It's the QB Shuffle..... - 3/21/12

I can't recall many offseasons where so many quarterbacks changed addresses or so many NFL teams predicated their entire off-season gameplans on the quarterback position. But the reality is this: The NFL, now more than ever, is a quarterback-driven league. The game and its rules are designed to encourage the vertical passing game. Without a steady hand at the quarterback position, teams are destined to be perennial losers. Just ask the Washington Redskins.

Before I get to the big Bronco named Peyton, let's take a look at some of the other signal-caller moves. Green Bay backup Matt Flynn heads to Seattle to compete with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job. I think Flynn's deal is low-risk. It's only a 3-year deal, allowing both parties flexibility depending on his performance. Head Coach Pete Carroll has publicly declared Flynn will compete with Jackson for the starting job, defusing much of the potential pressure. Flynn is a career backup, starting just one season in the last eight...although it was a national championship-winning season at LSU in 2007. Should be interesting to see how the 25-year-old Flynn handles the situation as his arrival in Seattle seems eerily similar to a 26-year-old Matt Hasselbeck arriving in Seattle from Green Bay in 2001. I bet the Miami Dolphins will be keeping a close eye on this situation as well, after passing on Flynn in free agency.

The 'Fins lost out on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn. They are now hoping Matt Moore can develop while bringing in 34-year-old former Jacksonville QB David Garrard for some competition. Perhaps drafting Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill (who played for 'Fins OC Mike Sherman) in the #8 slot next month is the answer. I wonder how those people that paid for the "Manning to Miami" billboard are feeling right now.

Kyle Orton heads to Dallas to back up Tony Romo. Brady Quinn heads to Kansas City to back up Matt Cassel. The Jets give Mark Sanchez an extra $20 million as an apology for flirting with Peyton Manning. And then they go out and trade for Tim Tebow. I refuse to even get into my feelings on the Jets making this trade because the sheer logic of this move is ridiculous. And that's got nothing to do with Tebow himself. The ridiculousness is all on the Jets. Washington gives up three first-round picks for the chance to presumably draft Robert Griffin III. The Colts cut Peyton and have all signs pointed towards taking Andrew Luck with the #1 pick next month.

And then there's Peyton...

A lot of people are attacking Denver GM John Elway, saying he went after Manning just so he could oust Tim Tebow from the starting QB job. Tebowmania may have been great but let's look at this from a pure football perspective. John Elway did exactly what he did so many times as a player. He drove the Broncos down the field against all odds and won the game. Tebow is an incredible human being, a giving soul who the city of Denver will miss. But he is erratic at best. He completed 48% of his passes and everyone knows that a few sessions at UCLA each offseason are not going to be the magic elixir to all of Tebow's mechanical woes. Yes, there is a lot to be said for Tebow taking a 1-4 team to the playoffs and winning a playoff game in overtime. I also truly believe there is much to be said about Tebow's leadership, will to win, and contributions to locker room chemistry.

But he has serious trouble hitting 3-step and 5-step drops which are critical to the rhythm passing games that populate the NFL. The read option may have looked good for a bit but NFL defenses have tremendous speed and eventually the defensive schemes will also catch up. Plus, taking hits like that on a regular basis is sure to shorten Tebow's career. Just ask every running back over the age of 30.

Elway has made no secret he's not fond of Tebow but people are taking this the wrong way. Elway has never made any disparaging comments about Tebow the man. All of Elway's evaluations and opinions are strictly related to football. Elway's disdain for Tebow has nothing to do with Tebow's off-the-field habits or locker room presence. It is solely based around the reality that Tebow is a marginal quarterback who may or may not be able to put the Broncos over the hump a few years down the road. In short, he's not Manning.

