Decisions: Leinart, Jackson and Kolb
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Decisions: Leinart, Jackson and Kolb
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Three NFC teams have made the playoffs the last two years.
And each one faces some kind of decision at quarteback this offseason.
The Eagles have not wavered from the idea that Donovan McNabb will be their starter in 2010.
The Cardinals face perhaps the most difficult decision of the three, assuming Kurt Warner announces his retirement Friday, and sticks with it thereafter.
And the Vikings of course are on Brett Favre-watch for the next several months.
All three teams have young quarterbacks on their rosters -- guys that were drafted in 2006 and 2007, with various levels of NFL experience. The decisions the Cardinals and Vikings make could affect the Eagles' future.
Below is a simple chart comparing where Matt Leinart, Tarvaris Jackson and Kevin Kolb are in their respective careers.
| Age | Drafted | Games started | Record | TDs | INTs | QB rating | |
| Matt Leinart | 26 | 2006: 10th overall | 16 | 7-9 | 14 | 20 | 70.8 |
| Tarvaris Jackson | 26 | 2006: 64th overall | 19 | 10-9 | 21 | 18 | 77.9 |
| Kevin Kolb | 25 | 2007: 36th overall | 2 | 1-1 | 4 | 7 | 68.9 |
Obviously, the Kolb numbers (record, TDs, INTs, QB rating) don't count for much since he's only attempted 130 passes in the NFL. I more wanted to include his age, draft position and games started.
Something else to take into account is the contract situation of each QB.
Leinart is scheduled to make $2.485M in 2010, but that number jumps to $7.36M for the 2011 season. If he plays out those two years, he would become a restricted free agent in 2012.
Jackson is currently a restricted free agent.
And Kolb would become a restricted free agent after next season.
It's an interesting comparison, given the quarterback situation of each of the three teams when the players were drafted.
Leinart obviously had the highest profile. The Cardinals were coming off seven straight losing seasons. Kurt Warner was the starter, but not not the Warner you remember now. He was the Warner that was coming off a disastrous season with the Giants in 2004.
In 2005, Arizona was 2-8 in 10 games with him as the starter, as Warner tossed 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Leinart was given the straight-on "franchise quarterback" label, and it was assumed it would only be a matter of time until he took over. As a rookie, he started 11 games, throwing for 405 yards in a Week 12 matchup against the Vikings. But the next season, he couldn't hold on to the job, suffered a season-ending injury and never won it back.
Now, Arizona will have to decide whether they want to continue to groom Leinart in 2010 or take a shot on a veteran QB who might be more likely to get them to a Super Bowl next season. A tough decision, considering their high talent level at the offensive skill positions and the fact that the Cardinals have won four playoff games the last two seasons.
The Vikings, meanwhile, had tried hard to convince everyone that Jackson is their guy. But that changed when they had a shot at landing Favre last offseason. Their situation is tricky since MInnesota is probably the most Super Bowl-ready of the three. How long will they wait before demanding a decision from Favre? If he retires, will they again hand the keys over to Jackson? Or will they try to acquire another veteran, in the interest of maximizing their potential in 2010?
And finally, the Eagles. They're backing McNabb, but if a team calls, are they at least willing to listen? If there becomes a great need at QB for a handful of teams, and the potential market for McNabb becomes higher than they expected, will that change their stance?
Three franchises. Three decisions at the most important position in football. We'll see if one move affects the others in the next few months.
Comment removed.
wolf, you are full of it, last year i was praising don, he had a great 4th quarter comeback and the defense blew it, you make stuff up all day long and everyone of your predictions is wrong, all of them.. even this year you said they wouldnt make the playoffs with don... and they did... your an idiot and you know nothing about football.. i will be here on draft day and so will donovan.. get over it... MY MAN— bleed green forever- One thing no one can deny is that McNabb has worked with mediocre at best receivers for a long time and still led the Birds to victories, and that meant many post seasons, including 5 (five!) NFC championship games and a Super Bowl in 10 years. Give me another QB that has been that productive and yet so discredited by the fans and media as McNabb has been??? Answer: NO ONE. Not even the Jaworski or Cunningham teams (whom I like a lot) with Buddy Ryan defenses (!) had the same kind of success. Stop hating on the guy; stop being so negative.— phillies_eagles
- Eagles actions will count way more than their words on this one.— tacklinjoe
Wiff's motto: Whenever proven wrong, shown up or embarrassed, just make something up. Wiff, you just keep making an *ss of yourself. Please keep it up, it just "adds" to your credibility. Hahahahaha, idiot.— tpizza- for the posts who keep complaining that comparison is unfair - Please read the article specifically the following sentence by Sheil who knew this fact and stated it. "Obviously, the Kolb numbers (record, TDs, INTs, QB rating) don't count for much since he's only attempted 130 passes in the NFL. I more wanted to include his age, draft position and games started." Once yo are done please understand that you are the reason Philly fans are called stupid...Thank you— ThatGranmaGranpaGrankidPukeMcBlowGuyIsARacistMORON
- Comment removed.
- Did you say something Houdiniwiff? Got that AR critique yet? You know, the one I asked you for right after the Dallas games...when I wasn't here? Idiot.— tpizza
- Hey there "bleed green forever"...I like what you say dude, but for heaven's sake PLEASE remember the proper use of cap letters, proper punctuation and spacing. You write good things, but it will not be taken seriously by anyone.— TBear
- Well said, bleed green forever.— flyerdup
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- jbp: I want two very very high draft picks before Donnie gets hurt once again. That is what I want. The team needs some real work and trading Mac might just get two pieces they need.— KGKoons
- Comment removed.
Follow
Sheil on Twitter. And become
a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds
coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Download it here.
