The cure at quarterback: Minnesota
No other position in the NFL Draft carries more prestige than quarterback. Looking ahead to the 2010 draft, several teams could be looking at for a new signal caller. During the offseason, we're going to breakdown what teams could be going after a new quarterback following this season.
Who: Minnesota Vikings
Currently have: Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
Breakdown: The quarterback play in Minnesota looks grim. There has never been a greater definition of the overused cliche "If you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none. In preseason, Jackson and Rosenfels are embroiled in a battle for the starting job.
After one game, Rosenfels has the lead. That's good considering the Vikings traded a fourth-round pick in this year's draft for him. The bad is that he's still Sage Rosenfels. On his fourth team since 2002, Rosenfels has never started more than five games in a season or played in more than nine.
While in his three-year career with Houston he went 6-4 as a starter, his passing numbers were average at best. He passed for 3,380 yards, 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
Jackson has largely been a project quarterback his whole career. He was somewhat of a surprise second-round pick in 2006 out of Alabama State. The Vikings were so convinced Jackson could be a good NFL player they traded two third-round picks for him.
With Jackson, it seems as though Vikings head coach Brad Childress wanted to mold him into a second Donovan McNabb. If that is the case, the experiment has been a failure.
In 2007, his first year starting a majority of Minnesota's games, Jackson went 8-4. It's a good record, but the Vikings had the second-worst passing offense in the league. Jackson averaged just 159 yards passing per game and threw 12 interceptions compared to only nine touchdowns.
Last season, Jackson was erratic, shifting between starter and backup throughout the year. Other than completing one pass and being sacked twice against Tennessee, Jackson went 12 weeks between his second and third starts of the season. And while he had a 9:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season, four touchdowns came in one game and he completed just 59.1 percent of his passes.
Booty has been a career third-string quarterback. He's only been listed as Minnesota's backup once and is dispensable.
Why they won't draft a quarterback: Thanks to superstar Adrian Peterson, Minnesota won't need a stellar quarterback for the forseeable future. Peterson led the league in rushing yards last season and is one of the best players in the NFL.
Why that's not good enough: Because Peterson may get worn down quickly if he's expected to have 360-plus carries a year, as he did last season. If Minnesota remains so one-dimensional, teams will figure out a way to stop Peterson and expose Jackson and Rosenfels as below-average quarterbacks.
Minnesota is built to win now and has a good group of receivers with Visanthe Shiancoe, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Percey Harvin.
The only way it seems conceivable for Minnesota to skip taking a quarterback in the 2010 draft is if Rosenfels really breaks through. It's likely Minnesota will again draft somewhere in the middle of the first round where the third-best quarterback should be available. Is either Rosenfels or Jackson better than whoever is left out of Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or Jevan Snead?
Previous: Washington, San Francisco, Buffalo
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If the Vikes pick before 25 in the draft next year it'll be because of their QB play
If that’s the case, they’ll draft a QB
"It's always funny until someone gets hurt. Then it's just hilarious."-Bill Hicks
by Jonathan Loesche on Aug 16, 2009 3:53 PM EDT reply actions
Rosenfels actually has surprisingly high DVOA numbers
according to FO he’s had to face a crazy hard schedule of defenses (like the kind that knock Matt Schaub out of games). Over the last 3 years he was 21st in DYAR (despite the limited PT Dan touched on) and 9th in DVOA.
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2009/7/7/937550/leagues-top-quarterbacks
It's shocking what you can miss sometimes. The amazing color changing card trick.
Rosenfels sucks
hell his only “good” performance had more to do with Chris Chambers catching everything in sight for once.
Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23
I rather have Snead than either of the other choices
"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
Favre is there
" Of course Steroids should be allowed! I wanna see 700 foot home runs and 90 yard field goals! I litterally want to see someone's d**k get shoved in the dirt!"
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Aug 18, 2009 9:34 PM EDT reply actions

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