Thompson Gaffes Contribute To Down Year

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Stupidity makes my head hurt , and if that's the case some of the posts might give me a brain aneurysm. Keep up the good fight Patler, Lurker, bobblehead, etc.

[rbaloha1]

First, TT was fortunate AR lasted the season. A veteran qb should have been signed.

This was not a miscalculation. This was a calculated risk that panned out for Thompson. I'm not sure what there is to complain about. Other than possibly the Tampa game, what would having a journeyman veteran accomplished this year?

The point is TT was lucky. To assume A-Rod is able to play the full season was downright luck.

The two rookie qbs were clearly unready. Maybe a veteran qb would have helped A-Rod in the last 2 minutes.

Next season hopefully BB or MF emerges. If not, a veteran qb should be signed.

So when TT is wrong about something he is incompetent;
but when he is right about something he is just "lucky"?

Recall I am a huge TT supporter. Only on the qb situation was TT lucky. Again let hope MF or BB emerges.

[sharpe1027]

How many qbs last the entire season?

Good question. I assume you have the answer given your strong opinion on the subject.

At the start of the season there was adequate depth at dt.

Yes, that was probably the most widely accepted view of their situation at the time. People disagreeing are mostly doing so in hindsight.

There is absolutely no way TT is at fault for the injuries?

Strawman argument. Never said or meant to imply anything approaching "absolutely no way". Of course you can. I was trying to point out the double standard in the way people were judging.

At qb was there adequate depth?

One answer is yes, since almost none was needed.

Honestly, I can't tell you for sure because we hardly got to see them play. I have little doubt that they would have struggled and been a big drop off. That being said, it is also my guess that any of the FA QBs available would have also struggled and been a big drop off.

Some teams look for years just to get one starting QB, much less worry about having a really good backup. We have a solid starter, faulting for hypothetical situations that would sink most other teams when there are bigger fish to fry seems a bit misplaced.

[Patler]

Fourth, signing BP to a long term contract was a bad decision. The guy may not even be start next season. Should be groomed a pass rushing specialist and special teamer period.

They can release him and avoid much of the money in the contract.
They paid him $3 million more this year than they would have under his original contract, and for that the secured another 4 years in which they have the option to keep him at fixed prices, or cut him to avoid the costs. Any year they decide he is not worth what they will have to pay him that year, they can release him with very little cap impact because most of the money came out of the 2008 salary cap..

Good point. Still imo a waste of $.

It could be, but on the other hand now we have to remember that, roughly speaking, the average salary for NFL players will be over $2 million/year. (53 players + IR and a few others, $120+ million salary cap). It's not going to take much of a player to earn $2-3 million after their rookie contracts are up.

I wasn't a real big fan of signing Poppinga, but after seeing the details it looks like they protected themselves. They will have an "OK" player as long as they want to keep him, and, more importantly, one they can release at any time with minimal salary cap impact.

[rbaloha1]

How many qbs last the entire season?

Looking at 2008 stats for QBs: Roethlisberger, Warner, Manning, Rivers, McNabb, Flacco, Ryan, Pennington, Rodgers, Eli Manning, Cutler, Delhomme, Campbell, Garrard, and Favre all had 16 starts.

Kerry Collins and Matt Cassell came in due to injuries to the annointed starters and started 15 games each.

Kansas City, San Francisco, Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota all had unsettled QB positions due to the lack of a clear starter. Jamarcus Russell, Trent Edwards, and Kyle Orton. Jamarcus Russell, Kyle Orton, and Mark Bulger each missed one game due to injury; Trent Edwards missed 2; Tony Romo missed 3.

As far as I know the only QBs to miss more than 3 games due to injury this year were: Tom Brady, Matt Schaub, Carson Palmer, and Hasselbeck.

So in answer to your question, most QBs play at least 15 games if they prove competent to start.

Good post. The majority listed have a track record -- something A-rod lacked. TT lucked out.

[sharpe1027]

Good post. The majority listed have a track record -- something A-rod lacked. TT lucked out.

None of the QBs without track records (first year starters) got seriously injured...

[rbaloha1]

Good post. The majority listed have a track record -- something A-rod lacked. TT lucked out.

None of the QBs without track records (first year starters) got seriously injured...

True. Again fortunate.

[sharpe1027]

Good post. The majority listed have a track record -- something A-rod lacked. TT lucked out.

None of the QBs without track records (first year starters) got seriously injured...

True. Again fortunate.

Rather than saying that 90% of teams were lucky, it would be more conventional to say that 10% were unlucky and the other 90% came out as expected.