I want Byron up

Despite my feelings on Jake's arm, and his sometimes feeble mind, I do like his leadership and the command he has on the offense. He knows how to run a 2 minute drill, he knows how to make some solid throws from all angles.

I would not be opposed to his return, so long as the team works to keep his cap number down, and continues to improve the defense.

Like it or not, he's 34, his arm is diminishing, his confidence is always going to be hot and cold, and his accuracy is not what it should be. Numbers wise, down the stretch, he wasn't bad. I don't know what the fuck happened this weekend, but that tape just needs to be put in the fireplace, burned to hell. Fuck it--move on.

I want competition. I want somebody, other than Drago, right behind Jake, ready to step in, as Jake did for Rodney in 2003. Byron is the only guy on the market that fits.

 

I want Jake gone from the team completely, but that's obviously not going to happen. I don't think competition will actually change anything about him. He is what he is.

 

I don't think the competition will "change" Jake. I do think it will give us a better backup plan. Fox was all up Peete's ass. I'm sure his plan was to ride Peete and the running game to the playoffs in 2003. Jake came in and helped. He wasn't perfect, and he did fuck up a lot. But he also helped.

My main concern, again, is not the brain. It's the confidence and the accuracy.

What happened on Saturday was a quarterback who was rattled from the lost fumble. Jake hadn't pulled that kind of shit, that deep in the other team's red zone, since the Vikings game (Winfield sack/TD). That rattled him. So did the one the other night. From there, he got into "FUCK COCK YES" mode and tried to thread his way back into it.

Shame on Fox for not having a better sideline influence for Jake. That's where having Peete or a vet around would help.

Jake has got to grow the fuck up. Every poor game he has, he's screaming at someone, something or just waltzing around like a kid whose daddy wouldn't take him to toys 'r us. That shit ain't acceptable.

 

Jake's composure and poise does leave a lot to be desired.

 

Actually I am pretty sure the last time he pulled that kind of shit was against Arizona. Luckily Arizona had a couple of simliarly bad turnovers otherwise we likely lose that game.

 

What kind of a fit do you think Troy Smith would be for the Panthers? I know you've supported him in the past, and with Flacco's success, it looks like his chances of ever starting in Baltimore are just about nil.

 

Smith is interesting, but would need time. Like a lot of young, potential type guys, Smith could do very well, but who knows. I don't believe personally there's a 100% certainty anyone would know definitively how he'd do. If he became available, or if we decided to get a guy like Andre Woodson to try to develop, I'm fine with that. End result is that the Ravens aren't going to let a talented backup go for nothing and I don't feel it necessary to give up a pick for a guy they won't ever start and won't need to place. He could be ready in a couple years, there's always the possibility he doesn't fit or work out.

Leftwich is more talented. The problem is, he fought for a while with a guy less talented and lost. he should be starting, and he really should still be in Jacksonville, but he lost. Past that, you can look at his injury history and say you can't rely on him either long term or throughout a season. He's gone down from being able to make it through a year, to missing more and more time as the seasons accrue.

He's a player who would do as well or better than Jake. He's one of the few that would be available that could (of course, the Steelers tend to want to keep backups even with stability at the starter spot). He's got the intangibles, the leadership. He's got the arm and the ability to force the ball fearlessly that we must have with Smith. But if you're in the playoffs, and you're playing McCown because Leftwich has a predictable injury, you're not in better shape.

I'm positive that I loved him coming out (and he's still a hell of a player, one of the few true starter level players that has everything on the field that you'd want). He was my top QB of 2003, and I did lobby for him (and others) over Gross.

But you know that a big part of Leftwich's legend is that he couldn't even stay healthy in college. It's not a matter of a bad line or anything of that nature. His release is fairly slow, and he does hold the ball some. That's not the worst thing, but for his immense toughness, he has injury issues. He's nearing Dan Morgan level injury problems.

 

Bears could go after Jake Delhomme?

 

He's a great fit for our passing game, as he has the arm for deep throws, shows good judgment, and unlike Jake is actually capable of fooling defenses with a play action fake. But he's not going to hit unrestricted free agency until 2011, and the Ravens won't give him up cheaply. Really, all the discussions about other potential quarterbacks are just to make us feel better. Jake is going to be the starter in 2009.

I would not characterize it that way. Neither Leftwich or Garrard did anything in the '07 preseason, so it's not like Byron actually lost that competition. JDR was just sending a message to his team, as he did by mishandling the Mike Peterson situation this year.