The chance to get Peyton Manning is truly once-in-a-lifetime. If Manning is even 3/4 of the player he was before the neck surgeries, he's instantly better than a large chunk of the quarterbacks currently playing in the league. This is also a great situation for Manning. He remains in the AFC, a conference he knows inside and out. He has a player-friendly, defensive-minded head coach in John Fox. He has a young, up-and-coming offensive coordinator in Mike McCoy. He has a defense lead by Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil, and the incomparable Champ Bailey. He has a running back who can handle a load of quality carries in Willis McGahee and a young, dynamic receiver in Demaryius Thomas. Plus, he's got Elway, a man who won his two Super Bowls at ages 37 & 38. Elway knows exactly what Manning will need at this stage of his career to be successful and he will stop at nothing to give it to him. Already, the latest rumor has Jonathan Stewart possibly headed for a reunion with Fox (Fox was his coach in Carolina.)in Denver to help Manning out in the backfield. And with the cap space that Denver possesses, it's rumored that Manning's center, Jeff Saturday, may be headed to Mile High as well. No matter what happens from here, score a huge offseason victory for the Broncos...and Elway.

A few other thoughts:

- New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year as a result of the NFL's investigation into the Saints' bounty program. GM Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first half of the season and former Saints, now Rams, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely. In an earlier post, I went into my feelings on this whole thing. No one should be surprised with the severity of these suspensions. I can only imagine what the commissioner will rule in regards to the players involved. This move, despite the talent on the roster, could destroy the Saints' season before it even gets started. New Orleans will have to scramble to figure out not only who will coach the team this season but who will make all the roster moves while Loomis is out. It's a shame that these things happen but the punishment should fit the crime. I'm pretty sure that losing your job (Commissioner Goodell said the suspensions will be without pay) is a pretty strong message that should get through some of the thick skulls that inhabit the NFL.

The St. Louis Blues are 40-12-8 since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach. The Blues lead the NHL with 100 points and sit ahead of perennial Central Division and Western Conference heavyweight Detroit. St. Louis has no one on pace to score 60 points this season but have seven players who have scored over 30 points but with just one 20-goal scorer. This gritty outfit, lead by captain David Backes, makes few mental mistakes, has strong goaltending, and always seems to be able to make that 3-5 foot pass to clear the defensive zone and get out of trouble. Who they will play in the first round is unclear right now as the Western race is incredibly heated. The number four through eleven teams are separated by a mere ten points. Should be quite the fight to the finish out west.

Despite the loss of Fab Melo, Syracuse is still alive and well in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange will face Wisconsin in the Sweet 16. If the 'Cuse can handle the Badgers, they would await the winner of Ohio State/Cincinnati for a trip to the Final Four. With all the distractions that have threatened to take down the Orange, it's great to see them rallying around each other and continuing to push through in what could be a dream season.

You have to wonder what North Carolina's chances look like in the Midwest Region right now. The Tar Heels may have drawn Ohio in the Sweet 16 but without point guard Kendall Marshall, things could be troublesome. Plus, if they end up meeting Kansas in the Elite 8, it could very well amount to a road game in what is sure to be a pro-Kansas crowd in nearby St. Louis.

The Golden State Warriors retired the jersey of Chris Mullin this week, making his the sixth number to be raised to the rafters in Oakland. What should've been a night to remember turned into a strong statement by the Golden State fans as they strongly booed owner Joe Lacob. It's presumed this outburst was in direct response to the trade of top scorer Monta Ellis to Milwaukee. In reality, Golden State fans have about 30+ years of frustration brewing. I just wish they would've used another chance to let it out. Mullin was a great player and a great Warrior. He was also a member of the original "Dream Team." This night should've been solely about him and his contributions to the franchise. I have no problem with a fan base that is passionate enough to still fill the arena while voicing its displeasure with the direction of the franchise. A little better choice in timing would've been nice though.

The Washington Nationals announced Stephen Strasburg will be their Opening Day starter on April 5th. It's great for the Nationals and the game in general that Strasburg has fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery and will be able to take the hill for the opener. The NL East should be quite interesting this year. The Braves may have collapsed but they were the team to beat for most of the season last year. The Phillies are still the Phillies. The Nationals and Marlins had very productive offseasons and figure to be far more competitive this season. And the Mets...well, they're still the Mets.

Until next time.

- Meech