Monday Morning Quarterback

[peramoure]

Does anyone read this on the main page of SI.com? Peter King writes it and I have been reading for years - I would love to have a discussion about it since it relates to all things Rams - McNabb, Kolb, Suh, Bradford, etc.

I think it is the best football column by far and away. Anyone?

[peramoure]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

And also, for you Bradford haters, the first page makes a great case for not drafting Bradford. He makes this case:

"What would you rather have, a four- or five-year shot at a relatively sure thing in McNabb (with a +12 TD/INT ratio in each of his past four seasons), or a guy who makes you go to bed uneasy every night for the next two or three years because you just don't know how he'll pan out?" -Peter King

I would love to talk about the other aspects of the article so if anything sticks out post it. :-)

[RebelYell]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

He usually writes a lot of good info if you can get past the fluff. Coffeenerdness and his daughters high school teams aren't of interest to me. Still, he gives a lot of good quotes.

[Bar-bq]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

It might be good to post the article if you want to have a discussion about it. PM me if you don't know how to do this without using hyperlinks.

Whoa. Looking like a dead Sunday, middle of March, with me still incredulous over the Browns paying Jake Delhomme $7 million, and all of a sudden, LaDainian Tomlinson flies to the Jets, Brady Quinn gets a new life in Denver and the Raiders take a chance on a pass-rusher who was a big disappointment in Cleveland, Kamerion Wimbley. In an hour.

Tease alert: Stay tuned, down a bit in the column, for a good nugget about the first thing Rex Ryan said when he woke up from lap-band weight-loss surgery Saturday.

The weekend news leaves us with one big personnel story (except for the fate of Brandon Marshall) prior to the draft: Why are teams not fighting to get Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb from the Eagles?

It's interesting how this story of the Eagles quarterbacks has stretched out. We all know it's unlikely Philly opens the season with McNabb, Kolb and Michael Vick as the quarterback depth chart. If I'm laying odds, it's 60-40 McNabb is under center for the Eagles on opening day. But that 40 percent (who knows -- maybe it's 30 or 35) means something. Andy Reid has said McNabb is his quarterback, but the one thing he has not said is "I absolutely will not trade Donovan McNabb.''

Case in point. Remember last summer, two weeks before Philly landed Vick, when Reid said signing Vick "is not the direction we're looking"? He never said, "We have no interest in Vick.'' So when he says he's happy with his quarterbacks and feels McNabb is his guy, it's a lot different than saying he wouldn't deal him.

A playoff quarterback near his prime can be had for a premium price. The fact that there's a real chance the Eagles could deal McNabb, and that McNabb is a half-year younger than Peyton Manning and apparently intends to play four or five more seasons, and also apparently has kicked the injury bug, leads me to this question: What in the world are all these quarterback-needy teams doing? Why aren't teams running to deal for McNabb?

The prime object of this game in the personnel area is to get a quarterback who can win games and lead your team, and a good, proven one is out there. The Eagles aren't shopping him, but they surely are listening.

I asked a coach with a quarterback need about McNabb, and the coach said because McNabb is on the last year of his contract and would probably need to be re-signed, and the fact that Philadelphia would want a high draft choice for him in a very good draft, and the fact that he doesn't have a lot of years left, all combine to make it a tough trade. Understood. Good factors all. But McNabb is 33.

I have my own problems with McNabb. I don't consider him on the Manning-Brady-Brees plane. I think the Eagles should go with Kolb and make the best deal they can for McNabb this offseason, because, basically, it's Groundhog Day in Philadelphia. Every year's the same, and I don't see McNabb getting Philly over the hump and into another Super Bowl.

So why would I want to pawn him off on another quarterback-needy team when I don't think he's a top-five quarterback? Simple. Because he's a top-10 or top-12 quarterback, and they're too hard to find to let one pass when he's just sitting there for the taking. McNabb would shore up any team's most important position for the next half-decade. Some team's going to take Jimmy Clausen between, say, the fourth and 20th pick in the first round, and whoever takes him is going to have no idea if he's the long-term solution at quarterback.

NFL teams have picked 30 quarterbacks in the first round since 1999. Of those 30, I'd say six (McNabb, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers) have turned into top-flight starters. Six more (Chad Pennington, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Vick, Daunte Culpepper) have been well worth the pick; Vick, remember, had the Falcons on strong playoff runs early in his career.

