Quarterback Solutions

One the eve of free agency opening I would like to explore what I envision are ideal Quarterback scenarios this offseason. Many teams have needs at QB, and if they would go along what I propose, I think everybody would be reasonably happy with their QB situations…at least until next offseason.

1. Donovan Mcnabb in Cleveland

Although Cleveland would be appear to be a downgrade for Mcnabb, the change in scenery would be immeasurably beneficial. Mcnabb has spent his whole career in Philly moving from one end of the opinion spectrum to another. One day he can do no wrong, the next he’s being benched. Mcnabb has gone from king to devil back to king again way too many times for one person to endure. I think Mcnabb would find solace in Cleveland. Mcnabb wins games and if he can do that in Cleveland than he will be hailed as a god and finally appreciated.
Leaving the psychological behind, Mcnabb would be effective in Cleveland. Harrison/Cribbs could provide the Westbrook element he is used to. AFC North defenses are just as imposing as NFC East defenses, but Cleveland has a line capable of protecting Mcnabb. As far as receivers are concerned…Mcnabb has been working with a rag tag group for most of his career. With the exception of TO and Desean Jackson, Mcnabb has never had a solid #1 wideout and does not need one to have success. Mcnabb could be the savior for the Cleveland Browns and who knows, maybe bring Cleveland a long awaited playoff berth.

2. Brady Quinn in Buffalo

So if Mcnabb is in Cleveland, where is Brady Quinn? I think he would fit in very well in Buffalo. Buffalo needs a young QB, but will unlikely be able to grab one in the first round (unless they want to trade a bundle). However, maybe some three team trade between Buffalo-Philly-Cleveland could be worked out. I think Quinn can be a good QB in this league. The guy has played in 12 games and Holmgrem/Mangini are ready to toss him to the side. It’s not his fault that Mangini traded away Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and fired Donte Stallworth. For a team with one offensive weapon (Cribbs), Quinn did not do a bad job. Zero receivers and a barely recognizable running game is not a good environment for any QB. Quinn lived the dream of a Browns fan. He played quarterback and beat the Steelers. Now it’s time to have a legitimate NFL career.
A Buffalo QB needs to have a strong arm for those bad weather games, and Quinn has arm strength to spare. He just lacks deep accuracy which is easy enough to fix if Chan Gailey is the offensive guru he claims to be. Best of all, Quinn will come fairly cheap (cheaper than trading up in the draft to get Bradford/Clausen). So I say to Buffalo…go for it. Pluck Quinn from the Browns and make them pay for never giving the young QB a fair chance….you may want to get him another wideout to help out Lee Evans though…just a thought.

3. Kevin Kolb in Philadelphia

With Mcnabb out the door, this becomes obvious. I put Mcnabb in Cleveland for his sake (getting him out of an ungrateful Philadelphia). It is not a reflection on Mcnabb’s ability that I send him out the door. That being said, Philly would never entertain this idea if Kolb had not demonstrated his ability to run the highpowered Philly offense. With Kolb at the helm, armed by picks gained from trading two of their QBs the Eagles should be just fine.

4. Michael Vick in Carolina

Carolina desperately needs a QB of the future, but they have no first round pick. They also lost out on potentially trading Julius Peppers. Thus, the Panthers will not be able to go after one of the top QB prospects (once again unless they give up a bundle). That being said, Carolina still needs a QB. Vick would come cheap (third-fourth round pick) and have a significant impact on Carolina’s offense. He still seems to have his arm strength. Carolina fans might not remember what arm strength is. It is that thing that Steve Smith stays awake at night dreaming about. Also, Vick freezes linebackers. They have to stand still and wait for him to move before they can react. Hence draw and fake play actions allow blockers to nail linebackers before they can react. Thus, running lanes become wide open. The two running backs in Carolina do not need much of an opening to make a killing. Carolina’s offense would benefit considerably from Vick’s services.

