, Henne has the prototypical tools and size to be an effective distributor from the pocket. He wasn't able to thrive in a somewhat unstable situation as a Dolphin, and his overall body of work is not impressive enough to warrant anything better than a modest two-year deal. But Henne has better raw attributes than "game managers" like Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Rex Grossman and whatever McCown brother you might be partial to. Alex Smith (SF, 27) It'd make more sense for a team to invest in Jim Harbaugh, as it's Harbaugh's scheme that really sprouted the quality quarterbacking in Smith. Last season the Niners kept scaling back their offense until it was as rudimentary as a really complex high school scheme. Very few teams have the defense and run game to win that way. Smith was tremendous in the playoff win against the Saints, but that was because he faced a litany of man coverage blitzes that forced him to pull the trigger with aggression and decisiveness. Smith's mediocre performance the following week against the Giants" more convoluted, zone-based defense painted a purer picture of what the seven-year quarterback actually is. Jason Campbell (OAK, 30) A lot of people will cite that the Raiders had a 4-2 record with Campbell last season. There was a reason for that: Darren McFadden. On film, it was clear that Hue Jackson & Co. were hamstrung by Campbell's slow, robotic style. The offense became more erratic once Carson Palmer showed up, but that was a function of receiver injuries and Palmer's rusty turnovers. We hear all the time that Campbell has been victimized by playing in four different systems at Auburn and four different systems in the pros. That argument goes both ways, though. If Campbell, a former first-round pick, were really that capable, his teams wouldn't be changing coaches and systems all the time (especially in the pros). You think it's a coincidence that no one ever tried to change Peyton Manning's system in Indy or Eli Manning's system in New York? Shaun Hill (DET, 32) The journeyman backup doesn't have the strongest arm, but he has proved many times that he can keep an offense afloat for a few weeks. One of the smartest players in the game. Not a great passer - which is why he's never come close to being a full-time starter - but someone who can help teach your offense and keep the entire playbook open when filling in. Vince Young (PHI, 28) Young is simply a poor thrower (by N.F.L. standards). And he's not nearly as good a runner as fans think. The idea that he could be a quality backup behind a run-oriented quarterback was disproved in Philly last season. Before that, the idea that he could be a game-managing starter was disproved multiple times in Tennessee. Josh Johnson (TB, 25) Hard to gauge the athletic Johnson given that his body of work is so limited at this point. The Bucs used him as a Wildcat specialist (though not with great success). Derek Anderson - Has regressed over the course of his career. Chris Redman - Falcons might want to keep him but probably not worthwhile for him to go to another club. Caleb Hanie - Had his chance last year and wound up unemployed. Brady Quinn - Isn't it curious that such a high-profile first-round pick has never really gotten a true shot anywhere? Jake Delhomme - At this point, he's every defense's favorite player. David Garrard - Injuries have scared teams off. Charlie Whitehurst - Not even close to viable.