Matt Leinart Released. (1 Viewer)

[Steven Mann]

Undrafted rookie Max Hall will take over as the Cardinals' No. 2 quarterback with Matt Leinart being released.

From what we saw in preseason action, Hall is the best quarterback on the team right now. Mature for a rookie at 24, Hall showed no fear in running the Cardinals offense. Considering Derek Anderson has been on a JaMarcus Russell level for two seasons, Hall is a strong bet to start multiple games this season. He's roster worthy in all Dynasty leagues.

 

[zoonation]

Link?

Edit: Appears to be confirmed on NFL.com.

 

[Donnybrook]

Undrafted rookie Max Hall will take over as the Cardinals' No. 2 quarterback with Matt Leinart being released.From what we saw in preseason action, Hall is the best quarterback on the team right now. Mature for a rookie at 24, Hall showed no fear in running the Cardinals offense. Considering Derek Anderson has been on a JaMarcus Russell level for two seasons, Hall is a strong bet to start multiple games this season. He's roster worthy in all Dynasty leagues.

Has Leinart been released official?

 

[Limp Ditka]

Undrafted rookie Max Hall will take over as the Cardinals' No. 2 quarterback with Matt Leinart being released.From what we saw in preseason action, Hall is the best quarterback on the team right now. Mature for a rookie at 24, Hall showed no fear in running the Cardinals offense. Considering Derek Anderson has been on a JaMarcus Russell level for two seasons, Hall is a strong bet to start multiple games this season. He's roster worthy in all Dynasty leagues.

Has Leinart been released official?

LeinartThe Cardinals have told Matt Leinart they will release him today, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.It's not a surprise given the events of the last week, but Leinart was somehow holding out hope that he could stick in Arizona and get a chance to start at some point this season. It speaks volumes that the Cardinals were willing to give up Leinart for a seventh-round pick and found no takers -- not even his former college coach Pete Carroll. Leinart is not going to garner much interest around the league, especially while he thinks he deserves to be a starter. Sep. 4 - 1:56 pm etSource: Adam Schefter on Twitter

 

[morris4903]

http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter

 

[Steven Mann]

Good fit Minnesota? B/U Old man River?

 

[ScottyDog]

This is shocking!!!

Good fit Minnesota? B/U Old man River?

 

[Angus82]

Details to follow on the next episode of "Pretty Boys Who Do Not Want to Work Hard".

Luke(Al Davis), I am your starter.

 

[Steven Mann]

"I'll Take The CFL for the Block Alex"

 

[I'm Rick James]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

 

[Steven Mann]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Good Call...

 

[FavreCo]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Not if he wants to keep his HC job long term. Pretty boy is a waste of time.

 

[timschochet]

I'm thinking about that USC-Texas game. It was billed as featuring three future stars of the NFL. I certainly believed it.

Leinart- way below average, and cut.

Young- a starting QB, but hasn't shown anything close to his promise as of yet.

Bush- Hasn't performed close to where he was drafted.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'm thinking about that USC-Texas game. It was billed as featuring three future stars of the NFL. I certainly believed it. Leinart- way below average, and cut. Young- a starting QB, but hasn't shown anything close to his promise as of yet.Bush- Hasn't performed close to where he was drafted.

That was still one of the best college football games of the past 10-20 years, especially for the championship.

 

[kutta]

Great move my by the Cards. Finally we get rid of that guy.

 

[kutta]

Great move my by the Cards. Finally we get rid of that guy.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

I'm thinking about that USC-Texas game. It was billed as featuring three future stars of the NFL. I certainly believed it. Leinart- way below average, and cut. Young- a starting QB, but hasn't shown anything close to his promise as of yet.Bush- Hasn't performed close to where he was drafted.

That was still one of the best college football games of the past 10-20 years, especially for the championship.

That USC Notre Dame game was awesome as well that year.