5. Sam Bradford in St. Louis

Spoiler alert: I have changed my 1st overall pick. (Respect to Waltersfootball for saying from the start that the Rams should take a QB with the first overall) As I will stipulate, McCoy is a good QB and would be an asset to the Rams. However, why risk missing out on a QB (A MAJOR NEED!). St. Louis has Adam Carriker and Chris Long, although Suh looks legendary, why draft another dlineman and crowd one position area? The main reason I think the Rams should pick Bradford 1st overall relates to money. Who wants to dish out at least $40 million guaranteed on a DT? The Rams are going to be forced to be big spenders and it seems only proper that you spend that much cash on a QB. The Rams have a decent line (although pieces of it may be lost in the offseason). They have a beast of a running back, but no receivers or tight ends. Look for the Rams to add some tight end or receiver in free agency and, by drafting Bradford, repair an offense that was once The Greatest Show on Turf!”

6. Jimmy Clausen in Seattle
Like I said in my mock, Pete Carroll attempted to recruit Jimmy Clausen. Seattle needs a QB and Clausen would be a solid pick up for Carroll’s new regime. Seattle also has two first round picks so why not get a much needed QB of the future?

7. Jason Campbell in Washington
Mike Shanahan will be the Redskins coach for a while. I do not think there is pressure for him to draft a new QB right now. Let Shanahan draft Okung with the 4th overall and reinforce a battered and aging line. After one offseason with Shanahan the offense will be a much safer place for a young QB. Next year the QB’s are more along Shanahan’s style anyway. Strong armed Jake Locker and Ryan Mallet will be in the draft and Shanahan can lock in one of them for his franchise QB.

8. Colt McCoy in Denver

Why McCoy in Denver…are they not happy with Kyle Orton? I’m sure they are happy with him when Brandon Marshall carries him. However, with Marshall practically out the door, I think the Broncos faith will shake and they will go after a QB. Essentially, Denver will not be able to get Bradford and Clausen (ONCE AGAIN unless they are willing to give up a bundle). However, it is not unreasonable to believe that with all the picks the Broncos got for trading away Cutler, there is not room for them to move back into the late first round and jump any team who thought they could get McCoy in the second round. McCoy’s talent cannot be disputed (as far as I am concerned). In four years he threw 112 touchdowns and rushed for 20! Colt McCoy’s value fell considerably when he got hurt at the National Championship. He did not help himself by sitting out at the combine either. However, had he come out last year, many thought Denver would have picked him up…well here is a new offseason and again I want to start the McCoy and Denver conversations.

9. Matt Leinart in Arizona
Many people believe Leinart does not have the ability to lead the Cardinal offense…while I am not among them, I have my doubts. However, no QB will come into a cushier job in the NFL. With the emergence of Beanie Wells the Cardinals have a running game, something Leinart would have liked to have had his first time out. Also, Leinart has had time to learn Wisenhunt’s system and will be ready. His start against the Titans was not awe inspiring, but they would have won had the Cardinals known how to stop Vince Young. Leinart has to grow up though and should not be given the keys to the franchise without a high end backup behind him. Count on the Cardinals adding a Chad Pennington, David Carr (My personal favorite for the job), Derek Anderson veteran QB to guide Leinart, and maybe take over if he fails

10. Brett Favre in Minnesota

A solid line, a godlike running back who will definitely work on improving his ball control skills, and a young, dynamic receiver corps. Oh! You’ll also be paid $10 million and have a shot at the Super Bowl! Who would turn that down?

11. Alex Smith in San Francisco

Alex Smith played well in his first serious NFL season. With the further development of Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, the 49ers should have a solid passing attack. I do not think you need to ruin a good thing by bringing in a new QB.

