Derek Anderson - Detroit Lion

[WPB Dawg Fan]

@ballpeen said:

Speaking of the Lions, and not about DA....I also think they might become a 1st round trade partner.

If any team needs to make a splash with their fans, it's the Lions.

Some sites have them selecting Stafford #1...others Smith #1.

The Smith selection first makes sense....protect the qb and all of that....but it makes sense because qbs selected #1 get a premium above and beyond for lack of a better expression.

If the Lions want Stafford or Dirty, it makes more sense to select him 5th overall.....not 1st...allow the OT to set the QB rate and not the other way around.

The Lions have some picks....take our 5th pick, we get their 20th selection in round 1 and then set what else we get, both this year and next.

We, as fans might be gearing for next season, but I doubt the new staff feels pressured in winning next year.....just improving. They have their eye on a few years down the road.

I wouldn't be surprised if we traded with the Lions...and them having 2 of the first 5 picks this year.

Peen...that just isn't financially viable.

Last years #1 was $57.75M...and the #5 was $33M...and NEITHER was a QB. That means that the combined cost of the #1 and #5 will be in EXCESS of $90.75M...and that is not even factoring in the QB upgrade in the contract.

I just don't see any team being able to fit almost $100M on two rookies into their cap space for the next 5-6yrs (typical length of 1st round draft choices).

The other teams who may be in the running for DA (Minn/Chic/SF/Car/KC/TB) are not likely to send their 1st round to us either...but they may go 2nd/3rd or 2nd/4th (although KC may be able to go straight 2nd).

[WPB Dawg Fan]

@shepwrite said:

I'm with Zombo on this. Leinart has grown up a ton (partially thanks to Warner) but I don't see him staying around unless Warner signs a one year deal. I know it's out of his hands, but if SF were to offer their 2nd round pick, and if AZ wants to risk committing three more years to Warner, then they would probably take it and draft a quarterback in 2010 to watch Warner for ONE year.

Leinart was 22 when he came out, a three year starter in a pro style offense. He played really well as his rookie year progressed. I don't think he has any interest in being a long-term caddy to anybody.

Again regarding Leinart...the RETURN would have to be pretty significant to justify trading him. He offers the Cards too much value in a guy they have been grooming...and the overall value of his contract.

The just paid him a $7.45M bonus in '08. That is a huge chunk of change and investment to just walk away from at the end of the season. He also is due only $1.11M this year. That is cheap insurance in case Warner goes down (and we Browns fans know about QBs going down). It is also only $2.485M in 2010. Still relatively cheap in terms of a backup and a up and coming starter.

If you figure a 2yr deal for Warner (taking him to 40yrs old)....Leinart could continue to grow and mature under him...and be a very affordable cap hit...then in 2011 when his cap goes to over $7M he takes over as starter and if he does well gets a nice shiny new contract.

If I were a GM....you would have to offer me at least a 1st and a 2nd to pry him away from me. After all...it is going to take a 1st to replace him...and it will cost me MORE against my cap for the new guy....and I will be starting all over again instead of having a guy with NFL experience and that knows my system.

[Masters]

@shepwrite said:

Masters, in his last 6 starts of 2006, Leinart had three games with a passer rating over 100 and one at 90. That's very nice.

One of those over 100 is in a half of play. I cannot assume his passer rating would have remained that good if he played the second half of the game. But even keeping that one in, in those 4 games he had a total of 5TDs, never threw for more than 235 yards. All he did was not turn the ball over. Kind of shows how deceiving the QB rating can be some times. Keep in mind Charlie Frye had 2 games with QBR above 100, and one at 89 in his last 6 starts in 2006 too.

Matt also had a 51 and 76 QBR in those last 6 games in 2006.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

interesting twist to the question "where will DA go?" question:

Jagodzinski, the BC coach that got fired, is not the OC at Tampa Bay. What does this have to do with DA? Well, Jagodzinski was the OC at GB in 2006...when Brett Favre was QB. If there is a guy out there who might think he can run an offense around a big armed gun slinger....he would fit the bill.

He also coached a pass first, run second offense at BC...and had QB's that were completing in the 50% range this past year (in fact Ryan had very DA-esque numbers with him in 2007).

Anyway...as many have conjectured, TB may be looking more long term now that a coaching change has occurred...so this may open up the door for DA...especially considering TB is not in a good draft position to get either one of the top two....nor the second batch of QB's.