The Quarterback Carousel Goes Round And Round

The 2012 NFL regular season ended two days ago. Seven coaches and five general managers got the ax yesterday. It's amazing how much the NFL has become a quarterback driven league. Taking a look at everyone who got a pink slip, with the exception of Lovie Smith in Chicago, they have one thing in common: inconsistent to bad play at the quarterback position. Normally, my blog centers on the NFL Draft. But with the lack of superstars at the quarterback position coming into the draft, and the annual Panic In The Draft Room that occurs every year, what happens to the veterans at the position will impact which signal callers entering the league end up where they get selected. Kansas City holds the first selection, and they need a quarterback perhaps more than any one. Matt Cassell has not been the player in KC that he showed in New England during his one season in place of Tom Brady. Then again, that year he took over a team that had just gone 18-1, and he had Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to. Cassell led the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010, but he was supported by a strong running game and a strong defense. The pieces are in place, but Cassell has not been able to put the puzzle together. Brady Quinn stepped in late in the season after Cassell was injured, but Quinn has been a bust for three teams now, and his future is that of Terry Hanratty. A clipboard holding backup. Jacksonville has the second pick, and I believe they will start the dominoes when they trade for Tim Tebow. Shahid Khan wants him in Jacksonville, and even though everyone is telling him that Tebow is not the answer Khan knows that he will put people in the seats. At least for a few games. Tim Tebow is a great competitor, a winner, and a bad passer of the football. He deserves a fair chance to succeed on a team that wants him. And no matter what you say about Tebow the quarterback, he is better than Blaine Gabbert. Blaine Gabbert shows that teams will take a chance on a quarterback high in the draft these days. With the rookie salary cap in place, the big money isn't going to the unproven rookies as it once did. Missing on a high pick can still set a team back, but now they can cast them off earlier then before because the financial hit is not what it once was. So even though the talent at the quarterback position going into the 2013 NFL Draft is not anywhere near the top tier of past drafts, some team will take a chance on Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon, or Tyler Wilson. But when the quarterback carousel finally stops, and the veterans finally find new homes, that may change. Teams are going to be looking at Michael Vick and Alex Smith, perhaps Matt Cassell or Carson Palmer. I would not be at all surprised to see Tony Romo or Mark Sanchez find new homes. I would be surprised even less if they were traded for each other in a straight up swap. Give each player a new home and a fresh start. Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy both may be on the way out of Cleveland with new ownership and a new coach coming in. Matt Flynn most likely won't want to sit behind Russell Wilson in Seattle, and may want out. Joe Flacco is a free agent, and after turning down a contract from Baltimore in the offseason, if the Ravens do not put the franchise tag on him, Flacco will be looking for a new team. But I do not see Flacco going anywhere except the bank. But one quarterback who will get a lot of interest from teams is the one player who has the least amount of experience on field, and that is Ryan Mallett of the New England Patriots. Tom Brady is not going to retire any time soon, and Mallett has two years left on his rookie contract. Mallett fell to the third round in 2011 due to off field issues, but he has kept his nose clean under the tuteledge of Bill Belichick, and New England could very easily get a higher draft pick for Mallett than what they selected him with. Mallett has the talent, has had the opportunity to learn from the best in New England, and someone will give him a chance if the Patriots want to part ways. Teams will be looking for the next Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson. But I don't see the talent in the deep end of the pool this year. But as I have posted the past drafts, Panic In The Draft Room will set in, and the quarterbacks in this years draft will shoot up the boards. Just as they do every year.

#1 With A Bullet

After his performance in the Orange Bowl, Andrew Luck all but cemented his status as the first overall selection in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft. Now there are two big questions surrounding the selection of Luck. Will Carolina hold onto the pick, and will Luck enter the draft.

Carolina has a lot of needs, as most 2-14 teams have, and the big question is do they believe in either Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen. There are a lot of teams that need a quarterback, and with the depth at the position this year they may feel that their future franchise quarterback can be found later in the first round. But Luck is as good of a quarterback prospect since Troy Aikman. Accurate, smart, and pro ready. But with Ryan Mallet, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker and Cam Newton in this draft, the Panthers may decide that if someone offers a Ricky Williams blockbuster deal that it would be too good to pass up with all of their needs on both sides of the ball.

But what may be the bigger question is whether Luck will enter the draft at all. And there are three words that may determine his entry: Collective Bargaining Agreement. Luck is a sophomore eligible, so he has 2 years remaining in college if he decides to stay. The NFL and it's players association appear to be heading for a standoff, and there is a very good chance that a long lockout will ensue. If it looks like there may not be pro football next season, Luck may stay in school, where he knows that Stanford will suit up in 2011. The deadline for underclassmen to declare is January 15th. Luck has eleven days to make up his mind. He is living his own version of an old country song. Heads Carolina. Tails California. We shall see.