 

[timschochet]

I'm thinking about that USC-Texas game. It was billed as featuring three future stars of the NFL. I certainly believed it. Leinart- way below average, and cut. Young- a starting QB, but hasn't shown anything close to his promise as of yet.Bush- Hasn't performed close to where he was drafted.

That was still one of the best college football games of the past 10-20 years, especially for the championship.

It WAS great, but I remember telling some of my friends that it was going to be the football equivalent of Indiana State vs. Michigan State, because these players would impact the NFL like Bird and Magic. Shows what I know...

 

[Ilov80s]

I'm thinking about that USC-Texas game. It was billed as featuring three future stars of the NFL. I certainly believed it. Leinart- way below average, and cut. Young- a starting QB, but hasn't shown anything close to his promise as of yet.Bush- Hasn't performed close to where he was drafted.

A lot of other busts out there. Lendale White, Michael Huff, Dwayne Jarrett, Dominique Byrd, Lawrence Jackson

 

[massraider]

VINDICATION

 

[Angus82]

The kid needed a fresh start. Kurt Warner made a good point, and a fair one, when he said recently that he felt the Cards should at least put Leinart in some actual action and see what he can do in some regular season games. Why invest all those years and then dump him? I'm all for cutting your losses when you can, but I also think you have to let a player show you he's a failure first. It's not like Derek Anderson is going to be the long term savior on this team. You can still go to Anderson if Leinart fails.Where will be he have the best shot next? Cleveland is crowded, but if I was a QB who needed some serious mentoring, I'd want to go to Mike Holmgren. The Bengals will give anyone a shot these days.... Something that often goes understated when talking about the NFL is the dynamic of the locker room. Any group is going to have a small number of players who influence everyone else. Usually it's the elite players and producers. Sometimes it's the grizzled veteran. ( Was Phil Jackson ever really going to tell Robert Parish anything in his two years with the Bulls? Was Michael Jordan going to goad and bully Parish like every other 12th man he had on his team before? I think not. ) It was Leinart's job to either get those players on his side or manipulate them into being agreeable with him. Doug Pederson made a career out of being popular, manipulative and non threatening to Brett Favre. He understood who were the key voices in the locker room and he understood how to get their support. Joey Harringtons career was over the day he didn't walk up to Dre Bly and punch him in the face. JJ Stokes career was over when Romo spit in his face and he did nothing. It goes beyond the physical aspect of the game. You don't ask for respect, you bleed for it, and then you take it. Leinart failed to make that locker room his own. When you are riding on the fence, all those little things matter a lot more. When you have all world talent, you can be a worthless POS and people will have to deal with you ( i.e. The Charles Haley Rule) I don't think Leinart got a fair shake by Whisenhunt but then again I don't think Leinart did much to help his own cause either. As for his value, no one wanted his contract, it's not that no one wanted him as a player. Someone will give him a shot somewhere.

I think that Leinart could be the second coming of Jim Plunkett. It just concerns me when I read that he won't sign unless he is a starter. I wonder if those years at USC didn't allow him to over value himself. If he sits down and really works on the playbook I think that he could be a steal for some team.

 

[massraider]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

 

[Chewbanks]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Not if he wants to keep his HC job long term. Pretty boy is a waste of time.

The key here is that Leinart wouldn't be going in as the starter. If he flops again, Carroll's tested a former first rounder at a low price and dumped him without losing anything. If he reforms him then he's a hero. I see no particular downside, so I'd also find Carroll's disinterest/inaction to be very telling as well.

 

[kutta]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

When you see what the Cards are left with, it makes you realize how bad Leinart really is.

 

[D'OHtis]

Today is a great day.

Thank you Whiz.

 

[Das Boot]

See my sig for the truth of the matter.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Buffalo could be a good landing place.

He can't be worse than Edwards.

 

[gianmarco]

Someone check on LHUCKS. STAT.

 

[Angus82]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Not if he wants to keep his HC job long term. Pretty boy is a waste of time.

