Kansas City's agreement to tradeAlex Smith ensured one theory: Kirk Cousins will soon be on the move.
But in a league in which nearly a third of its teams are in need of a signal-caller, where might the quarterback be headed?
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller wasn't bashful about his desire to welcome Cousins to the franchise earlier this week. Neither was running back C.J. Anderson, who said "it would be huge having Kirk."
Hall of Fame running back (and NFL Network's own) Terrell Davis joined the growing support for Broncos general manager John Elway's -- Davis' former teammate -- potential pursuit of Cousins, who could be Elway's latest major free-agent score under center.
"I don't think the draft is] a road that he wants to travel down again without having the security of a guy that he knows," Davis said on WFAN, [per the Denver Post. "There's not a lot of mystery about Kirk right now. And if there is, there are things that you think you can work on.
"In Washington, he wasn't surrounded with an uber talented roster. So John has seen him -- believe me they got tape on Kirk for four years now that they can say, 'OK, we like him.' College players, it's a crapshoot. You can fall in love with one of these quarterbacks, but there's no guarantee they're going to turn out to be a good quarterback in this league.
"The sense of urgency is to win now. It's high."
There's history here, with Elway showing once he'd prefer a proven veteran when he signed Peyton Manning, whose future was more uncertain than most tend to recall. Comparatively, Cousins seems like a surer bet.
"Think about that decision for a minute," Davis said. "He brought a guy coming off neck surgery. Four neck surgeries, I'm sorry. Didn't know what he was going to be like. But [Elway] felt like it was a risk and a gamble he was willing to take. Bringing Peyton in, sign him to some nice money and it paid off."
But wait -- there's more!
The Broncos (past and present) aren't the lone team going public with their desires to welcome the hottest free-agent QB since Manning. Down in the Copper State, Patrick Peterson is readying his yard signs. The Cardinals need a quarterback after the retirement of Carson Palmer, and Peterson knows who he wants.
"We've got everything he would need for a quarterback to be successful," Peterson said on Thursday in Minneapolis, per The Arizona Republic. "We've got a pretty solid defense, talent all across the board on offense, nice running game that can complement him. He's a damn good quarterback, he just needs pieces to help him be successful."
Arizona is similar to Denver in that it also features a young, inexperienced head coach with a solid defense in place, talent at receiver and questions in the backfield and along the offensive line. One is in the AFC West; the other, the NFC West. If given the option, should Cousins choose Arizona over Denver?
"Why not, I believe Kirk can definitely get us over the top," Peterson said when appearing on ESPN's First Take. "He'll be in warm weather, playing on one of the best turfs in the NFL. He'll have some great talent around him, running game, receivers, tight end, you name it. We have everything that he needs to be successful."
The pitches likely will grow stronger. Soon, restaurants and local attractions will be included. Get the boards of tourism on the horn -- it's time to sell.
