Veteran QBs: Picking the right one

[sharkman]

Agreed, panters55

My opinion on who they bring in has drastically changed since the drafting of Newton. I think you've hit the nail on the head.

[rayzor]

Many times a quarterback's physical skills start to wane just as they really understand the game and defenses on a complex level expands. They know exactly what to do the ball but can't always make the throws or stay healthy. There value to a team is more in what they know than whether or not they can be a long term starter. To that end both Volek and Anderson would be very valuable to the organization and not a distraction as Newton develops. Just watching film together and pointing out the nuances of the game will be invaluable to Newton over time. Neither Volek or Anderson would be valuable as long-term starters but they surely would be valuable to our franchise over the next season or two.

Admittedly neither of them have much to merit them as a starter and there are other guys I like better but given the lack of time to learn Chud's system we likely need someone who can come in right away and play.

problem is i don't like either guys set of intangibles and don't see them as being someone i want around my up and coming franchise QB. just knowing the system isn't enough to make me want either of them here. i'd rather have volek than DA, but i really want neither of these guys around. i don't care how well they know the system.

[neverlosethefeeling]

Two names? Where has Chud coached before other than Cleveland & SD at the NFL level? Or is it even a Chud guy? Could just be someone from the same general system. Hell, maybe they'll drag Dorsey out of retirement...

DeAngelo said to "think about our offensive coordinator," which obviously gave me in the impression that it was going to be a Chud guy.

[panthers55]

problem is i don't like either guys set of intangibles and don't see them as being someone i want around my up and coming franchise QB. just knowing the system isn't enough to make me want either of them here. i'd rather have volek than DA, but i really want neither of these guys around. i don't care how well they know the system.

What do you know about either of their intangibles or their work ethic? Before you decide you don't want them, get to know them. Anderson was picked over Leinart because he was deemed to have better leadership skills and better intangibles.

Here are a few articles about Anderson both recent and how he rated out of college. He has great leadership and is very hard working. He just has questionable accuracy and makes poor decisions at times. Things that you don't pass on to rookies. Work ethic and leadership you do.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2010/08/29/20100829arizona-cardinals-starting-quarterback-decision.html

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-24412.html

Here is an article on Volek:

http://www.sportspundit.com/football/players/2179-billy-volek

If you are looking for a starter then you need to move on. if you are wanting a guy to mentor Cam and serve as a backup, then both of these guys will be good.

[rayzor]

What do you know about either of their intangibles or their work ethic? Before you decide you don't want them, get to know them. Anderson was picked over Leinart because he was deemed to have better leadership skills and better intangibles.

Here are a few articles about Anderson both recent and how he rated out of college. He has great leadership and is very hard working. He just has questionable accuracy and makes poor decisions at times. Things that you don't pass on to rookies. Work ethic and leadership you do.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2010/08/29/20100829arizona-cardinals-starting-quarterback-decision.html

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-24412.html

Here is an article on Volek:

http://www.sportspundit.com/football/players/2179-billy-volek

If you are looking for a starter then you need to move on. if you are wanting a guy to mentor Cam and serve as a backup, then both of these guys will be good.

do i know them? nope. but i know enough about them.

re: anderson...the bar was set pretty low with leinart. he had very little respect from the team. it wouldn't take much to get chosen ahead of him, but even at that, they were massively disappointed in what they got from DA. how could they not be? the stats speak volumes. the dude was just as horrible there as he was for most of his time in cleveland. but then we aren't talking about him as a starter, are we? still, we want our backup to be competent, don't we? he hasn't shown he can be that. intangibles...how does he handle pressure and criticism? from what i have seen, not very well. it wasn't just the tirade he had after getting criticized/questioned for laughing during a humiliating loss on monday night football. did the reporter make it a bigger deal than it should have been? probably. did anderson make a bigger deal out of it than he needed? absolutely.

what made it worse is that he continued fighting about it against a fan on twitter late into the night.(link and link) if that was the only time he had reacted like that, i'd be more willing to sweep it under the rug, but it wasn't so i won't. look for his reaction to being let go from cleveland. he lashed out at the fans in a very unprofessional manner that he later had to apologize for. the major issue i have is if he acts like this outside of the locker room and in with the public, how does he act inside the locker room?