The key here is that Leinart wouldn't be going in as the starter. If he flops again, Carroll's tested a former first rounder at a low price and dumped him without losing anything. If he reforms him then he's a hero. I see no particular downside, so I'd also find Carroll's disinterest/inaction to be very telling as well.

Kinda like my Plunkett analogy. Plunkett goes to O-town as a backup to Pastorini and Dan gets hurt and put on the IR. Plunkett takes full advantage and the rest is history. Am I saying that the Seahawks take a chance and Leinart leads the team to the promised land, No. I do believe that it isn't out of the question if he is realizes that this could be his last chance.

 

[Osaurus]

Congrats to the Stormin' Mormon

 

[massraider]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

When you see what the Cards are left with, it makes you realize how bad Leinart really is.

For real.Whisenhunt isn't going to cut one of his best 3 QBs just because he doesn't like him. Whis is in the business of keeping his job, and winning playoff games. At this point, you simply have to believe that he thinks his team could win more games with Max Hall than Matt Leinart. And I don't think Whis is an idiot. And really, Whis could have simply started Leinart all year, and taken the easy way out. Let him expose himself, go to Anderson, and probably get a mulligan on the year from fans ("Hey, Leinart wasn't Whisenhunt's guy...."). Not sure why it's so tough to believe that a QB with below average skills looked good driving an Aston Martin at USC.

 

[Couch Potato]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

When you see what the Cards are left with, it makes you realize how bad Leinart really is.

Max Hall may be a major surprise in this league. I think the whole league missed out on him because of his size mainly, but to me he possesses the "it" factor. I'm excited to see him get a shot somewhere down the line and see what he does with it.ETA -- he's just about the same ht/wt as Drew Brees, 6'1" 210 lb. Not being 6'5" hasn't seemed to hurt Brees.

 

[timschochet]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Not if he wants to keep his HC job long term. Pretty boy is a waste of time.

The key here is that Leinart wouldn't be going in as the starter. If he flops again, Carroll's tested a former first rounder at a low price and dumped him without losing anything. If he reforms him then he's a hero. I see no particular downside, so I'd also find Carroll's disinterest/inaction to be very telling as well.

Kinda like my Plunkett analogy. Plunkett goes to O-town as a backup to Pastorini and Dan gets hurt and put on the IR. Plunkett takes full advantage and the rest is history. Am I saying that the Seahawks take a chance and Leinart leads the team to the promised land, No. I do believe that it isn't out of the question if he is realizes that this could be his last chance.

My memory is somewhat dim on this, but I don't think Plunkett showed lack of ability at New England. I think he got injured almost immediately. So it's not the greatest analogy. Perhaps here's a better one- Tommy Maddox was a top 10 pick by the Broncos, and couldn't make it on the field. Works as an insurance salesman, signs with the XFL, goes to the Steelers and actually has a pretty good year.

 

[mad sweeney]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Good Call...

Not for Seattle! PC dumped Lendale because of his work ethic and traded Lawrence Jackson away. He shows no favorites unless they work for it. BMW has earned his spot, no favortism from PC. Leinart will not make the team even if he tries, especially with all the criticism for the Whitehurst trade.

 

[massraider]

Wonder if Pete's working the phones to get him to Seattle. If he can reform Mike Williams, maybe he can do it with Leinart. Hasselback's not getting any younger.

Not if he wants to keep his HC job long term. Pretty boy is a waste of time.

The key here is that Leinart wouldn't be going in as the starter. If he flops again, Carroll's tested a former first rounder at a low price and dumped him without losing anything. If he reforms him then he's a hero. I see no particular downside, so I'd also find Carroll's disinterest/inaction to be very telling as well.

Kinda like my Plunkett analogy. Plunkett goes to O-town as a backup to Pastorini and Dan gets hurt and put on the IR. Plunkett takes full advantage and the rest is history. Am I saying that the Seahawks take a chance and Leinart leads the team to the promised land, No. I do believe that it isn't out of the question if he is realizes that this could be his last chance.

