@riffer-x said:

Great line, great show.

We need to pimp that league wide and maybe throw in that Edwards was also hurt in camp and caused the downfall of Dexter Anderson.

I can see the reports now: "We hate to let this guy go, but we are in a position where we have to go with Queen and DA deserves more than to sit pine, he truly is a starter in this league."

This can work, and there isn't a ton of film from this year to totally condemn him. It's already time to start bragging him up.

Bob Glauber

January 21, 2009

Rex Ryan will be officially introduced today as the Jets' coach, and it won't be long before reporters grill him on the biggest issue he faces: What to do with Brett Favre?

The 39-year-old quarterback continues to deliberate about his future at his Mississippi home and may not have an answer for several weeks. And Ryan will in all likelihood dance around the issue out of respect to Favre.

But with the first-year head coach coming off a season watching a rookie quarterback lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game, and with Favre coming off a season in which he imploded down the stretch, it is understandable if Ryan wishes to proceed with a different quarterback in 2009.

OK, let me put that a different way: If Ryan thinks Favre is the answer, he's nuts.

Favre is long past his prime, had arm problems late in the season and lost four of his last five games, throwing two touchdown passes and nine interceptions. His partially torn right biceps might need surgery. But does Ryan really want an aging, ailing quarterback for his first season?

If there's any doubt, perhaps Ryan should look at Favre's downward trend the last four seasons. In December games since 2005, Favre has thrown 13 TD passes and 31 interceptions.

The numbers don't lie.

Favre has been a pleasure to watch for the majority of his mostly brilliant career. Believe me, there is no joy in writing that it is time to retire. But the time comes for all the great ones, and Favre's time has come. It is over. So what does Ryan do at football's most important position? There are plenty of options to deal with life after Favre:

Sign Matt Cassel in a nanosecond if he's a free agent

OK, so it's not going to happen, because the Patriots are almost certain to use the franchise tag on Cassel with the uncertainty surrounding Tom Brady's recovery from knee surgery. But stranger things have happened. If the Pats let him go, it's a no-brainer to go after him.

Trade for Derek Anderson

The Browns quarterback will almost certainly be on the market after losing his job to Brady Quinn. If former Jets coach Eric Mangini, now the Browns' boss, wants to keep one or the other, Anderson would surely be the one to go.

I think he is a decent quarterback who was caught up in an awful situation this season. He's 25. He's 6-5, 230. He has a big arm. In 2007, he threw for 29 TDs and ran for three. This season, with Quinn hovering and a preseason concussion leaving Anderson unprepared for the regular season, he stumbled badly. But there is still something there. He's worth consideration.

Bring back Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff

Let them slug it out in a training-camp competition.

This is the most viable option, and it's likely to happen. Clemens still has a year left on his rookie contract, and Ratliff showed plenty of promise.

A few minutes after Favre was introduced at a news conference in Cleveland after his Aug. 6 trade, Ratliff put on a terrific show in his only meaningful playing time in the preseason. His first pass was a 71-yard touchdown to David Clowney, and Ratliff also threw a 70-yard TD to Clowney. Ratliff turned into an afterthought once Favre came aboard, but his performance in preseason, when he outplayed Clemens, should not be forgotten.

Clemens believes he's better for having been around Favre and Chad Pennington, and there's no reason not to give him one more shot. He might not have it, but sometimes it takes a few years for the light to come on for a quarterback.

Draft a quarterback

Forget about Georgia's Matthew Stafford. He'll be a Lion in 2009. But USC's Mark Sanchez might be there at No. 17, or the Jets can try to move up. Sanchez may not be ready to play right away, but that's what the Ravens thought about Joe Flacco.

There are other options, none of them likely or palatable. Kurt Warner's contract is up, but he won't play anywhere but Arizona. Kerry Collins wants to start in Tennessee or retire. Rex Grossman is far too erratic.

The preference here: Trade for Anderson, bring back Clemens and Ratliff, and let the thing play itself out.

Sign free agent Byron Leftwich

The Steelers' backup did well in limited action in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger. With starting experience from his days in Jacksonville, it's too soon to write him off as a full-time starter.

@lumbergh said:

Then remember when draft day came and Carolina didn't draft a QB at all?

Word of advice....learn from your past mistakes.

Yeah, they did the same thing that Savage did: they bet on their incumbent QB and lost.

Maybe they didn't need Stewart after all? Maybe a QB would have helped them?

Anyway, they don't have a QB. We have DA. Hopefully you'll be on Panthers Pride or some other ridiculously named board soon telling them all how great your boy is and mean those Browns fans were to Dewek.

@shepwrite said:

shep remember last year when you guaranteed that Carolina would draft a QB in the first 2 rounds?

Then remember when draft day came and Carolina didn't draft a QB at all?

Word of advice....learn from your past mistakes.

Anywhere but here.

@nickers said:

Yes....as will others.

His season last year(07) was pretty decent....beyond the point of being luck or a fluke.....maybe it was to a point beyond what he will do as a norm, but last year was probably just as flukeish.

If he did it once, then you know the capability is in there...and that is why people will give him a shot.

He will NOT get a free pass to a starting job like he did here, however.

But he has shown more than enough to intrigue a QB-starved team and Carolina may just be back in the hunt for a legit QB after Delhomme's historic meltdown last night.

Y'know, come to think of it, I'd have NO problem with Delhomme as Quinn's backup/mentor. He likely won't easily accept a backup role but we both now have QBs who may have worn out their welcome.

How about DA and our 5th for Delhomme and their 3rd? If tit's info is correct and Delhomme would cost them $6+ mil in '09 then DA would be at least a little savings and with much more arm and upside (potentially).

I'm just glad another potential trade partner has seemingly opened up. Good job, Jake!

@inspecta said:

LOL...please PLEASE take DA

@ballpeen said:

But first, we are going to have to pay the roster bonus due in March, and get through the FA period. Then teams will figure out they need a QB and will look to make a deal.

Peen nobody wants to get rid of DA more than I do but seriousely?...After watching his performances or lack thereof and looking at film on him...honestly...would you touch him?....not me if I were GM of a team...

But first, we are going to have to pay the roster bonus due in March, and get through the FA period. Then teams will figure out they need a QB and will look to make a deal.

@inspecta said:

What did your friend write back?