Sage Rosenfels column: The 4 biggest quarterback questions entering 2017

There's plenty of quarterback drama around the league as the 2017 season approaches. Here's my list of the most intriguing storylines entering fall camp:

Can Matt Ryan rebound from Super Bowl meltdown?

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After coming within seconds of winning his first Super Bowl title, Matt Ryan will have his work cut out for him in 2017. The reigning NFL MVP will face multiple challenges as he attempts to return to the Big Game.

First, after blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, can Ryan and his Falcons erase those bad memories that can haunt athletes for years? It's a concern for Atlanta, as year after year the Super Bowl runner-up seems to falter and miss the playoffs the following season. But it's not my main concern.

My biggest worry is the loss of Kyle Shanahan and much of the offensive coaching staff. When Shanahan left to become the 49ers' head coach, he brought multiple offensive assistants with him. Ryan, who's had a slew of coordinators during his nine NFL seasons, was a perfect fit in Shanahan’s offense and produced a career year in their second campaign together.

Ryan must now start over again with a new offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian. Though Sarkisian is a well-respected play designer and caller, it will take time for the new OC and quarterback to be fully on the same page. Can Sarkisian be just as creative as Shanahan with the use of zone running and play action? Can he find ways to get Julio Jones the ball at a similar rate as the previous OC? Will the running game be as effective?

There are a lot of questions to be answered regarding the Falcons' offense. Changing offensive coordinators is an adjustment no matter how much talent a team has on its roster, and Sarkisian will face a lot of pressure to replicate the success from 2016. It’s up to Ryan to make the transition seamless.

How much will Dak Prescott improve in Year 2?

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What a difference a year makes. A season ago, the Dallas Cowboys were looking to make a playoff push with their all-time leading passer, Tony Romo, at the helm. Fast-forward a year, and Romo's in the broadcast booth while last year’s fourth-round pick is already the face of the franchise.

Prescott was the NFL's biggest surprise in 2016. Nobody imagined a spread-offense quarterback drafted in the fourth round would step in and perform the way he did. Once Romo went down in the preseason, most of the NFL counted the Cowboys out. This year, Prescott won’t be surprising anybody.

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan didn't get enough praise for the spectacular job he did with the rookie last year. It’s not easy to go from one of the smartest veteran quarterbacks in the league to a freshman with no experience. Linehan’s influence on Prescott's early success shouldn’t be overlooked.

The transition from college to the NFL usually takes a year or two for quarterbacks. Prescott jumped right in and looked like a ten-year vet. How much room for improvement is there this season? I can’t imagine his stats being much better than in 2016.

Never has a rookie completed 68 percent of passes with 23 TDs against four INTs. The only way Prescott's stats could get better is if the Cowboys' run game somehow stalls, forcing them to throw more. I don’t think that will happen, considering the ‘Boys have the most dominant offensive line in the league, and Ezekiel Elliott.

I'll be curious to see if Linehan and Jason Garret put more responsibility on Prescott this year. Now that he knows about Prescott’s capabilities as a professional quarterback, will the OC challenge his quarterback to audible at the line of scrimmage more often? Will Prescott have more discretion in what plays get changed? And how much influence will Prescott have with the game plans?

Prescott is on his way to being an elite quarterback. But if he isn’t challenged with more responsibility in this offense, I'm concerned he won’t reach his maximum potential. The run game is a quarterback’s best friend, but to become elite, QBs need to have games when they completely take over and carry their team. Linehan is preparing for those times. I’m curious to see how far Prescott has come since January.

Who gets the Week 1 starting job in Chicago?

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How this mess of a quarterback situation turns out is anybody’s guess.

I thought the Bears aggressively signing Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45-million contract was a smart move for both sides. The team only guaranteed the quarterback $18 million, which meant they basically took a one-year flyer on a talented quarterback entering his prime.

If Glennon played well, the Bears would have a quarterback to build around. Conversely, if Glennon failed, the Bears would have a high pick in the 2018 NFL Draft - one which is supposedly loaded with talented QBs.

Then the Bears did something nobody expected. They moved up a spot to draft Mitch Trubisky - a raw but talented QB from North Carolina. This was the biggest shocker of this year’s draft.

I'm intrigued by how this will sort itself out. Will Glennon be named the starter because he's the veteran of the two? If so, how will he play knowing that he isn’t in the Bears' long-term plans? For a quarterback, this type of scenario makes it almost impossible not to play on egg shells. Bears fans are passionate and impatient. They will want Trubisky playing sooner rather than later, especially if the team struggles.

If Trubisky starts, how will he play as a rookie? The NFC North has three good teams and the Bears aren’t one of them. If they struggle, how will the rookie respond? Will the Bears stay with him as their starter or will they give Glennon a chance at some point? Or, can the rookie be the spark plug the Bears have been looking for?

The Bears will be a fun team to keep an eye on this year. There's a good possibility that it won’t go well, and the potential train wreck will be very enjoyable for non-Bears fans to watch.

Will Cam Newton rebound from subpar 2016?

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After an MVP performance in 2015, Cam Newton looked like he couldn’t be stopped. Despite playing poorly in a losing effort to the Broncos in the Super Bowl, Newton’s supreme talents had some analysts talking about him being one of the greatest to ever play the game. Never before had the NFL witnessed a quarterback with his size, arm strength, accuracy, and foot speed.

A year later, things have certainly changed for Newton. The 2016 Panthers did what many Super Bowl runners-up have done in recent years - their play faltered and they missed the playoffs. Head coach Ron Rivera’s defense didn’t perform nearly as well as the year before, and the Panthers' vaunted running game wasn’t as effective, either.

This lead to more weight being placed on Newton’s throwing arm, and the quarterback didn’t respond like a future Hall of Famer.

Nearly every passing statistic was dramatically worse for Newton in 2016. His 75.8 QB rating wouldn’t cut it as a backup for many NFL teams, while his 52.9 percent completion rate was Tebow-esque. When the Panthers needed Cam to win games with his arm, he failed miserably.

Can Newton rebound and regain his MVP-level play this year? Can the Panthers get back to the playoffs in a division with three other outstanding quarterbacks (Ryan, Drew Brees, Jameis Winston)?

Newton’s main throwing issue isn't his arm - it's his feet. I watched roughly half of Cam’s games last year and his lower-body was a disaster. He made throw after throw off his back foot, and with poor timing.

While Newton's huge arm allowed him to get away with poor quarterback mechanics in the past, it caught up with him in 2016. If you aren’t fundamentally sound with footwork, reads, and timing, your overall quarterback play will suffer. Your team will suffer as well.

Offensive coordinator Mike Shula has his work cut out for him. Sometimes it’s more challenging to get a quarterback to change his bad habits when he enjoyed MVP levels of success earlier in his career. Shula must convince Newton to be more precise with his reads and footwork. The OC must find a way to change Newton into a great thrower if he wants him to reach the next level.

And as he ages, there's no way Newton can keep taking shots inside or outside the pocket. A deep knowledge of the game - combined with proper mechanics and footwork - should help eliminate his injuries going forward. Yes, Newton took a lot of illegal (and legal) hits last year, but many of those could have been avoided with more disciplined play.