Should Jacksonville acquire a veteran Quarterback?
By Zoltan Paksa
As we all know by now, there will be no trading or free agency until the league and the players’ union agree to a new CBA deal. Let’s assume that the two sides do reach an agreement. I’ve never understood fans’ obsession that seems to occur every offseason with finding a verteran QB to replace David Garrard. In all likelihood, Jacksonville will have a new quarterback on their roster going into 2011, one well above the caliber of a Trent Edwards, Luke McCown, or Todd Bouman. But that shouldn’t stop us from discussing who deserves to be Jack Del Rio’s savior in 2011 – it is the offseason after all! Let’s see who the Jaguars could target amongst the veteran who figure to be on the open market or available via trade. Are any of them worth sacrificing a very valuable early round draft pick?
- Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia
Until he was announced as the Eagles’ starting quarterback in 2010 and Donovan McNabb was subsequently traded, Kevin Kolb was at the center of last year’s debate concerning QB trade candidates. With three starting-caliber quarterbacks on Philly’s roster, he seemed like the most likely to find himself playing for a new team. A year later Kolb is in the same spot, with Michael Vick playing at superhuman levels (with many question his sustainability) and the Eagles seemingly unwilling to deal him for a reasonable bounty. Sure, he has upside: he’s young, could be an upgrade over David Garrard, and was coveted out of the draft by many highly ranked Jaguars’ personnel, including Jack Del Rio (thank you for Michael C. Wright for that information). I have some issues with Kolb, however: 1) I seriously question his durability 2) It seems to me that, like Garrard, he has consistency issues and 3) Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL when it comes to QB evaluation; Kevin Kolb was drafted to replace Donovan McNabb, yet when the Eagles finally make that switch and put the franchise fate in Kolb’s hands, they’ve decided to part with him one year later (thanks to Jonathan Loesche for that point). Sure, Vick had a stellar year and the Eagles would rather get something for Kolb than nothing, but that still says a lot. Currently, his asking price is too high – his play does not justify a 1st round pick (what the Eagles say they require) and I see absolutely no (or very little) sign that the Jaguars would be better off with him at quarterback.
- Donovan McNabb, Washington
If the AP voted on an award for “Best Soap Opera”, Donovan McNabb’s past season in Washington would be tough to beat. Acquiring him from division-rival Philadelphia, benching him on the ground of his physical conditioning’s effect on the 2 minute drill, then giving him a red herring long-term, big-money contract, and then benching him again in favor of Rex Grossman for the last three weeks of the season is quite the saga for just one season. Given the organization’s not-so-secret agenda to move on from McNabb and his very expensive and very droppable contract, it appears we’ll play elsewhere for the 2011 season.Could it be Jacksonville? I doubt it – highly. Sure, his tools are better then Garrard’s, but he’s 35 years old and when Mike Shanahan thinks starting Rex Grossman is a better alternative, even after the big new contract, it’s hard not to see that as a red flag. And we all know how the people of Jacksonville treat their quarterbacks – McNabb would probably be wrecked by the criticism rained down upon him after his first few losses. If there is one thing we should all admire in David, it’s his calm and collected demeanor, no matter how loud the criticisms are for his mistakes. He was called out (fairly, might I add) by the owner and the head coach, but instead of turning into a drama queen, which McNabb has a tendency to do, he always took responsibility and admitted “ I must be better”. McNabb’s just doesn’t feel like a good fit for the city of Jacksonville. And did I mentioned he is 35 years old???
- Vince Young, Tennessee
Jaguars fans have known this player for a long time and despite the improvement I’ve seen in his passing skills over the last few years, there are too many red flags with Vince Young. It seems to me he lacks the maturity to be the leader of the offense and the lockerroom and may not be cut out for the NFL. He simply can’t handle his emotions when things goes bad. I know people will reference 2009 as a counterpoint, but Jeff Fisher deserves a lot of credit for that turnaround, as well. Frankly, the debate is theoretical at best – Vince Young opposes everything that GM Gene stands for.
After the jump, the only player I would actually consider bringing to the Jags…