The other 18 include four No. 1 overall picks (Tim Couch, David Carr, Alex Smith, JaMarcus Russell) who have either failed or need career CPR to get back on track. Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, Kyle Boller, J.P. Losman -- finished far too soon. Twelve success stories out of 30, with a few more hanging in the balance.

What would you rather have, a four- or five-year shot at a relatively sure thing in McNabb (with a +12 TD/INT ratio in each of his past four seasons), or a guy who makes you go to bed uneasy every night for the next two or three years because you just don't know how he'll pan out?

I've also heard what a great draft this is, and I respect teams determined to build through the draft. Long term, it's clearly the best way to build your team right. The last time I heard so many raves about a draft beforehand was the 2004 crop, with the three good quarterbacks (Rivers, Manning, Roethlisberger) and rock-solid depth at several other positions.
Well, I looked up that draft Sunday, and here were the fifth through 10th picks in this so-called superior draft:
5. Washington: Sean Taylor, S, Miami (Fla.).
6. Cleveland: Kellen Winslow, TE, Miami (Fla.).
7. Detroit: Roy Williams, WR, Texas.
8. Atlanta: DeAngelo Hall, CB, Virginia Tech.
9. Jacksonville: Reggie Williams, WR, Washington.
10. Houston: Dunta Robinson, CB, South Carolina.

Forgot to mention Robert Gallery, second overall pick. Six years later, six of the top 10 picks in a thought-to-be excellent draft are gone, with just traces of the impact they were supposed to have left on their teams. A seventh, Gallery, was so unimpressive at tackle the Raiders moved him to guard. It's time for one of the QB-needy teams to step up. Seattle has the sixth and 14th picks, San Francisco the 13th and 17th picks.

Re: Seattle, franchise saviors usually don't last forever. Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier can tell you that. If I'm Pete Carroll, and I can have McNabb as my quarterback for the next four years, I jump at it. Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo and Jacksonville are 7 through 10. If I'm Reid, I'm keeping Kolb (which I think he aims to do), and hoping/praying some team comes to its senses and chases McNabb before the draft.

I think one of the quarterbacks is going. Where, I don't know. When, I don't know. But one last note about the Eagles and quarterbacks: Fordham University, not exactly a football hotbed, had its pro day for NFL coaches and scouts Friday in the Bronx. Fordham has a late-round quarterback prospect, John Skelton. The Eagles were at the workout with not one coach but two -- quarterback coach James Urban and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Maybe it means nothing, but it's pretty rare for two coaches to be looking at a late-round quarterback -- especially when you're as packed at quarterback as the Eagles are. Unless, of course, you're planning to jettison one of your quarterbacks before the draft.

Catching up on the other developments of the weekend:

• You think the McNabb market is soft? Look at what Brady Quinn yielded. Denver gave Cleveland versatile backup runner Peyton Hillis (who might be the best player in this trade), a sixth-round pick this year and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft that I'm told won't be better than a fourth-round pick. This for the 22nd pick in 2007, who had 12 starts to prove he belonged.
Unfortunately for Quinn the Cleveland regime changed, and Eric Mangini wasn't a big fan -- not that Quinn gave him much reason to be. In Denver, Quinn enters camp as the clear backup to restricted free-agent Kyle Orton (Josh McDaniels called Orton to tell him he was the starter on Sunday). But being under the tutelage of McDaniels should help Quinn, who needs to become less frenetic in his drops and picking out the open receiver.
Hillis prove more than capable under Mike Shanahan in 2008, playing running back and fullback for the Broncos and going on a strong five-game run in the backfield before tearing his hamstring late in the season; I guarantee he'll be a favorite of Mangini's for his versatility, the way Mangini loves players like Josh Cribbs and Blake Costanzo.
Last point: It's likely that Chris Simms will be the odd man out in Denver, with Orton, Quinn and 2009 rookie Tom Brandstater likely to be 1-2-3 on the depth chart at quarterback.

• Denver had a more important signing during the week. Nose tackle Jamal Williams, the long-time Charger, signed as part of a defensive line makeover (Denver added Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green,too), and this will be one of the most interesting signings in free agency this year. Williams played at an all-decade level for the Chargers (on my all-decade team, at least) before missing 15 games last year with a torn triceps. Had the Chargers not had so many free agents to sign, they probably would have made Williams more of a focus instead of allowing him to walk when his contract expired.

