Where will AJ McCarron play in 2016 One of the more intriguing storylines of the NFL offseason which officially began with the opening of free agency on Wednesday concerns the future of AJ McCarron. The former Alabama star performed well in his first extended playing time with the Cincinnati Bengals last season, starting three regular season games and a playoff game after starting quarterback Andy Dalton was lost to a broken thumb. In eight games counting the playoffs (though he played extensively in only five), McCarron completed 63.75 percent of his passes for 1,066 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. There were highs and lows, but the bottom line is that McCarron seemed to prove he could be a successful starting quarterback in the NFL. The big question remaining is, where will that be in 2016? Given that Dalton was enjoying the best season of his career at the time of his injury (3 http://www.bengalsteamjerseyshop.com/AJ-Green-Jersey,250 yards and 25 TDs with a 66 percent completion percentage and only seven interceptions), it seems unlikely the Bengals would discard Dalton and hand the job to McCarron http://www.bengalsteamjerseyshop.com/Andy-Dalton-Jersey. In addition, Dalton signed a six year, $96 million contract prior to the 2014 season, and is still owed $7.2 million in guaranteed money. Though it's possible Cincinnati could merely keep McCarron as Dalton's back up and injury insurance in 2016, there is incentive to trade him now. McCarron has two years remaining on the four year rookie contract he signed after the Bengals drafted him in the fifth round out of Alabama in 2014, but his trade value is unlikely to be much higher this time next year given that he'd have only one year left on his deal and is coming off a solid performance down the stretch last season. Here are some possible destinations if McCarron is traded: Cleveland Browns: Former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is the Browns' new head coach, so there's familiarity there. However, the Browns are more likely to draft a potential franchise quarterback such as North Dakota State's Carson Wentz or Cal's Jared Goff with the No. 2 pick in April. Chicago Bears: Fans in the Windy City have been hoping against hope for the end of the Jay Cutler era to arrive some day soon, but his contract he's still owed more than $26 million in guaranteed salary and bonuses makes that unlikely. And Cutler actually had a pretty good season in 2015, at least by his standards. Los Angeles Rams: This would be an intriguing destination for McCarron with the Rams moving back to the West Coast from St. Louis, but they'd have to act fast if they want to make a move http://www.bengalsteamjerseyshop.com/Andy-Dalton-Jersey. Nick Foles' 2016 salary of nearly $8 million becomes fully guaranteed on Sunday. want to add a bigger name such as free agent Robert Griffin III? New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick is a free agent and Geno Smith has one year remaining on his contract (and has been inconsistent at best when he's played), so it's possible the Jets could entertain the idea of acquiring McCarron. The Jets also have a history with Alabama quarterbacks, from Joe Namath and Richard Todd to Greg McElroy. Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo is still owed more than $30 million on a contract that runs through 2019, but his troublesome left collarbone (which he broke twice last year) leaves his future in doubt. If the Cowboys don't draft a quarterback in the first or second round, they could trade for McCarron to serve as an insurance policy for Romo. San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick appears to be on his way out possibly in a trade to Denver, which would leave the starting job in San Francisco up for grabs. However, the 49ers just signed veteran back up Thad Lewis and appear very likely to draft Goff at No. 7 overall if the Browns don't snap him up first. Denver Broncos: Brock Osweiler stunned most observers when he signed with the Texans on Wednesday, leaving the defending Super Bowl champions in the lurch at quarterback. Would the Broncos be willing to trade for McCarron, or would they rather deal for Kaepernick or sign a free agent such as Fitzpatrick or Griffin?