now, you'll probably be able to find articles talking about how much faith the players have in anderson...back in september. where was it in the weeks and months that followed? where is that support and faith now? where is that talk of him being a leader? it isn't there. good luck finding any positive comments about him from his team. they may be there, but i haven't seen them. from what i can tell, they just don't care about keeping him around. i just think we can do better as a mentor than that guy. his knowledge of chud's offense won't make him worth the bother, imo.

as for volek...ugh...i've gone on about him a lot in the past. i just don't like him. i don't see a guy with a strong work ethic (part of the reason that the titans brought in kerry collins...they were hoping it would light a fire under volek) and when he found out that he was actually going to work to get the start instead of just having it handed to him after mcnair left, he asked for a trade anywhere. people are way too high on the guy for his few games of relevance years ago. he just doesn't seem like someone i want to have mentoring my franchise guy. he may know a lot about the offense, but what can he offer about being a professional? what significant playing experience can he draw from to help newton? there just isn't much.

i don't have any illusions about having a starter quality backup to mentor newton. knowledge about the system is good, but aside from that i want someone who has a positive attitude even when things get rough and someone who has had a good deal of playing experience to draw from.

i just don't see anderson or volek being that guy.

[panthers55]

do i know them? nope. but i know enough about them.

re: anderson...the bar was set pretty low with leinart. he had very little respect from the team. it wouldn't take much to get chosen ahead of him, but even at that, they were massively disappointed in what they got from DA. how could they not be? the stats speak volumes. the dude was just as horrible there as he was for most of his time in cleveland. but then we aren't talking about him as a starter, are we? still, we want our backup to be competent, don't we? he hasn't shown he can be that. intangibles...how does he handle pressure and criticism? from what i have seen, not very well. it wasn't just the tirade he had after getting criticized/questioned for laughing during a humiliating loss on monday night football. did the reporter make it a bigger deal than it should have been? probably. did anderson make a bigger deal out of it than he needed? absolutely.

what made it worse is that he continued fighting about it against a fan on twitter late into the night.(link and link) if that was the only time he had reacted like that, i'd be more willing to sweep it under the rug, but it wasn't so i won't. look for his reaction to being let go from cleveland. he lashed out at the fans in a very unprofessional manner that he later had to apologize for. the major issue i have is if he acts like this outside of the locker room and in with the public, how does he act inside the locker room?

now, you'll probably be able to find articles talking about how much faith the players have in anderson...back in september. where was it in the weeks and months that followed? where is that support and faith now? where is that talk of him being a leader? it isn't there. good luck finding any positive comments about him from his team. they may be there, but i haven't seen them. from what i can tell, they just don't care about keeping him around. i just think we can do better as a mentor than that guy. his knowledge of chud's offense won't make him worth the bother, imo.

as for volek...ugh...i've gone on about him a lot in the past. i just don't like him. i don't see a guy with a strong work ethic (part of the reason that the titans brought in kerry collins...they were hoping it would light a fire under volek) and when he found out that he was actually going to work to get the start instead of just having it handed to him after mcnair left, he asked for a trade anywhere. people are way too high on the guy for his few games of relevance years ago. he just doesn't seem like someone i want to have mentoring my franchise guy. he may know a lot about the offense, but what can he offer about being a professional? what significant playing experience can he draw from to help newton? there just isn't much.

i don't have any illusions about having a starter quality backup to mentor newton. knowledge about the system is good, but aside from that i want someone who has a positive attitude even when things get rough and someone who has had a good deal of playing experience to draw from.

i just don't see anderson or volek being that guy.

You make some good points about Anderson's public persona and his reactions to the media. And what he was doing on twitter makes little sense as well.

Still the kind of intangibles and leadership we need is more on the field and in the locker room. I haven't heard much in the way of negatives there, have you?? Anderson is surely not starter material in my book still Shula did a pretty good job in Jacksonville with Garrard so I think that Anderson might be okay here. Part of the issue in Arizona was that they had a dismal running game and a porous line so that it was a perfect storm for Anderson and he surely went down with the ship. Don't get me wrong here, I don't think he is a prize by any notion yet as a backup quarterback he could do the job.

