The 2008 NFL Draft was seemingly a good one for the Panthers. They power blocker Jeff Otah and the powerful Jonathan Stewart. However, it would have a domino effect that may have ended John Fox and GM Marty Hurney’s tenures in Carolina. Picking Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah was not bad by any means. However, they traded away their first round pick for 2009. In the 2009 NFL Draft the Panthers traded their 2010 first round pick away for Everette Brown. Brown hopefully will prove to be the departed Julius Peppers’ replacement. It’s a nice pick. The Panthers have had some nice drafts the past few years, but one position has been noticeably absent. What is that position? The QB.
Going into the 2008 NFL draft, the Panthers had Jake Delhomme who was coming off of major elbow surgery on his throwing arm. Delhomme was injured and turned 32. Many teams would consider looking for an eventual replacement. I even mocked that the Panthers would go after Matt Ryan. The Panthers were not concerned. They had faith that Delhomme’s arm would recover and, as can be seen, had the plan to majorly upgrade their running game, lowering the amount of throws Delhomme would have to make. Plus, in the three games that Delhomme played in 2007, he did have a touchdown ratio of 8 to 1.
The Panthers’ faith was vindicated when they got to the playoffs in 2008. However, Delhomme melted down and threw five interceptions in the wildcard against Arizona. So let’s check the rap sheet, injury, turning 33, weakening arm strength, and skill/mental decline. Even more teams would be looking to add a QB for the future. Again, not the Panthers. Like I had mentioned, the Panthers prioritized replacing the departing Peppers and once again left themselves without a first round pick. The 2009 season? Delhomme only threw eight touchdowns and deprived the Panthers of many more. I had Deangelo Williams on my fantasy team, so I watched a lot of Panthers football. Many was the time the Panthers running game would get them into the red zone only to have Delhomme throw an INT. Delhomme absolutely melted down, but as the only other QB was Matt Moore, the Panthers were stuck with Delhomme for much of the year.
Jake Delhomme’s fall from grace could have taken John Fox and Marty Hurney down as well. The Panthers had Matt Moore at QB…and that was it. With Peppers on his way out and a lackluster offensive season looming, the Panthers Front Office was by all appearances going to be on its way out and fairly soon. The Quarterback is arguably to most important position in the NFL and the Panthers’ front office totally ignored it. They refused to admit they had a QB crisis on their hands. Instead of going after young promising talent (although Matt Moore does have promise) they instead continued to drink from the ever diminishing pool of Jake Delhomme’s talent. If something were to happen to Matt Moore and/or the Panthers did not make it to the playoffs this season, John Fox and Hurney would have been out the door. Thankfully though, that was not to be.
Due to the largest disparity between mock and actual pick in Mel Kiper’s career, Jimmy Clausen fell to the Panthers in the second round. Many people (apparently not NFL executives) thought that Clausen was top ten talent. In my own mock I said the following:
“I watched a bunch of game play from this past year and Clausen had gotten rid of the bad decision making that plagued his first two years. Clausen is quick and plays very well in play action. He also is insanely accurate. As far as arm strength. I watched a highlight reel and Clausen threw from the 4 yard line to the 50 yard line. He also threw from ND’s own 44 to about three deep in the endzone. That is a 46 yard pass and a 59 yard pass, both of which were caught. Clausen has the mobility, arm strength, and meticulous accuracy. Clausen could be the long awaited answer to Buffalo’s offensive woes.”
Well, Buffalo passed on him twice and the Panthers got the biggest steal in the draft. Clausen has a powerful arm and is very accurate. Steve Smith might just be crying. He now has a powerful deep arm and a QB who can get it to him in stride, not that Steve Smith is above making circus catches. It is almost unbelievable that Clausen fell to the Panthers and the Panthers got away with one of the worst conceived draft strategies known to man. As a matter of fact, if Clausen succeeds early and gets the Panthers to the playoffs, no one will remember their flub. People will look back and see 2008 as building the running game, 2009 as bolstering the defense, and 2010 as the year of Clausen. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good and the Panthers may just be the perfect example of that.
As far as how the Panthers will do, that is a little in the air. With the Delhomme turnover factory moved to Cleveland, as long as Clausen can keep turnovers down, it is safe to assume that the double headed dragon that is Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, occasionally aided by Steve Smith, will put points up on the board. It has yet to be seen the impact that Peppers departure will have on defense, but regardless the offense can carry the Panthers to at least a wild card bid. It all depends on the Savior from Notre Dame and maybe a little luck.
Showing posts with label Jimmy Clausen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Clausen. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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…
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…
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