by Bill Young
For those QB needy teams, what are your ten best options this offseason?
For those QB needy teams, what are your ten best options this offseason?
#1: Draft/trade for Andrew Luck: The colts lost so many games that they were rewarded with one of the most NFL-ready QBs in years. He has all the skills a QB needs in the new pass-happy league. He has arm strength, vision, accuracy, preparation, and underrated speed which can enable him to make plays on the run. Overall, if an organization needed a franchise quarterback to build a team around, this would be the safest pick.
#2: Sign Alex Smith: Alex Smith has adjusted to numerous offensive coordinators throughout his career while learning to play efficiently in the windy Candlestick Park. His experience and solid decision making would allow offensive coordinators more flexibility when designing plays. These attributes along with the career best numbers he posted last season indicate that now is the time to sign Alex Smith.
#3: Sign Matt Flynn: Matt Flynn has been the backup to Aaron Rodgers the past few seasons. Flynn has the leadership and smarts along with the preparation to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He has limited experience but that experience has been encouraging, setting Packers records in the last game of the season vs the Lions and performing well against the Patriots a season before.
#4: Draft/Trade for Robert Griffin III: Robert Griffin III has the most tremendous upside of anyone on this list. However, there are questions about the defenses he has faced as well as his height in terms of passing in the pocket. That said, he has tremendous speed and possesses a strong and accurate arm. Right now he is not the top QB available, but in a few years, he could be the best QB on the list.
#5: Sign Jason Campbell: Although an injury last season landed him on IR, Jason Campbell has developed into an efficient quarterback, leading the Raiders to a promising start before Carson Palmer and others fumbled the rest of the season away. Campbell can make all the throws. His only weakness seems to be knowing when to take shots down the field. His toughness and accuracy have improved greatly throughout his career making him a great option for a team to improve immediately at the QB position.
#6: Sign Brian Hoyer: Brian Hoyer has spent the last few seasons under the tutelage of Bill Belichick and has practiced along side Tom Brady. He has experienced the preparation needed to perform at a high level week in and week out. He has a strong arm and possesses solid leadership skills.
#7: Sign Kyle Orton: He still has a good arm and is mentally tough. He has the talent to make all of the throws but is inconsistent. The decision making is not always a strength but he can lead a team back to respectability.
#8: Sign Chad Pennington: He is the most accurate passer the NFL has seen. He prepares for games well and is a good leader. The downside is the lack of arm strength and tendency for injury.
#9: Sign Chad Henne: Henne has shown remarkable improvement since taking over for Chad Pennington a couple of years ago. His injury early last year overshadowed his progress. He shows great composure in difficult game situations. He can make difficult throws look easy at times but lacks the consistency of a top level quarterback. He has unfortunately shown the tendency to hold onto the ball too long which can result in sacks, fumbles, interceptions and potentially injury.
#10: Draft Kellen Moore: The Boise State product has shown outstanding leadership and accuracy throughout his collegiate career. His preparation allows his receivers to be in the best position at all times. He can anticipate throws and is able to make most NFL throws consistently. The only question marks surrounding Moore are height and arm strength. As others have shown, if you can find passing windows and are smart enough to anticipate throws, height and arm strength questions will become a distant memory. Given Moore's preparation and high football IQ, I wouldn't bet against Moore becoming a decent starting quarterback in the NFL.
Dishonorable Mention: Sign Rex Grossman: If you want your defense to bail you out of every game or turn the ball over at least twice every game, sign Rex Grossman. He may have the talent to make all the throws, but he always makes mistakes that haunt your team. Do not fall into the trap that other teams have fallen into. Do not believe that your coaching staff is better than everyone else's coaching staffs. It is not worth the headache that is Rex Grossman.
#2: Sign Alex Smith: Alex Smith has adjusted to numerous offensive coordinators throughout his career while learning to play efficiently in the windy Candlestick Park. His experience and solid decision making would allow offensive coordinators more flexibility when designing plays. These attributes along with the career best numbers he posted last season indicate that now is the time to sign Alex Smith.
#3: Sign Matt Flynn: Matt Flynn has been the backup to Aaron Rodgers the past few seasons. Flynn has the leadership and smarts along with the preparation to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He has limited experience but that experience has been encouraging, setting Packers records in the last game of the season vs the Lions and performing well against the Patriots a season before.
#4: Draft/Trade for Robert Griffin III: Robert Griffin III has the most tremendous upside of anyone on this list. However, there are questions about the defenses he has faced as well as his height in terms of passing in the pocket. That said, he has tremendous speed and possesses a strong and accurate arm. Right now he is not the top QB available, but in a few years, he could be the best QB on the list.
#5: Sign Jason Campbell: Although an injury last season landed him on IR, Jason Campbell has developed into an efficient quarterback, leading the Raiders to a promising start before Carson Palmer and others fumbled the rest of the season away. Campbell can make all the throws. His only weakness seems to be knowing when to take shots down the field. His toughness and accuracy have improved greatly throughout his career making him a great option for a team to improve immediately at the QB position.
#6: Sign Brian Hoyer: Brian Hoyer has spent the last few seasons under the tutelage of Bill Belichick and has practiced along side Tom Brady. He has experienced the preparation needed to perform at a high level week in and week out. He has a strong arm and possesses solid leadership skills.
#7: Sign Kyle Orton: He still has a good arm and is mentally tough. He has the talent to make all of the throws but is inconsistent. The decision making is not always a strength but he can lead a team back to respectability.
#8: Sign Chad Pennington: He is the most accurate passer the NFL has seen. He prepares for games well and is a good leader. The downside is the lack of arm strength and tendency for injury.
#9: Sign Chad Henne: Henne has shown remarkable improvement since taking over for Chad Pennington a couple of years ago. His injury early last year overshadowed his progress. He shows great composure in difficult game situations. He can make difficult throws look easy at times but lacks the consistency of a top level quarterback. He has unfortunately shown the tendency to hold onto the ball too long which can result in sacks, fumbles, interceptions and potentially injury.
#10: Draft Kellen Moore: The Boise State product has shown outstanding leadership and accuracy throughout his collegiate career. His preparation allows his receivers to be in the best position at all times. He can anticipate throws and is able to make most NFL throws consistently. The only question marks surrounding Moore are height and arm strength. As others have shown, if you can find passing windows and are smart enough to anticipate throws, height and arm strength questions will become a distant memory. Given Moore's preparation and high football IQ, I wouldn't bet against Moore becoming a decent starting quarterback in the NFL.
Dishonorable Mention: Sign Rex Grossman: If you want your defense to bail you out of every game or turn the ball over at least twice every game, sign Rex Grossman. He may have the talent to make all the throws, but he always makes mistakes that haunt your team. Do not fall into the trap that other teams have fallen into. Do not believe that your coaching staff is better than everyone else's coaching staffs. It is not worth the headache that is Rex Grossman.
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