Still, reality has to set in some time for Kitna. No one's going to bring him in to compete for a starting job, so he'll be forced to decide between accepting backup work and retiring.

I suspect he'll choose the latter - he is 36 - but I'd take him as a backup if he's interested.

That's the reason Cincy traded him to the Lions. He was a distraction for Palmer.

If he is willing to be a good soldier, he would be a good backup, but I think he's more like Garcia. He'd rather start for a loser then be a team player on a winner.

@dencyguy said:

2006: 16 games, 372-596 (62.4%), 21 TD, 22 INT (79.9 rating), 11 fumbles, 9 lost

2007: 16 games, 355-561 (63.3%), 18 TD, 20 INT (80.9 rating), 17 fumbles, 6 lost

In his (admittedly dreadful) season last year, at least Derek Anderson threw more TDs than INTs, and fumbled 9 times, losing 1.

So, in Kitna, you have a guy who has had two productive seasons in the last six, and even in those he has been more of a turnover machine than Bret Favre. That's why I'm passing.

@ Beans: I was kind of joking about Simms, since there's a surprisingly active thread dedicated to his continued unemployment and general suckitude. That said, I'm still not sure what I would do if I had to make a Sophie's Choice and pick one of those losers to be the backup QB for the Browns.

Dennis

Hey, Ken Dorsey is available.

I don't think we're disagreeing much, Dennis. We seem to agree he's not a great starting QB.

But to me, your backup should be a guy who can step in and win a game or two while your starter is out. If your starter is out longer than that, your season is likely toast anyway so I don't care much about the #2 beyond a few games.

And for a few games, I think Kitna can get hot enough to win us what we'd need.

As for the TOs, he played behind an awful lot the last two years and it's not hard to lose the football when you're passing constantly. INTs and sacks/fumbles are going to happen when D's are coming after you.

(Also, just for clarification, I left out his two Lions seasons because I had already stated he shouldn't have been starting there to begin with and those seasons were the proof. Those stats were at Adam who seemed to be disputing Kitna's sucktitude.)

2006: 16 games, 372-596 (62.4%), 21 TD, 22 INT (79.9 rating), 11 fumbles, 9 lost

2007: 16 games, 355-561 (63.3%), 18 TD, 20 INT (80.9 rating), 17 fumbles, 6 lost

In his (admittedly dreadful) season last year, at least Derek Anderson threw more TDs than INTs, and fumbled 9 times, losing 1.

So, in Kitna, you have a guy who has had two productive seasons in the last six, and even in those he has been more of a turnover machine than Bret Favre. That's why I'm passing.

@ Beans: I was kind of joking about Simms, since there's a surprisingly active thread dedicated to his continued unemployment and general suckitude. That said, I'm still not sure what I would do if I had to make a Sophie's Choice and pick one of those losers to be the backup QB for the Browns.

Dennis

Hey, Ken Dorsey is available.

@dencyguy said:

No you wouldn't.

Simms is a timid SOB with not a lot of talent. I'd rather have an eager guy with not a lot of talent, even if he's going to bitch and moan about not being offered an opportunity to play.

Beanpot

AdaM said:

He started but he wasn't exactly a starter, if you know what I mean. Check out the stats:

Year Team G Att Comp Pct Att/G Yds Avg Yds/G TD TD% Int Int% Lng 20+ 40+ Sck SckY Rate

2003 Cincinnati Bengals 16 520 324 62.3 32.5 3,591 6.9 224.4 26 5.0 15 2.9 82T 37 11 37 249 87.4

2002 Cincinnati Bengals 14 473 294 62.2 33.8 3,178 6.7 227.0 16 3.4 16 3.4 72T 29 4 24 159 79.1

2001 Cincinnati Bengals 16 581 313 53.9 36.3 3,216 5.5 201.0 12 2.1 22 3.8 49 32 2 25 185 61.1

2000 Seattle Seahawks 15 418 259 62.0 27.9 2,658 6.4 177.2 18 4.3 19 4.5 71 21 4 33 166 75.6

1999 Seattle Seahawks 15 495 270 54.5 33.0 3,346 6.8 223.1 23 4.6 16 3.2 51 45 5 32 198 77

He's a good player but he's not a championship-caliber QB. He can play, he knows what he's doing but he isn't "the guy" and never will be.

In short, he's DA in 10 years.

@gips said:

I agree. The old vet would look good in orange....All orange...not that orange with those ugly stripes on it.

@wpb-dawg-fan said:

Kitna has tons of experience. He will come cheaply. He will probably not be expecting to start....but if he beat out BQ then we could still have BQ learning FROM A LEGIT NFL QB.

Kitna is a great idea.

If Kitna beats out BQ? Holy crap, if that happens then why the hell would we even think about getting rid of DA? BQ better be this year or he can expect the same as every other QB who we've booted to the curb that couldn't cut it.

As a backup fine

@damajuki said:

He'd be an ideal backup to Quinn because he's a vet, a good locker room guy and would be no threat to take his job yet could win you a game or two in a pinch.

I'm not sold on Kitna, and not just because I don't think he's very good. The main reason is that I don't think he'd be convinced that he should be the backup QB; I may be imagining things, but I seem to recall him bristling at any attempt to give any control to a younger QB. And he fumbles about as often as DA throws interceptions. And he said the Lions were going 10-6 a couple of years ago.

Dennis

I'd rather have Chris Simms as backup. (Didn't think I'd be saying that one this offseason.)

AdaM said:

Yea, but...

That doesn't make it right.

@damajuki said:

He'd be an ideal backup to Quinn because he's a vet, a good locker room guy and would be no threat to take his job yet could win you a game or two in a pinch.

Didn't he start in Cincy? .... and Seattle?

He'd be an ideal backup to Quinn because he's a vet, a good locker room guy and would be no threat to take his job yet could win you a game or two in a pinch.

Kitna has tons of experience. He will come cheaply. He will probably not be expecting to start....but if he beat out BQ then we could still have BQ learning FROM A LEGIT NFL QB.

Kitna is a great idea.