Boy is it good to have football back. The lockout wasn't fun for anyone, but it's resulted in a convergence of free agency and training camp that is making for the most exciting week of offseason football in league history.
The biggest news so far (outside of New England, at least), was the inevitable decision by the Cardinals to trade for Kevin Kolb. To get their supposed quarterback of the future, Arizona gave up Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick. To cast an objective eye on this big decision, let's compare the statistics of four anonymous career backup quarterbacks who were traded for an expensive package in the past decade:
| Player | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rate | Y/A |
| Player A | 7 | 5 | 96 | 168 | 57.10% | 1,154 | 8 | 6 | 79.3 | 6.9 |
| Player B | 19 | 7 | 194 | 319 | 60.80% | 2,082 | 11 | 14 | 73.2 | 6.5 |
| Player C | 38 | 2 | 84 | 161 | 52.20% | 1,033 | 6 | 6 | 69.2 | 6.4 |
| Player D | 30 | 15 | 349 | 555 | 62.90% | 3,946 | 23 | 13 | 88.2 | 7.1 |
Players A and B are somewhat similar. A has a better passer rating and touchdown to interception ratio, but B has more yards and a higher completion percentage. Player C looks to be the least accomplished, while Player D has by far the best stats across the board.
Player A is Kolb, who you may be surprised to learn has more interceptions in his career than touchdowns.
Player B is another Philly quarterback who Andy Reid traded for a 2nd round pick, AJ Feeley. Feeley lost his starting job only a month into his first season with the Dolphins.
Player C is Matt Schaub, who Houston traded two 2nd round picks for after he backed up an oft-injured Michael Vick (sound familiar?) in Atlanta.
Player D is Matt Cassel. Kansas City traded a 2nd round pick to get both him and veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel.
These numbers alone indicate that it's a gamble to evaluate a signal-caller on just his spot duty as a backup. And in Kolb's case, the fact remains that every QB who has played in Andy Reid's offense, from Donovan McNabb to Vick to Feeley to Koy Detmer, has never played better elsewhere. I don't have a problem with Arizona investing in Kolb, since you can't get a franchise quarterback without some leap of faith. I do have a problem with them paying a price higher than that of Schaub or Cassel, for a guy that comes with a similar track record and from the same system as Feeley.
A few more thoughts on an eventful first two days of the 2011 NFL season:
- Just because the Eagles got the better end of the Kolb deal, doesn't mean I think it was a smart trade for them. There will be a point next year when Vick is injured and they'll need his backup to win a big game. Kolb knew the system, so whoever replaces him needs to have the drive and intellect to learn Reid's offense quickly. I don't think Vince Young could find drive and intellect if I handed him a dictionary. If Young is forced into action for Philly, and I think he will be, the Eagles will miss Kolb.
- I like the Patriots' trades for Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, two talented head cases who had quit on their dysfunctional franchises. Bill Belichick has always been good at turning another team's trash into New England's treasure, but I think he went a bit too extreme these last two seasons, expecting dirt-cheap veterans like Fred Taylor, Joey Galoway, and Marcus Stroud to be quality contributors. This time, he's grabbed two players who aren't necessarily cheap, but still have some tread left on their tires.
- If you hadn't told me anything about last season, and just showed me the moves the Panthers have made the past two days, I would have thought that they were a contender gearing up for a Super Bowl run. In actuality, they're overpaying to keep together a core of players who went 2-14 last year. Maybe I'd be less critical of this if I didn't think Cam Newton was the next Jamarcus Russell.
- As signs increasingly point to Nnamdi Asomugha signing with the Jets, I've heard some analysts argue that this is a dumb move for New York. One analyst on NFL Network said he'd rather see them use the money to sign Antonio Cromartie and a pass rusher like Ray Edwards. That line of thinking baffles me. You may have to pay big money for Asomugha, but he is worth every penny of it. When you get the chance to sign a future Hall of Famer to give you the most dominant CB tandem in NFL history, you don't overthink it. You just sign the check and start practicing your high-fives.
- Nate Clements never lived up to his paycheck in San Francisco and was dropped on Thursday. However, I still don't blame the 49ers for pursuing another high-priced cornerback. Clements was a very good player who looked better in a weak free agent market. Asomugha is a Hall of Famer who'd look spectacular in any market.
- Santonio Holmes signed one of the richest contracts a wide receiver has ever gotten, and one could argue that he's not even one of the top 10 receivers in the league. But Holmes' clutch performances speak louder than his stats, and the Jets are clear contenders. When you're gearing up for a Super Bowl run, you don't rock the boat by losing your young QB's favorite target.
- I am not putting much stock into Kyle Orton taking snaps with the Broncos starters yesterday, despite his being on the trading block. The Broncos are just showing off their trading chip so they can deal him for the best package.
- The quietest release of the day was the Bears giving up on Brandon Manumaleuna. It comes just one season after they signed him to a five-year, $15 million contract to be Mike Martz' prototypical blocking TE.
- As a Giants fan, it's sad to see the release of three players that were key cogs in their 2007 Super Bowl run. Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert and fullback Madison Hedgecock were the backbone of an impressive running game over the past few years. But their injuries started to add up, and New York had to get younger on the offensive line.
- Today looks like it might be the craziest day in NFL offseason history. All these deals over the past few days are merely verbal agreements and cannot be finalized until 6:00pm, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a team try to snatch a player away from a rival before he can put pen to paper. I expect Asomugha, the best free agent in years, to end up with the Jets, and for offensive coaches everywhere to shudder at the news.
Image found here.
- As signs increasingly point to Nnamdi Asomugha signing with the Jets, I've heard some analysts argue that this is a dumb move for New York. One analyst on NFL Network said he'd rather see them use the money to sign Antonio Cromartie and a pass rusher like Ray Edwards. That line of thinking baffles me. You may have to pay big money for Asomugha, but he is worth every penny of it. When you get the chance to sign a future Hall of Famer to give you the most dominant CB tandem in NFL history, you don't overthink it. You just sign the check and start practicing your high-fives.
- Nate Clements never lived up to his paycheck in San Francisco and was dropped on Thursday. However, I still don't blame the 49ers for pursuing another high-priced cornerback. Clements was a very good player who looked better in a weak free agent market. Asomugha is a Hall of Famer who'd look spectacular in any market.
- Santonio Holmes signed one of the richest contracts a wide receiver has ever gotten, and one could argue that he's not even one of the top 10 receivers in the league. But Holmes' clutch performances speak louder than his stats, and the Jets are clear contenders. When you're gearing up for a Super Bowl run, you don't rock the boat by losing your young QB's favorite target.
- I am not putting much stock into Kyle Orton taking snaps with the Broncos starters yesterday, despite his being on the trading block. The Broncos are just showing off their trading chip so they can deal him for the best package.
- The quietest release of the day was the Bears giving up on Brandon Manumaleuna. It comes just one season after they signed him to a five-year, $15 million contract to be Mike Martz' prototypical blocking TE.
- As a Giants fan, it's sad to see the release of three players that were key cogs in their 2007 Super Bowl run. Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert and fullback Madison Hedgecock were the backbone of an impressive running game over the past few years. But their injuries started to add up, and New York had to get younger on the offensive line.
- Today looks like it might be the craziest day in NFL offseason history. All these deals over the past few days are merely verbal agreements and cannot be finalized until 6:00pm, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a team try to snatch a player away from a rival before he can put pen to paper. I expect Asomugha, the best free agent in years, to end up with the Jets, and for offensive coaches everywhere to shudder at the news.
Image found here.
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