Volek is a big unknown and always has been. There has been no definitive comments to even suggest that he would want to come here. He seems content to play behind Rivers and be the backup.

The issue is really who is out there that would make a good backup in our situation. It is clear Newton is the heir apparent and it is simply when he starts not if. Not exactly an ideal situation for someone coming in to supposedly compete.

Who is out there who fit the criteria that William's noted? Who is even out there and available who would be able to play in Chud's system without starting from scratch? We aren't exactly the Patriots or Steelers and folks are not dying to come here.

[rayzor]

The issue is really who is out there that would make a good backup in our situation. It is clear Newton is the heir apparent and it is simply when he starts not if. Not exactly an ideal situation for someone coming in to supposedly compete.

Who is out there who fit the criteria that William's noted? Who is even out there and available who would be able to play in Chud's system without starting from scratch? We aren't exactly the Patriots or Steelers and folks are not dying to come here.

i agree with that top paragraph i quoted. we need to have a solid backup for newton. the unfortunate thing is that just by newton being a rookie, more than likely anyone brought in to be a backup will in a way be mentoring newton...or at least showing him the ropes. the tough thing will be finding someone who understands that their role will be limited to just that...helping newton learn and backing him up. finding someone who will be a positive guy with a solid work ethic and the heart of a coach is more important than having someone that has knowledge of the system. that guy is going to be able to pick it up pretty easily (unless they are coming from a WCO).

william's comments do have you thinking that it will be someone he has coached before. choices are very limited. aside from rivers that pretty much leaves anderson, volek, brady quinn, and ken dorsey. dorsey and quinn get scratched off that list real quick. it's pretty close to a given that anderson won't be the cards QB next year, even though he's still under contract (supposed to be getting a little over $4mil this year). volek may understand his role for the remainder of his career is going to be that of a backup, but why would he leave san diego for carolina to do the same job? carolina would have to pay significantly more than what the chargers would to get him out here.

i don't know. it just doesn't make sense. its going to be a tough sell and someone desperate for a roster spot in the twilight of their career. that in itself is a very limited field. add to that someone with experience with chud....it would have to be volek.

did williams specify chud, or just the system? because if its the system, then that opens things up a tiny bit, but then it's guys like kerry collins who played for norv in oakland.

meh....i trust rivera & co until they give me a reason not to. they've made good decisions so far, imo. rivera and chud both know him. if they bring in a guy like volek, he must be ok.

[Nytrogen]

Ps please write how crickets sound lol. Bleerpbleerp is pretty close

I will...when you spell crickets correctly in your signature.

[Woodcookedbbq]

Just watched Deangelo Williams' livestream on Facebook where he was answering fans questions. He gave a hint on which Veteran QB the staff is looking at, but he wouldn't say who it was.. He said the QB is familiar with Chud's Offense, so that leads me to believe it's either Derek Anderson or Billy Volek.

Deangelo wouldn't lie to his fans.

[Happy Panther]

Good call

[armistice]

Dear OP, how is Pike a bust? =o He only threw for 12 passes...

Anyways, I agree with Rayzor (well I read two posts so eh) that Anderson isn't the guy, and getting Volek would have probably cost much more. Getting someone to mentor just because they have worked with someone before is silly.

Mentoring goes beyond knowing the offensive system. They should have likable personalities, be mature, etc etc. I have seen Anderson do things (such as outburst because of bad plays) that have repealed me from wanted him as a mentor. Oh well, we have him now, hopefully Pike will beat him out for third string. :3 I'd laugh so hard.

[panthers55]

I don't think you can tell much about how Anderson will be in the locker room based on that outburst interview or even his past. Just like you couldn't tell how Rnady Moss would be in NE based on how he was in Oakland.

Each team and locker room has their own chemistry and make-up based on the players, staff, coaches, and individual situations. So to decide he is or isn't the guy may or may not be accurate. In anycase we gave him a 1 year contract so it isn't as if we are losing much either way. Lets play this out and see what happens. There is a chance that he may actually be our starting Qb this year in a more QB friendly system. He is surely not the long term solution but he may be a stop gap until Newton or Clausen have picked things up.