Every year, around this time, team’s depth charts start to either come together or really start to heat up.
Before we at www.NFLHouse.com begin our article set on position battles across the country, I’ll take a look at the most intriguing position to follow and the seven quarterback battles that are still undecided.
Buffalo Bills – Brian Brohm vs. Trent Edwards vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Buffalo Bills are in disarray on offense. They don’t have a tackle worth starting at left tackle, their best running back is on the trade block, they lost their 2nd best receiver, and on top of that, they don’t have anyone that a team can really build around as of now.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had the most starts for the team with eight, and finished a respectable 4-4. However, he’s likely bringing up the rear in the competition. Trent Edwards has been working with the first team in practice and is slated as the top man heading into training camp.
Brian Brohm has been a favorite of Chan Gailey in practice, showing flashes of why the Packers took him in the second round in 2007. He could be the project at the 2nd spot and challenge most of the year.
Denver Broncos – Kyle Orton vs. Brady Quinn
Last season, the Broncos started 6-0, partially in thanks to the surprising play of their new quarterback, Kyle Orton. Orton has always been known to be a stable, reliable quarterback who likely won’t get you a 350 yard passing game, but likely won’t give you a four interception game either.
However, with Josh McDaniels, that might be a bit of an issue. McDaniels is used to productivity from the quarterback position. Now, I’m not ready to say that Brady Quinn can provide that production, but there was a point in time when Quinn looked like he had Pro Bowl potential. Orton is likely locked in as the opening day starter, but if Orton leads the team to less than or just at mediocrity, Quinn could begin to rise in McDaniels’s eyes.
Arizona Cardinals – Matt Leinart vs. Derek Anderson
Matt Leinart has been battling for the Arizona Cardinals starting job for three of the four years he’s been in the league, and has yet to seize the opportunity.
Now, with his usual competitor Kurt Warner retired and not likely to pull a Brett Favre, Leinart is the consensus top guy. But, as we’ve seen in the past, he has a knack for blowing his chances.
Anderson from two years ago was ultra impressive and rumors were that the Browns turned down a 2nd round pick for Anderson from the 49ers. Since then, however, he’s been a bit of a disappointment. However, with a better offensive line and receiving corps, Anderson could be back to his old self.
Carolina Panthers – Matt Moore vs. Jimmy Clausen
Last season, the Panthers ended a disappointing season with a 3-1 finish from former undrafted Oregon State Beaver Matt Moore. Moore showed signs of being a very capable starter last season and many I talked to felt he could be their option for the long term.
The biggest indicator that the Panthers weren’t set at quarterback? They selected two quarterbacks in the 2010 draft, including one who was viewed as a 1st rounder by some, including myself. Jimmy Clausen has 1st round talent, but his character and leadership ability was his biggest question mark and that was likely why he fell.
Clausen’s Notre Dame playbook and scheme is very similar to what he’s running in Carolina, so the transition is nearly seemless. Plus, with a great running back and offensive line, he’ll have a stable option to bloom even more. Moore is the likely favorite, but once Clausen signs and starts to show off the skills that I felt made him a Top 10 player, he’ll quickly jump in the coaches favor.
St. Louis Rams – AJ Feeley vs. Sam Bradford
If I’m a Rams fan, I am not excited to see who wins this battle. A rookie quarterback facing loads of pressure, coming off a college career of injuries behind a young offensive line, or a career 3rd string quarterback.
From reports I’ve heard, the Rams want Feeley to be “the guy” for now, and let Bradford sit for a few weeks at the very least. Feeley can be a capable starter at times, but to expect anything less than a 1:1 TD to INT ratio and averaging 200 yards a game would be understandable.
Bradford is obviously their long term answer to get this team out of it’s recent 5 year funk. But to put him at the helm early in this season would be a mistake. Still, if Bradford plays well enough and learns the playbook quick enough, he could be strongly considered.
Seattle Seahawks – Matt Hasselback vs. Charlie Whitehurst
Hasselback has been the starter and is one of the staples of the team in the 21st century. He lead the team to the Super Bowl (with Mike Holmgren with him), and has had many productive seasons. He’s arguably one of the best quarterbacks in Seahawks history.
However, with Pete Carrol looking to rebuild this team by bringing in lots of impact rookies, free agents and trade acquistions, odds are Hasselback’s days as quarterback are numbered. When a team trades a 3rd round pick and flops 2nd rounders, they usually think highly of that player and expect him to make an impact, especially at quarterback.
Charlie Whitehurst got rave reviews as Phillip Rivers’s backup, and was impressive in college as a prospect, one I thought could make an impact in the NFL. As of now, Hasselback is and deserves to be the starter. But think of Whitehurst as a very pro-ready rookie quarterback: two bad games or a poor record early on for Hasselback, and the team will have to move on.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Byron Leftwich vs. Ben Roethlisberger?
Maybe not a battle right now, as Big Ben is out for the first four games and Leftwich is the starter by default almost. However, it could be a battle come Week 5.
Roethlisberger has been working with the 1st team in practices at times, proving that the team has full intentions to make him the starter the week he returns. But what if Leftwich opens the season 4-0? He plays three of the worst (bottom third of the league) pass defenses in the NFL from last season, and has a chance to really start the Steelers to a good start.
And, even though Big Ben is the more talented quarterback, he’ll need at least two weeks of game experience before he’s back to his normal form. Is it worse possibily sacrificing two loses when your undefeated, just because you’re paying a guy more? It’ll be a tough decision if the Steelers start off hot, but unfortunately, Leftwich will ultimately lose out at some point in the season, whether it’s Week 5, the bye week, or just before the playoffs.
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