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Jim Mone/Associated Press

The 1983 NFL season is known as the Year of the Quarterback because of an influx of impressive signal-callers headlined by John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. The 2018 campaign has a chance to overtake 1983 as the Mt. Rushmore of quarterback change due to skyrocketing contracts, five first-round signal-callers and two playoff squads that traded away their starters.

Nearly every team's offseason involved signing or acquiring a quarterback. The impact felt throughout the league cannot be underestimated because the landscape may be forever altered.

The importance of the position drives the NFL, and there's a different standard for quarterbacks compared to everyone else. The top 18 highest-paid individuals on an annual basis play the position.

The league is separated by those with and without franchise signal-callers. Twelve teams are already projected to enter the 2018 campaign with new Week 1 starters.

Franchises with an established starter and a strong quarterback room held an advantage by addressing other areas of the roster this offseason, but retaining the status quo isn't good enough. Squads that didn't experience significant change only fell behind more aggressive organizations.

Professional football exists in a fluid state in which changes occur yearly, monthly, weekly and even daily. A general manager must be able to read the futures market as much as take advantage of available opportunities. Those who do both well will see their teams improve; those who don't may be looking for another job a year from now.