Quarterback Controversy
by Josh Gaier
Several teams have a big question mark at quarterback. Find out which signal callers should get the nod.
With NFL Training Camps quickly approaching, many teams are still unsure who their signal caller is going to be this upcoming season. Below is a list of teams with questions at the quarterback position and who should emerge as the starter come opening kickoff.
New York Jets
The Problem: Chad Pennington has made a living by throwing pinpoint accurate passes and playing mistake-free football during his tenure with the Jets. However, in a blink of a season, the once-impeccable Pennington turned into a player prone to making bad decisions. His arm strength was never impressive to begin with (in fact it has always been quite alarming), but his arm turned into a noodle while mental lapses and interceptions became a normality. Competing against the former first-round pick is third-year Oregon product, Kellen Clemens. As you’d expect from a second-year, second-round pick, Clemens struggled under pressure and seemed rattled consistently. His once-solid mechanics became a thing of the past as he was constantly throwing off his back foot. As of now, Clemens is still penciled in as the future of the quarterback position for the green and white, but unless he shows the potential fans and coaches are expecting, he’ll quickly learn how frustrating it is be an NFL journeyman.
Who Should Start? The Jets went on a shopping spree this offseason and inflexed their team with veterans by plugging in the missing pieces of the puzzle. Pennington offers the Jets a proven leader and winner, but his decision making last year was horrendous. Until Pennington proves that last year was flux, Clemens deserves the nod because he is the future of the franchise and has to show the coaches and fans he earned that title. Also, don’t forget that NFL quarterbacks usually tend to blossom during their third year.
Miami Dolphins
The Problem: The Dolphins don’t have the luxury deciding between a veteran and a youngster. Instead, they are forced to choose between a second-year player and a rookie. The second year player is BYU product John Beck, who showed flashes of brilliance last year, but also showed why many Dolphins fans have already written him off as the future of the franchise. Beck’s Achilles’ heel last year was his inability to score points, but with the state of the franchise, many can see why. Nonetheless, Beck must also prove to the new Bill Parcells’ regime that he is worthy of his second-round selection. However, Parcells seems to already have other options in mind as he drafted Chad Henne from Michigan in the second round of the draft. Henne is an experienced quarterback with a rocket for an arm who already is accustomed to pro-style offenses. The Dolphins are faced with two young quarterbacks yearning to be groomed, but which one will it be?
Who Should Start? Rookie quarterbacks always tend to have a tough time adjusting to the NFL game, which means Beck should be the starter. The situation he was thrown into last year was atrocious and rarely any rookie quarterback would’ve done much better. With a new coaching style in place and a revamping of the offensive line and team, Beck should be given the opportunity to show what he’s capable of doing. In the meantime, Henne will be able to learn from the sidelines and become more acquainted with the NFL game. If Beck can’t get the job done, Henne should replace him by mid-year, though.
Baltimore Ravens
The Problem: After the retirement of Steve McNair, the Ravens quarterback situation was in disarray. The organization was rumored to have its eyes on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, but after losing that sweepstakes, they settled for Joe Flacco from Delaware. Kyle Boller’s numerous attempts to rejuvenate his career had fluttered, and the Ravens are left thin at quarterback for the upcoming season. Although Flacco has an arm that resembles a cannon, he’ll undoubtedly need a grace period to transition from the Division I-AA game to the NFL. The Ravens must choose between a rookie who is the future of the team or an experienced quarterback who once was suppose to be the future of the organization.
Who Should Start? Although Boller has flamed out as the future of the franchise, he should be the starter for the Ravens. Flacco has all the talent in the world, but he’ll need to undergo a serious transition period from his inferior playing competition to the excellent talent he’ll now face in the NFL. Thus, while Boller plays during the Ravens rebuilding period, Flacco can sit on the sidelines and receive tutelage from new head coach John Harbaugh.
Chicago Bears
The Problem: The Bears ineptness at the quarterback position continues to hinder their potential success. Rex Grossman is your classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as he’ll flash his first-round talent at times, but three snaps later remind you why he’s not starting on anybody’s fantasy team. He is defined by the word inconsistency. Grossman’s opposition is one-time Bears starting quarterback, Kyle Orton. Orton is a game manager who won’t impress with his arms and spectacular plays, but he won’t turn the ball over and he’ll keep the offense intact. In fact, Orton is on record saying he’s excited about the opportunity to compete for the job and that he thinks he’ll beat out Rex. The Bears are forced to choose between the conservative Orton or the potentially explosive Grossman.
Who Should Start? In the end, Grossman has shown he can get the job done as long as he avoids the interceptions. Although Orton doesn’t commit as many turnovers, he lacks the ability to score a ton of points and will force the team to live and die off the defense. With Grossman you’ll either get a spectacular performance or a dreadful performance. Nonetheless, Grossman still provides the Bears with an explosive offense when he’s on par.
San Francisco 49ers
The Problem: Alex Smith, a No. 1 overall pick, hasn’t panned out thus far as his career has been plagued with injuries and inconsistency. Although he made substantial strides during his second year, he resorted back to his rookie form in 2007 when he struggled greatly. While he was spending time on the injured list, Shaun Hill made a name for himself by performing an impressive campaign. With a new offensive coordinator at the helm, Mike Martz, the two will be fighting to earn the starting job, and a major determining factor will be who can digest the playbook the best.
Who Should Start? Sadly for Niners fans, Smith hasn’t lived up to his high expectations yet. However, the franchise has too much invested in him to give up on him this early. Smith should be the starter and this should be his last year to prove he doesn’t belong in the fatal “bust” category. Hill provided the 49ers with a spark last year, but he’ll once again have to wait his turn to be the commander in chief of the offense.