12. Bruce Gradowski in Oakland

Sometimes I feel bad for players drafted by Al Davis. They have so much promise, but are slowly victimized by being on a horrible team and eventually lose their love of the game. I fear this is what is happening to 1st overall pick Jamarcus Russell. I said they should draft Calvin Johnson, but oh well that’s not the point of this. Gradowski demolished Pittsburgh’s secondary and led multiple 4th quarter comeback drives…something Brett Favre did not do. If the Raiders have found something that works, don’t spoil it, but Al Davis will do what Al Davis wants…regardless of the harm it does to his franchise.

13. Tim Tebow in New England

I mentioned this in my mock draft…and then I saw ESPN put on their website a photoshopped pic of Tebow in a Patriots jersey. Brady is fine, but New England needs a high end second string QB to back him up. I’m not saying this is Tebow, but many think of him that way. Tebow needs a few years behind a veteran before he can be successful in this league. Putting aside my UGA bias, Tebow does have a strong arm and a devotion to football that could take him far in this league…with the right team. That team would be the Patriots. Tebow could also work his way onto the field as a wildcat/short yardage QB (I have to imagine Belichick gets tired of getting owned by that formation). Putting my UGA/Steelers bias back on, Tebow going to the Patriots could enable me to carry my hatred for the Patriots onward even after Tom Brady has left. So it’s a win/win for all parties…

These are the Favres of Our Lives

First off, let me say Favre is one of my all time favorite football players. He is a great blue collar player who I have admired for years. However, he should have retired. He had a great year, made a conference championship appearance, and looked as great as he ever did. He retired with most of the passing records and the most consecutive starts. There was a good indication that Favre was not quite done when he agreed to be on the Madden cover. However, most put it aside and assumed he would be the one to break the Madden curse.

Then the curse struck and Favre got the itch. He wanted to comeback, but Green Bay had moved on. Green Bay was right to move on after Favre retired. They have other plans for their future and Favre was no longer among them. However, the Green Bay front office made the horrible decision of trying to hold on and get as much value as they could from him. Favre should have been released and allowed to pursue his career elsewhere. Now this whole mess has become a soap opera and most of America is burnt out on Favre. I think the worst casualty in all of this was the man who started it, Brett Favre. Favre seems to have lost his spirit and love of the game. Its that spirit that has carried Favre through 17 seasons. Maybe Favre does need a new environment to foster that love of the game. I hate to say this, but maybe the Deity of Wisconsin needs to move on.

In that spirit, I viewed an article EA did a few days ago in which the simulated how different teams would do with and without Brett Favre at the helm. I was fascinated by the article and decided to do my own analysis of how some teams would fare with Brett Favre at the helm. If you are curious how the simulation went here is the link to the article:
Favre Simulation

New York Jets

From Favre's standpoint this is not the worst place to end up. The Jets have a good offensive line weighed down by recently added Alan Faneca. Thomas Jones would certainly benefit from having Favre. Favre presence would take eight players out of the box and open up running lanes for the Jets. However, the receiver corp is nothing terribly spectacular. Although Coles can get open at will, the rest of the receiver corp is young. Before anyone frets though people were saying the same thing about the Packer's receivers last year. Given that the Jets are a year removed from a playoff run, New York would be an ideal place for Brett Favre to land and make a playoff run.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jon Gruden collects QBs so it is no surprise that Tampa Bay is in the running for Favre. Tampa Bay would be a nice fit for Favre. Having Joey Galloway to bomb the ball to all day would not be a bad thing in the least. Having Graham and Dunn running the ball, Tampa will go pass first and use the running game as a tool to keep the defense honest. Tampa Bay however does not seem to be terribly enthusiastic to acquire Favre given that they have a veteran in Garcia who helped them earn a playoff berth.

Minnesota Vikings

Although it is increasingly unlikely that Favre will be playing in the NFC North lets pretend shall we. Think about the headache defensive coordinators would have trying to stop the Minnesota offense. They could try and put people in the secondary to hold back Favre, but what about the young phenom Adrian Peterson? It would be a double edged sword no defense could hold back. The Vikings would be a nice landing spot for Favre, but it is highly unlikely.

