Where They Should End Up
Carson Palmer – Cardinals
---The Cardinals need a proven quarterback to keep Fitzgerald happy and I’m not sure they want to risk two high value picks in the draft and Fitzgerald on a guy that has only started SEVEN games in his entire career. As I said in my last article (http://tinyurl.com/3j78k67), the Bengals need to get some value out of Carson Palmer and this is the best situation for both teams.
Kevin Kolb – Redskins
---I know… Do the Redskins really want to continually give up their drafts for Eagles’ quarterbacks? However, Kolb is a perfect fit for Shanahan’s offense: he has the mobility, the arm, and the accuracy to excel. However, I think the Eagles value Kolb significantly more than they did McNabb last season and I cannot see them trading a young, talented quarterback to a division foe, but it sure would be interesting.
Matt Hasselbeck – Seahawks
---The Seahawks need Hasselbeck more than Hasselbeck needs the Seahawks, but I still think this is the best move for both parties. Hasselbeck took a simply awful team into the playoffs and managed to knock off the defending Super Bowl Champions. That is no easy feat and he is looking to get paid for that. The Seahawks should pay the man who has been an underrated quarterback on a struggling team for most of his career and has yet to see a big contract. Hasselbeck is too old to try and start over somewhere else and should stay in Seattle to help lead this very young team.
Donovan McNabb – Titans
---If they can’t get Hasselbeck, I see them going after McNabb, who might be a better fit anyway. He can groom Locker and show Locker what he did to move from a running quarterback in college with accuracy issues to a successful NFL quarterback. He will also greatly benefit from Chris Johnson in the backfield and run a lot of play action with Kenny Britt streaking deep down the field. This would be the first time in his career that McNabb would not be running a West Coast style offense, which never really fit his skill set.
Vince Young – Dolphins
---Chad Henne needs to be pushed by someone and Young needs to be on a run heavy team. Young could at least be a dangerous weapon in the Wildcat formation and could end up starting over Henne at the start of the season.
Alex Smith – 49ers
---All of this talk about Smith needing to move on and get away from the 49ers organization became irrelevant once they hired Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh’s main talent is grooming quarterbacks and that’s exactly what Smith needs. He needs some consistency (he has had a different offensive coordinator almost every year he has been with the 49ers) and he needs an offense designed to best fit his skills, which Harbaugh will provide. The 49ers are also probably the only team in the NFL that will give him the starting quarterback position and a shot to prove that he was not a complete bust with the first overall pick.
Marc Bulger – Vikings
---The Vikings seem to be set on Ponder starting for them to open the season. The longer the lockout lasts, the less likely this is. However, they are very committed to Ponder and I don’t think it is a good idea to sign McNabb unless they don’t have to give up much to get him or have to pay him a lot. Bulger is the perfect option to push Ponder and help groom him.
Where They Will End Up?
Carson Palmer – retired
---Mike Brown will keep his word and refuse to trade Palmer. This is the wrong move, but I unfortunately see this is the way it will go down.
Kevin Kolb – Cardinals
---Taking Palmer out of the picture, Kolb is the best option to keep Larry Fitzgerald happy in Arizona. He is young, mobile, and has the arm to stretch the field and get the ball to Fitzgerald deep down field. Kolb is a bigger risk than most people think, but he will be their best option to keep Fitzgerald happy.
Matt Hasselbeck – Titans
---Titans need someone to help bring along Jake Locker and despite being a very different type of quarterback, he will be a good mentor to Locker. Hasselbeck wants to go to a place where he can finally be a piece of the puzzle and not have to try to carry a struggling offense. Also, he brings similar skills to the table that helped Kerry Collins be successful in the Titans offense.
Donovan McNabb – Vikings
---Much like with Hasselbeck, McNabb gives Christian Ponder a good veteran to help groom him. Ponder has some raw mobility skills that McNabb can teach Ponder to use successfully in the NFL. McNabb will most likely be cut and not require a lot of money to sign for a few years. He also could help them make a push into the playoffs with some of their older players before they have to start rebuilding with Ponder at the helm.
Vince Young - Redskins
---Young has the mobility that the Shanahans look for in their offense and basically anyone is better than John Beck, who is the only quarterback on their roster besides McNabb.
Alex Smith – 49ers
---Jim Harbaugh has said over and over that they want Smith back in 2011. Rookie Colin Kaepernick is nowhere near ready to start in the NFL and the only other quarterback on the roster is David Carr, who was awful during the little time he played last season. Smith already knows the offense and is a good option until Kaepernick is ready.
Marc Bulger – Seahawks
---The Seahawks cannot open the season with Charlie Whitehurst as their starter and no one on the roster to push him. Hasselbeck wants out of Seattle and its rebuilding stage, despite winning a playoff game last season. Bulger is the best option to at least push Whitehurst into working hard for the starting position.
Note: I read this article (http://tinyurl.com/622otzl) a few hours after writing this and only further proves why Alex Smith needs to remain a 49er.
Note: I read this article (http://tinyurl.com/622otzl) a few hours after writing this and only further proves why Alex Smith needs to remain a 49er.
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