QB Controversary

[Reks]

Those four teams make me feel a lot better about the Falcons situation.

Yeah, at least there's no question as to who's going to suck for the Falcons.

I think the Bears because they have a good-great defense they just need a solid QB.

[NO-KG-AI]

Does JT O'Sullivan light up the preseason with every team? I remember people clamoring for him to start after a preseason in NO, then he was the QB of the future in Green Bay.

I hope SF doesn't fall for it.

[Throwback24]

Alex Smith is ready to deliver (H)

[deeney0]

Wow, Orton named Bears starter. I didn't see that coming. If this isn't the end of Rex as a starter in the NFL, I don't know what would be.

[CBS7]

Orton sucks less. Also there is more of a chance of him being an average starting QB then Grossman, IMO.

Grossman has been given chance after chance after chance.

[VinnyTheMick]

Browns may need to be thrown into the mix if Anderson is seriously injured.

[Icness]

It seems both the Niners and Bears have come to their senses. Kyle Orton should be the starter in Chicago and Lovie Smith finally figured that out. What CBS7 said is right on--Orton sucks less and is less likely to lose games on his own. What will be interesting is what they do with Rex now. A wise birdie tells me he might get cut if they can get Chris Simms or Quinn Gray on the cheap.

I talked to a 49er over the weekend and asked him about the QBs. Long story made short: Alex Smith has been terrible and if the game was fair he'd be the 3rd stringer only because there isn't a 4th string. O'Sullivan has a better arm and throws a more catchable ball than Hill, plus he doesn't stare at his primary receiver before the snap. He told me that if Smith winds up starting it's a sign the team isn't serious about winning and it might cause veteran mutiny.

The QB controversy that fascinates me is Arizona. That Leinart has not clinched the job over Kurt Warner really disappoints me, a shameless Leinart fanboy. IMO the Cards have a shot at winning their division but playing QB roulette ain't gonna get it done.

[Basketball Jesus]

How much of Leinart’s stunted development is off-the-field related? I know he has a reputation and all but has that soured some of the decision-makers on the team that much to the point where he’s not getting a fair opportunity? Or is Kurt Warner that loveable?

I feel bad for Alex Smith. By all accounts he seems like a really nice kid; it’s not really his fault that he came out in a weak year for QBs (for top prospects all around, really), only to go to an incredibly incompetent organization. Granted he’s not starter material but I would have liked to see him get a better chance than he did. Far worse QBs have been given better opportunities.

[NO-KG-AI]

Maybe Aaron Rodgers did win in the long run?

[Al n' Perk No Layups!]

A wise birdie tells me he might get cut if they can get Chris Simms or Quinn Gray on the cheap.

That's one amazing bird!

[Icness]

How much of Leinart’s stunted development is off-the-field related? I know he has a reputation and all but has that soured some of the decision-makers on the team that much to the point where he’s not getting a fair opportunity? Or is Kurt Warner that loveable?

Warner is indeed that loveable. It's gotta be the beard.
Leinart is quickly becoming the poster boy for everything that is wrong with USC and more generally all the highly regarded young athletes that come out of SoCal. He was anointed as awesome before he finished HS, got surrounded at USC by enough other dudes in the same boat that his innate awesomeness was good enough. Then he got to the NFL and found out everyone else is more awesome than anyone he's ever played with or against and he has no idea how to handle it. Look at Keary Colbert or Mike Williams or Dominique Byrd or Reggie Bush or Winston Justice or Manny Wright or Dwayne Jarrett or Mike Patterson or even Troy Polamalu to some extent--all those guys were amazing HS players and freakish athletes who never had to work real hard at USC to remain very good. But to thrive in the NFL you have to have an intense work ethic. Polamalu and Patterson fell into good situations and developed their games and ethics. Leinart has not found that yet. I hope he does, but the clock is ticking.

I feel bad for Alex Smith. By all accounts he seems like a really nice kid; it’s not really his fault that he came out in a weak year for QBs (for top prospects all around, really), only to go to an incredibly incompetent organization. Granted he’s not starter material but I would have liked to see him get a better chance than he did. Far worse QBs have been given better opportunities.

Before that draft, Tony Softli (then drafting players with the Panthers) told me that Alex Smith wouldn't have been above the 3rd round in either of the two prior drafts. Smith simply picked a great time to be draft eligible--the competition was pathetic in general and not many people had yet figured out that the transformation from the shotgun-spread to the NFL is massive. I agree it's not his fault and I do kinda feel sorry for him, but by the accounts I've been given on him he hasn't exactly tried real hard to get better. Hard to say what would have happened had he fallen to where he belonged in the draft and wound up as a groomed successor with the Jets or Eagles (or Packers ). My somewhat informed educated guess is that he'll get that chance next summer the way David Carr did with CAR last year. I sincerely hope it works out better for Smith than it did for Carr, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[studcrackers]

icness will smiths lack of success make people a little wary of tim tebow since he's also under urban meyer

also as of now where do u project tebow to go? and would u touch him?

[Icness]

icness will smiths lack of success make people a little wary of tim tebow since he's also under urban meyer

also as of now where do u project tebow to go? and would u touch him?

Absolutely it is impacting Tim Tebow, hard to say exactly how much at this point. One thing Tebow has in his favor over Smith is that he's a confident leader and has already experienced what it's like to play big-time football every week. It's also impacting Pat White, Chase Daniel, and Graham Harrell and even Curtis Painter a little.

Right now Tebow is my #3 rated QB after Stafford and Bradford. Some people in the scouting biz have him #1 and I wouldn't argue hard against that. If I were running a team I wouldn't take him in the top 20, but I'd go for him in the 21-40 range--which typically is a team that doesn't need a new starting QB right away. What happened to Aaron Rodgers is ideal for Tebow, two years on the bench to learn NFL football before the pressure to deliver is great. He has the physical ability of Vince Young or a giant Jeff Garcia and that's a tempting package.

[treiz]

icness will smiths lack of success make people a little wary of tim tebow since he's also under urban meyer

also as of now where do u project tebow to go? and would u touch him?

[PhilipNelsonFan]

IMO the Cards have a shot at winning their division.

If by a shot, you mean a snowball's chance in hell, then yes, the Cards have a shot. I buy that they have the talent to win the division, but they're the second-most dysfunctional organization in football and I say this as someone who follows the Bengals. Even though the offensive line is one giant question mark, Seattle has a stranglehold on that division and they won't relinquish it unless the Rams start to improve.

[Da Schwab]

IMO the Cards have a shot at winning their division.

If by a shot, you mean a snowball's chance in hell, then yes, the Cards have a shot. I buy that they have the talent to win the division, but they're the second-most dysfunctional organization in football and I say this as someone who follows the Bengals. Even though the offensive line is one giant question mark, Seattle has a stranglehold on that division and they won't relinquish it unless the Rams start to improve.

I always prefer the term 'puncher's chance', but that's beside the point. I think the Cards could definitely charge for a WC berth, but I'm with PNF on this, the Hawks should run away with the division crown (barring a huge injury to Baldy).