Which developing NFL QBs have the spotlight on them this season?
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were expected to be one of the league’s breakout teams, with 2005 #1 overall pick Alex Smith expected to have a breakout season under center.
Needless to say, the season didn’t go well for either Smith or the 49ers, as Smith played only seven games due to injury, and after a 2-0 start, San Francisco finished an abysmal 5-11.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cleveland’s Derek Anderson took advantage of the shot he got early on and proceeded to be one of the revelations of the season, throwing 29 touchdown passes, making the Pro Bowl, and guiding the Browns within a hair of the postseason.
Which young quarterbacks will have the spotlight on them to succeed this season? Since we already know the situation with Aaron Rodgers/Green Bay, and I covered Vince Young along this same topic a few months ago, I’m devoting this space to talking about some other guys.
Arizona Cardinals and Matt Leinart
If this poster turns out to be true, sure, the Cardinals can turn to Kurt Warner, but Leinart is expected to be the future.
Last season, despite Leinart missing the final 11 games due to a torn ACL, the Cardinals went 8-8 and pushed the Seahawks in the NFC West. This season, the division is up for grabs, and if Leinart can put it together, a rare division title could be in the cards.
Frankly, the Cardinals could win without him this year, but for the sake of his and their future, this year needs to be a breakout year. With his talent, Leinart already doesn’t have any excuses, but when you have two of the bet receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, that’s true tenfold. The playing that he does off the field is, to a certain extent, his own business, but if he doesn’t play when he’s supposed to (on Sundays), it’s the Cardinals’ business.
Buffalo Bills and Trent Edwards
Last season, the Bills were a surprise contender in the playoff race heading into the final few weeks of the season before losing their final three games to finish 7-9.
This year, Buffalo is expected to be in the hunt from start to finish, and their core of young offensive talent is a big reason why, led by Marshawn Lynch and fellow Pac-10 alum Edwards.
In 2007, Edwards made his first start in Week 4 and led the Bills to their first win of the season with a defeat of the New York Jets. Edwards would end up going 5-4 as a starter, with his season being interrupted by a four-game stretch that he missed due to injury.
His numbers weren’t stellar (1,630 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT, 56.1 comp. %, 70.4 rating), but they were good enough to supplant former first-round pick J.P. Losman as the starter. With a season under his belt, a 1,000 yard rusher in his backfield, and a new, talented receiver in his arsenal in 6’6 rookie James Hardy, Edwards has the foundation to succeed and to lead the Bills to a winning season and a chance at the postseason.
Kansas City Chiefs and Brodie Croyle
The Chiefs are at least a year away from the playoffs, but for them to show that they have the potential to do it, Croyle needs to make good the faith the team has in him. Last season, Croyle was winless in six starts, but with a budding star in Dwayne Bowe, the still-reliable Tony Gonzalez, a Larry Johnson who’s hopefully more 2006 Larry than 2007 Larry, and an offensive line that shouldn’t stink too bad this year, Croyle has all the chance to get his first win and several more.
Minnesota Vikings and Tarvaris Jackson
When your team unashamedly did all they could (no, not implying anything, Vikes fans) to win the Brett Favre sweepstakes, then it’s a pretty good sign that you need to step up.
The Vikings have a legend in the making in Adrian Peterson, and a defense that added sack machine Jared Allen, and all they really need to fulfill those sky-high, unreasonable expectations people are putting on them is efficient play from Jackson.
Easier said than done, to say the least. Sometimes Jackson has been, to put it nicely, horrendous, and to be fair, part of it rests with Brad Childress, who should have let him sit and learn for at least a season-plus. I know rookie QBs aren’t ‘ready’ and polished right off the bat, but some guys are more ready.
That being said, Jackson did show he could be efficient in Minnesota’s five-game win streak last season, but it also showed that he’s best when he doesn’t have to throw it more than 25 times a game. So, if the ground game is doing well, it’s all the better for Jackson, and if Jackson is doing well, it’s all better for the running game. See where I’m headed here?
Oakland Raiders and Jamarcus Russell
Laugh now people, but if Oakland makes the playoffs this year or comes really close to it, don’t be surprised.
Good defense? They could use a complement to Derrick Burgess on the opposite side, but watch out for rookie Trevor Scott out of Buffalo. Don’t know him now? You will soon.
Running game? Darren McFadden may or may not be the next big thing, but he and Justin Fargas should get plenty of yards.
Young quarterback with potential? Step right up, JaMarcus Russell.
When you draft a quarterback with the #1 pick, more often than not, he gets tossed in as a starter immediately, but in that respect, Russell’s long holdout may have done a lot of good.
Having a season of game experience is great, but so is developing and not getting your brains beat in until you’re ready to go in and perform.
Russell showed potential in an end-of-season start against San Diego last year, and it’s all on him now. His receiving corps doesn’t put many shivers down my spine, but a healthy Javon Walker (BIG, BIG if there) could be Russell’s go-to guy.
If he can play good, smart, and efficient football and let the ground game go to work, the Raiders will take a big step for the future. Into the playoffs? Hard to say in the deep AFC, but at least 7-8 wins is a reachable mark.
Washington Redskins and Jason Campbell
You can’t exactly classify the Redskins as a real breakout team, given that they made the playoffs last season.
But, with a great draft and the recent acquisition of Jason Taylor, the ‘Skins could make a lot more noise than expected to in the NFC East, if Campbell can thrive in his second full season as the starter. Last season, Campbell threw for 2,700 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 13 games, but he had to sit and watch Todd Collins direct the Redskins to the playoffs, as he missed the final three regular-season games and the wild-card loss to Seattle because of a knee injury.
While his numbers weren’t mind-blowing, he showed that he has quite the arm, and if he can continue his steady development, it’s all the better for Clinton Portis, the offense, and the team’s chances.
Campbell should have plenty of opportunities to air it out, and he won’t be worried about targets. Along with having a couple of veterans at receiver in Santana Moss and Antuaan Randle-El, and one of the league’s best pass-catching tight ends in Chris Cooley, but Washington bolstered the receiving corps big-time through the draft, taking speedy Michigan State star Devin Thomas and Oklahoma’s big and athletic (though maybe a little slow) Malcolm Kelly in the second round.
It also doesn’t hurt that Campbell’s new head coaches is one of the better QB coaches in the league and a longtime NFL starter in Zorn.
Which among these developing QBs will step up this season, and which ones still have a ways to go before they can dream of a Madden cover?
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