My memory is somewhat dim on this, but I don't think Plunkett showed lack of ability at New England. I think he got injured almost immediately. So it's not the greatest analogy. Perhaps here's a better one- Tommy Maddox was a top 10 pick by the Broncos, and couldn't make it on the field. Works as an insurance salesman, signs with the XFL, goes to the Steelers and actually has a pretty good year.

Plunkett went to NE as the Heisman winner, and had a coach that had him running the QB option. Fairbanks, I think. That guy could have been prosecuted for QB neglect. After getting the crap kicked out of himself for a few years, Plunkett was so jumpy if a door slammed, he'd pee his pants. John Madden said they had to teach him how to play QB with actual pass protection. Leinart doesn't have an arm, footspeed, or work ethic. Aside from that, he's pretty much the perfect QB.Arm--PenningtonFootspeed--LeftwichWork Ethic--JaMarcusGood luck, buddy. Hope you win three Grey Cups.

 

[Babu Bhatt2]

Buffalo would be a terrible landing spot. He needs to go somewhere where he will be humbled.

 

[kutta]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

When you see what the Cards are left with, it makes you realize how bad Leinart really is.

Max Hall may be a major surprise in this league. I think the whole league missed out on him because of his size mainly, but to me he possesses the "it" factor. I'm excited to see him get a shot somewhere down the line and see what he does with it.ETA -- he's just about the same ht/wt as Drew Brees, 6'1" 210 lb. Not being 6'5" hasn't seemed to hurt Brees.

I agree. I'm very excited about Hall and Skelton for the future. But it is tough to believe that either one of them will lead the Cards to the promised land this year.

 

[Babu Bhatt2]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

When you see what the Cards are left with, it makes you realize how bad Leinart really is.

Max Hall may be a major surprise in this league. I think the whole league missed out on him because of his size mainly, but to me he possesses the "it" factor. I'm excited to see him get a shot somewhere down the line and see what he does with it.ETA -- he's just about the same ht/wt as Drew Brees, 6'1" 210 lb. Not being 6'5" hasn't seemed to hurt Brees.

He has intangibles, but his arm is pretty weak.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

It speaks volumes that the Cardinals were willing to give up Leinart for a seventh-round pick and found no takers

 

[Couch Potato]

It speaks volumes that the Cardinals were willing to give up Leinart for a seventh-round pick and found no takers

The trade compensation is usually the lesser problem. It's taking on the current contract, which in Leinart's case is 2.5 mil in 2010 and baloons to 7.4 mil in 2011. No one is going to take that on. Once cut, teams can sign him for what they perceive he's worth.

 

[massraider]

When a team that wants to make the playoffs rolls with Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton, I find it hard to believe anyone thinks all Leinart needs is a fresh start.

Cedric Benson turned his career around. You could say there are some similarities with his situation in the past and Leinart now. Is it likely a player with this many years under his belt will turn it around? No. It is impossible? No.

Most rosters are fairly set at the QB position. Leinart got cut here at the end, maybe teams might be interested if they aren't already committed to other situations. At QB, you are better off with an average talent backup who knows your playbook over a guy who might have a little more upside who has to learn it from scratch. It's not the NFL is brimming with elite backups on every roster now.

I don't think a fresh start is ALL he needs, but I think it's the FIRST thing he needs. Clearly whatever was going on with him and Arizona was not going to work out. I don't think Leinart handle any of this well but I don't think Whiz did either.

What Leinart needs now for his career is a situation where he goes to a stable team with a coach or advisor who is a known QB mentor. Will that make him for sure? No. Will it be his best chance to succeed? Maybe.

As for "vindication", just because Leinart is not a success doesn't mean the Raiders should have taken a safety two picks ahead of him in that draft. That's like marrying a nagging harpy but saying at least you didn't have your mother in law move in with you. There are no degrees of bad in the NFL draft, there's just bad.