When he arrived in Denver for a visit last week, he weighed 334 (down about a dozen pounds from his playing weight, impressive for an offseason visit), and the Denver coaches who watched video of him in his last two years saw no sign of decline; neither did independent observers like Aaron Schatz of Footballoutsiders.com. If Williams is right, he'll be the perfect nose to draw double-teams, something Denver didn't have in 2009.

• Rex Ryan really wanted LaDainian Tomlinson. Ryan was in on meetings with Tomlinson on Friday in New Jersey to try to persuade him to sign as a free-agent with the Jets. Then the Jets coach, who has always struggled with his weight, went to Manhattan on Saturday to have lap-band surgery on his stomach, and the first thing he did when he woke up from the surgery was ask: "Did we get LT signed yet?'' the answer was no, so when Ryan had rested and returned home late in the day Saturday, he called Tomlinson to put on one last sales pitch. And Sunday morning, Tomlinson settled on the Jets.

SI's Jim Trotter had good detail on what made up Tomlinson's mind for New York over Minnesota (the Jet scheme was the same, he knew offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer well from his days on the San Diego coaching staff, and Brett Favre's playing uncertainty made the Vikings a bit of an unknown). I believe there were one or two other factors as well.
Though nothing was promised to Tomlinson regarding playing time, he has to know he's more likely to push Shonn Greene aside for playing time than Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. And the Jets have the best run-schemer in football right now, assistant head coach Bill Callahan, with perhaps the best offensive line in the game. The Vikings line showed some big holes at times last year, and is aging.

I think this is the right choice for Tomlinson, and though his career's in free-fall, this is the best situation for him to have a chance for one or two good sunset seasons.

• The Raiders get a rusher. Maybe. Kamerion Wimbley, the Browns' first-round pick in 2006, got off to a great start rushing the passer for Cleveland, with 11 sacks in 16 games as a rookie. In the 47 games since, Wimbley's had 15.5 sacks and too often gets caught in traffic, unable to consistently turn the corner and get to the passer. The Raiders paid a third-round pick for Wimbley on Sunday, a price I think is a little generous -- except when you consider they dealt another pass-rusher, Derrick Burgess to New England for third- and fifth-round picks last year, and Wimbley is much younger than Burgess.

• My thoughts on Merlin Olsen, who died Thursday of complications from mesothelioma: I know most of you know what a good person he was. I hope you also realize what a great football player he was. "We use the term 'great' way too much in this society,'' his teammate, defensive end Jack Youngblood, told me Saturday. "But you can put it in capital letters in front of his name. You could not confuse him, you could not overpower him, and you could not block him consistently.'' Olsen's the only player in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in his first 14 years in the league, and the two men to his left in a 15-year career, Youngblood preceded by Deacon Jones, both made the Hall of Fame -- as did Olsen. He'll be missed.

[peramoure]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

The article is 5 pages long.. and yes, please explain to me how to copy and paste. It just baffles me.

Thanks for the sarcasm.

[clarasDK]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

MMQB is must read each monday.

[Bar-bq]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

Thanks for the sarcasm.

No, thank YOU for going to all that effort to make such a spectacular first impression. Did you consider that as someone relatively new to the board, it occurred to me that you might not have been familiar with the practice of quoting sources?

Just a stellar job on your part, I particularly appreciated the grace you employed in dealing with such an ostensible misunderstanding. Lesser posters around here might have gone ahead and done something brash and ridiculous, like jumping preemptively to their own defense by hurtling accusations at regular contributors.





(This time, you are most welcome to thank me for the sarcasm).

[BrokenWing]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

You know what I noticed? No direct mention of the Rams, not one. Or Bradford, for that matter...Interesting. Also I saw a great deal of sarcasm in the post just before mine. More sarcasm than I can shake a 1st pick in the Draft at...and that's alot of sarcasm.

That said...can't say I disagree with said post either. The OP was self defensive and really didn't need to be...but in all fairness maybe he's used to other forums where people are much more likely to be jerks about every little thing. I've seen other football forums...it's not pretty.

[Nick]

Re: Monday Morning Quarterback

Keep it civil, people.