In a couple of weeks, the NFL draft comes around and everyone would be looking at certain teams like the Detroit Lions with the No. 1 overall pick, but there are a group of NFL teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with decisions to make at QB, the Broncos with the drama between McDaniels and Cutler, the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings with their open competition.
These teams are not the only ones with decisions to make at the QB role, but let’s take a critical look at each of these teams – for now - and who the main players tossing the ball will be next season.
For the Broncos, they had probably one of the free agency acquisitions even when they signed Chris Simms, but with all the other additions, Cutler said the team wanted to trade him when they entertained trade offers that could have reunited McDaniels and Cassel, but the later is not in Kansas City. Though McDaniels has assured the young QB that he wants him, it does not help chemistry in Denver that the new additions brought in to make the team better is getting overshadowed by the controversy between the coach and the QB.
Even if Cutler decides to stay, which is somewhat unlikely, because he has made so much fuss about it, his competition would be Simms, a player brought in to create some competition for Cutler who though has performed and was selected as a Pro Bowler, is also prone to tossing interceptions.
Simms, who was drafted with the last pick of the third round with the 97th pick by Tampa Bay in 2003, was once a starter for the Buccaneers. Simms, who played 11 games with Tampa Bay in 2005, also led the team to the playoffs in 2005. It was their first postseason appearance since their Super Bowl win in 2002.
Though Simms has not started consistently or played in double digit NFL games since 2005, he also had a Spleen injury that limited him to four games since 2006. Cutler might not consider him competition, but the former Texas Longhorns has led a team to the postseason, something which Cutler has not done yet.
If both are around, McDaniels can only have open competition especially if Simms is playing like 2005 again, if not, then Cutler has the position and it would be his to lose as he has proven that the offense is not really where the problem is in Denver. Unlike the drama in the Mile High City, other NFL teams will have their QB battles and none like the Buccaneers, Simms old team.
Though the team has Brian Griese and Josh Johnson on their depth chart, Luke McCown seems to be the starter, and how long that might be no one can really say. With Tampa Bay making a change at the helm firing Jon Gruden and hiring Raheem Morris, the QB position cannot be a lockdown for any one person.
Johnson is a second-year QB and he might have a bigger point to prove than either the veteran Griese or McCown. All three will have to impress Morris as their performance can only impress on the coach who truly deserves the starting spot.
The Vikings as the team is set on the ground game with Adrian Peterson as running back, but still has issues with QB Tarvaris Jackson and his efficiency throwing the ball.
Jackson is not a game changer and also does not look like a game manager either. Teams understand that he will tuck in the ball and run when he sees no openings, so they are always waiting for that burst of speed. But the Vikings don’t need that from their QB; they have Peterson who does that best compared to a lot of backs in the league.
Though Jackson led the Vikings into the postseason last year as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, he still has competition in the mold of Sage Rosenfels, hence making the position an open one for who wants it more.
Most NFL analysts are not too confident with Jackson who played 12 games in the 2007 NFL season, but is Rosenfels, who is on his fourth NFL team since he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2001 a better option for Vikings head coach Brad Childress?
The Vikings will look to explore the possibility of Rosenfels as a starter and thye should. The team acquired him from the Houston Texans in February for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and also signed him to a two-year, $9 million extension, so coach Childress is thinking of using Rosenfels as some point, it might depend on what Jackson does in training camp or Rosenfels’ performance in preseason. Who knows, we will have to wait and see.
What about Alex Smith and Shaun Hill with the 49ers? Both are competing for a position they have not either laid claim or ownership to. Coach Mike Singletary might not be allegedly mooning players in the locker room anymore, but he has said Hill might be the starter heading into the team’s training camp, but Singletary also said that though Hill has the No. 1 spot, it does not say anything about him taking that position into the preseason or regular NFL season in 2009.
Will the 49ers go after a QB draft pick or will Smith a No. 1 over pick in the drafts push Hill for the starting job? Smith has not been totally consistent with this position since he was drafted in 2005.
He only played nine games that season, his rookie year and though he played all 16 games the following year in 2006, in 2007 he only played seven games and didn’t play the entire 2008.
The Lions have the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, should they trade away that pick since Daunte Culpepper is still on the roster, or do they draft a QB first over? Either way you look at it, most people would criticize any move made by Detroit as they had taken receivers in the past with their top picks.
The Lions might trade for Cutler since he is adamant that he wants out of Denver. So do they give up their first pick for a QB that has not been to the postseason yet? Or do they get something else with Cutler with that first pick?
The Jets are another team with open competition, with the exit of the legend Brett Favre. With unproven names like Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge and Brett Ratliff, new head coach Rex Ryan knows it will be a tough decision to make with any of his three options.
Ryan might have been able to secure the signature of Bart Scott and instill confidence in his defense, but a team that traded away an now rejuvenated Chad Pennington and with Favre retired, their offense will be suspect because of unknowns and unexpected from the three QBs.
Clemens drafted in 2006, was expected to give Pennington a run for the position. Rather he has only played 14 games since he arrived in the league. Ryan has mentioned that he likes the trio, but he would have to really rethink that position. Clemens has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his three seasons with New York.
Ainge and Ratliff have not played any better either. Both players have not played a single down in the league.
For the Browns, their competition between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn will be interesting to watch, because they have a new head coach in Eric Mangini.
Mangini, will probably give both QBs a shot at proving themselves. Though he was drafted in the sixth round by the Ravens in 2005, Anderson is a proven commodity compared to Quinn a first round pick up, but has not done anything to prove the position is rightfully his.
In four seasons with Cleveland, Anderson has thrown 43 touchdown passes, led the team in 2007 to a 10-6 record with the team winning seven of eight home games.
Quinn on the other hand in his two seasons in the league, has not played more than three games and has thrown the same amount of picks as touchdowns.
Who knows, Mangini might go after Cutler and use Quinn as his trading option, depending on his performance during this off season. It might be Anderson too, because whoever does not perform, loses the spot and could get a trip to Denver.
Now the player who started the whole Cutler-gate, Cassel has some competition in Tyler Thigpen when he arrives in Kansas City. If you think that Cassel’s one-year performance would instantly make new head coach Todd Haley anoint him as his starter, then think twice.
The first-year head coach would probably use a similar approach as to when in Arizona with the Cardinals. Ken Whisenhunt made it clear to Kurt Warner that though Matt Leinart was named the starter heading into preseason, Warner should not give up competing for the job.
Haley has already informed Thigpen that though Cassel is in town, he should not give up the position. Simply put, there is competition again for the Chiefs starting job and though Cassel is the player they obviously intend to build around, Cassel should not feel too comfortable in the starters role.
If these teams have questions at the quarterback position, then why not go after guys that are free agent QB’s and without a job? Should these teams above and others not touched on settle for what they have already, or should they consider out-of-work guys like Rex Grossman, Byron Leftwich, Jeff Garcia and J.P. Losman among others out there?
Or should they explore the NFL drafts for potential but unproven talent at the most important position in the game? Some teams might be expecting to get a Matt Ryan or a Joe Flacco in the NFL draft, but that might be a stretch since we cannot predict what these QB’s coming out of college can do.
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