'Vindication' was a swipe at LHUCKS. And really, we are about due for a 'LHUCKS sings the Leinart fantastic' greatest hits post.The Raiders mistake was passing on Ngata. Michael Huff gives me no comfort regarding Leinart, even though he has been a better player than Leinart.

As for saying Whiz handled it poorly, I'm not seeing that. As it turns out, Whiz thought Leinart was his 4th best QB, and he has to read quotes from his 4th best QB talking about what he thought he deserved?? I wonder how any coach would react when their overpriced bust of a QB starts yapping to the press.

At some point, we need to forget where Leinart was drafted, and people that liked him coming out of college need to face facts, and look at what he as done as a pro.

And the fact is, as a pro, he can't can't carry Bruce Gradkowski's jockstrap.

If he attends a nightclub with Jim Sorgi, he's a +1.

If he wants to throw a football over a tall fence, he has to ask Tyler Thigpen to do it for him.

A 40 yard dash between he and Bernie Kosar would be a nail-biter. And I mean Bernie Kosar today.

 

[Gr00vus]

Maybe he's not a Homgren/Mangini guy, but Cleveland looks to have one of the worst, if not the worst, QB situations in the league - depending on how you feel about Colt McCoy. They haven't been mentioned at all, so I guess they're not interested, but maybe they should be? What's the downside for them signing him for league minimum?

Similarly with Jacksonville - probably not a Del Rio type of guy either I suppose.

 

[massraider]

Maybe he's not a Homgren/Mangini guy, but Cleveland looks to have one of the worst, if not the worst, QB situations in the league - depending on how you feel about Colt McCoy. They haven't been mentioned at all, so I guess they're not interested, but maybe they should be? What's the downside for them signing him for league minimum?

I think that's not bad, but heck, I like Brett Ratliff's pro chances more than Leinart's.

 

[Babu Bhatt2]

Maybe he's not a Homgren/Mangini guy, but Cleveland looks to have one of the worst, if not the worst, QB situations in the league - depending on how you feel about Colt McCoy. They haven't been mentioned at all, so I guess they're not interested, but maybe they should be? What's the downside for them signing him for league minimum?Similarly with Jacksonville - probably not a Del Rio type of guy either I suppose.

I think cleveland was too recently burned by Brady Quinn to bring in Leinart.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Im hoping the Hawks pick him up.

 

[King of the Jungle]

Someone check on LHUCKS. STAT.

I could use a break from the shtick...hopefully this is it.

 

[KGB]

110 passer rating in the preseason. Great completion percentage. Maybe hes just a debbie downer, but his stats arnt bad.

 

[Chewbanks]

Someone check on LHUCKS. STAT.

I could use a break from the shtick...hopefully this is it.

You clearly don't understand LHUCKS. This will only increase the shtick.

 

[Gr00vus]

On second thought, I imagine (assuming Leinart has a brain in his head) he'll now kick back and wait for a starter or two to go down before he signs with somebody.

 

[Angus82]

It speaks volumes that the Cardinals were willing to give up Leinart for a seventh-round pick and found no takers

Look, I have no long lost love for Matt Leinart. But he's a young QB who has only been with one team and might be useful to some other team for the long haul down the road. If he fails at destination #2, then I think you can have a better feel of what he can and can't do.

Let me fix this

The Cardinals were willing to give up Leinart for a seventh-round pick and found no takers ... but it's not a huge surprise since A) It's late in the preseason and most QB situations on most teams, barring injury, are set B) No one wants to trade for his contract C) Teams may want to see how he feels about being a backup before acquiring him and D) Why pay compensation for a player that you know will probably be cut anyway?

This is one of the things that I dislike about fantasy football, that's its so easy for many to love or hate a player simply because it's trendy to do so.

Will this kid end up as another Peyton Manning? Probably not. But if he ends up with the career upside of a Jason Garrett for another team, would that be so bad?

Leinart currently has no FF value, that doesn't mean he has no real NFL value.

Sometimes Fantasy perspective becomes a tunnel that some cannot break out of.