Several teams in the NFL could use a switch at the quarterback position, whether the need is immediate or impending (before the start of next season). Here is that list, in reverse order according to need.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers – If Charlie Batch retires, sign Tyler Palko.
Tyler Palko (as a Cardinal in the preseason) hurdles a defender to get the first down.
Honestly, I have no idea why Palko is not playing for a team right now. He was undrafted in 2007 (out of Pitt) but signed with the New Orleans Saints to back up Drew Brees. However the Saints proceeded to sign veterans Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington. Palko was cut after the 2008 season, and played for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2009 preseason. Despite very limited playing time, Palko had the fourth-most passing yards in the league. He also has a great hurdling ability, as can be seen in the video above, or this video from his Pittsburgh Panther days where he leaps over Pac Man Jones.
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love Charlie Batch. The fans love him too, as he’s from the Pittsburgh area (as is Palko). I think he should stay for another three or four years with the team, but he’s currently in a one-year contract. We’ll have to see what happens in the offseason for Batch.
2. Washington Redskins – Sign a talented QB to start ahead of Jason Campbell.
As I have mentioned before, Jason Campbell has shown that he was talent. But he has talent in short spurts. He’d make one of the league’s best backup quarterbacks, but what Washington needs is a competant starter. What the Week 6 game againt the Kansas City Chiefs showed was the usual failure of Campbell, who was benched at halftime. However, his replacement, Todd Collins, showed that he was simply incompetant. The result is the realization that Washington has NO GOOD STARTERS. As they have nothing to trade to another team, they are forced into signing a free agent. So who could they sign to start?
1. Jeff Garcia. As I mentioned in the section about the Raiders, Jeff Garcia is a talented veteran who has shown that he can still make great plays. He filled in well while a backup with the Eagles, and played great in the preseason with the Raiders. He could easily start and is the best QB in free agency.
2. Gus Frerotte. This man is probably the only other free agent who could jump into a new team and start for them. He’s in his waning years, but he had a great year with the Vikings last year, going 9-3 as a starter before falling to an injury.
3. Tyler Palko. This man has so much talent. He’s worth trying as a starter. Plus, if he proves himself, he could be a franchise QB. (Then Campbell, in the last year of his contract, could back up Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh!)
1. Oakland Raiders – Replace JaMarcus Russell!
Russell is a backup. He should be, anyway. But the Raiders seem to enjoy pretending he’s some sort of starter. So who should start for the Raiders?
1. Bruce Gradkowski. FINALLY in Week 7, Russell was benched in favor of Gradkowski. He went 10/19 for 97 yards with no picks, plus 25 yards rushing. A Pittsburgh native, he’s worth giving a try in Oakland. Anything is better than JaMarcus failure.
2. Jeff Garcia. I thought it was a great move by the Raiders in the offseason to sign this veteran quarterback. However, they quickly made a typical Raiders move and CUT HIM!!!
In a related issue, here are three teams who DO NOT need a new QB.
1. Kansas City Chiefs. Matt Cassel, as we know, has the potential to have 400+ yard passing games. However, he doesn’t seem to have the team around him in Kansas City to make those types of plays.
2. Buffalo Bills. Trent Edwards is a great quarterback. True, he is injured. But Ryan Fitzpatrick has proven that he is a capable backup. And if he falls, there’s Gibran Hamdan to try out. The problem isn’t at QB in Buffalo; the problem is trying to play 1990’s football in the late 2000’s.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This may be a surprise to some, that the 0-7 Bucs don’t have a QB problem. But they don’t. They have a coaching problem. There is no excuse for a team with this amount of talent to be winless. QB’s Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson are very talented in their own ways.