Chicago Bears

Once again let's pretend that Favre would go to a NFC North team. The Bears would be an awful fit for any QB, much less Brett Favre. Hester is fast, but unproven as a receiver. The only other reciever worth mentioning is Brandon Lloyd who may be in for a career rebound, but is not the best go-to receiver. They have an old offensive line and a lackluster running game. Favre may not be enough for the Bears to pull themselves out of ruin.

So, if Favre and the Packers are really through where would I like to see him the most? Honestly, nothing would make me happier than to see Favre play the Patriots twice a year. For too long the Patriots have had a blank check to run the AFC East. With Favre behind the helm the Jets can stand a chance against the Patriots. With Buffalo's defense building up and Miami in repair mode, avre and the Jets can contend long enough to make the AFC an open competition as opposed to a one man show.

Madden 09: A Few Things to Change

Players are traded and added to rosters at the tail end of the off-season, but Madden is finalized before these moves occur. Thus, there are always minor adjustments to be made on Madden rosters to make the gae true to life, that is unless you didn't agree to that move. I've decided to address some of the moves that Madden will not have made adjustments for. These are not going to be all of them, but these will be the most prominent and significant moves to be made.

Jason Taylor
Madden location: ROLB Miami Dolphins
Actual location: DE Washington Redskins

If Madden has not brought back position changing a lot of Redskins fans will be upset. However, if he can be changed Redskins fans will definitely make the roster change as soon as the game is out of the box. Jason Taylor will provide the Skins with a phenom pass rusher. I have friends that played with the Skins and one of the comforts I had was that as long as I avoided Andre Carter I'd have al day to throw. Now the Skins will be pass rushing from both sides and I already feel Roethlisberger's pain...

Jeremy Shockey
Madden Location: TE New York Giants
Actual Location: TE New Orleans Saints

Giants fans may not be quick to make a roster update, but Saints fans will definitely welcome this change. Saints fans will now have a big target over the middle of the offense that will demand attention. The attention he will command will open up lanes for Reggie Bush and Deuce helping Saints fans establish a much smoother running game.

Kevin Jones
Madden Location: Free Agency
Actual Location: RB Chicago Bears

Given that his signing was a month ago there is a high probability that he will actually be on the Bears roster on Madden 09. Jones will provide the Bears with a decent caliber running back. However, as far as Madden goes, it will be a matter of preference as to whether Jones is properly utilized. If users pass to HB's a lot, Jones will be valuable, but otherwise they have a power back in Forte and a speed back in Wolfe. Jones will provide depth, but nothing game altering.

Brett Favre
Madden Location: NFL Greats List
Actual Location: New York Jets

Favre will be a topic of hot contention for online franchise modes. Die hard Packer fans will not want to let him go and Jets fans will insist on having him. How Favre is dealt out is not a concern of mine. However, or those of you curious on how to activate Favre I can tell you how. EA states that Favre is on their NFL Greats List. All that is required is that you activate Favre and he becomes available in the free agent pool. Once their assign him to the team you and yours have decided upon.

Chad Pennington
Madden location: New York Jets
Actual Location: Miami Dolphins

Pennington will be welcome to Dolphins fans. The other options at QB for iamiwere not nearely as promising. Pennington will provide stability until the user can pump up one of the younger QBs or Pennington can be trading bait used to get a better QB. Either way, Pennington has considerable value in Miami.

Daunte Culpepper & Byron Leftwich
Madden Location: Free Agency
Actual Location: Pittsbrugh Steelers
Many Steelers owners will not want these two with a healthy Charlie Batch on roster, but the shrewd owners will take on the two veterans and trade two of the four Steeler quarterbacks for picks and/or offensive lineman. Pending the ratings of all the QBs I plan on keeping Culpepper in reserve. Culpepper's strong arm and mobility will mean in the event Roethlisberger gets hurt, I won't have to change my offense very much. Culpepper can be a reliable backup to Reothlisberger and a welcome addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers.