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Sorry - pay content here so I don't want to post excerpts, but Schefter did indeed say not so fast on Anderson being the backup and Leinart starting, that he is hearing Anderson is impressing in OTAs.
It has been pretty clear for a while now that Whisenhunt and co. don't trust Leinart. I still see some out there thinking he could be a breakout QB this season, I wouldn't waste a pick on him. I would trade him for whatever I could get in any dynasty leagues before the negative buzz picked up steam.
Remember, the team handed the job to Leinart in 08 and he promptly dropped it with an implosion vs. the Raiders in the preseason. Warner did not "win" the job, Leinart lost it. The team really wanted Leinart to take that next step and instead he regressed. He'll do it again, you can count on it.
Sorry - pay content here so I don't want to post excerpts, but Schefter did indeed say not so fast on Anderson being the backup and Leinart starting, that he is hearing Anderson is impressing in OTAs.
It has been pretty clear for a while now that Whisenhunt and co. don't trust Leinart. I still see some out there thinking he could be a breakout QB this season, I wouldn't waste a pick on him. I would trade him for whatever I could get in any dynasty leagues before the negative buzz picked up steam.
Remember, the team handed the job to Leinart in 08 and he promptly dropped it with an implosion vs. the Raiders in the preseason. Warner did not "win" the job, Leinart lost it. The team really wanted Leinart to take that next step and instead he regressed. He'll do it again, you can count on it.
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for Fitzgerald owners if accurate.
yes, there is risk in holding him if he bombs, but how much? i can't imagine he would fetch much in most leagues... arguably, there is more risk in dumping him now... if you can't get anything of value for him, you could be missing out on greater upside if he does defy expectation of many (like VY), and emerges as the starter beyond 2010... even without boldin, he does have fitzgerald, and breaston/doucet have some upside... he can't do a lot of things warner could (MOST QBs can't... if all QBs were held to the draconian standard of being as good as warner, many of them would be getting benched), but he is more mobile... like with roethlisberger in PIT (not that he is THAT athletic, mobile or dangerous with his legs), they may tailor the passing offense to his strengths, and dial up more boots, rollouts, etc. beanie wells IS an upgrade over whoever anderson had... but couldn't the same be said for leinart? who did he have, at different junctures of his development? a washed up james? hightower as a rookie in 2008? if we are being consistent, if beanie (and a more developed hightower)helps anderson, he helps leinart, too.* leinart would seem to have at least one advantage... greater familiarity with system... it wouldn't be a big surprise of anderson progresses, and doesn't look as good at first, and begins to look better as he becomes more familiar with the system, builds timing and rapport... but if leinart maintains his hold, he will get the starter reps...definitely not saying he can't lose his job, and if he has any more 3 INT games in the pre-season he might... but IF he is working harder, looking better, i think it would be a mistake to yank him if he has a bad series... once anderson is inserted, it would be hard to go back to leinart... and than what if anderson bombs (could happen)... what do they do then? it would not be a good situation for a team with playoff aspirations... maybe the leash by necessity must deservedly be shorter than what kerry collins had last year... but not so short that it strangles any confidence he may be gaining that could be turned into a long term positive for the team... ** don't mean to come off as a leinart apologist, i just think if you can't get anything, there is actually more risk in dumping him for nothing (probably what you will get in most cases), and particularly if you have held him in dynasty leagues since he was a rookie, when he may just be a few months away from vindicating himself... on the basis of an ambiguous report like this... schefter states anderson is impressing (contradicted by some local reports), but hasn't said that leinart looks terrible... maybe he is speculating/assuming he won't play well enough, but imo, that could be colored by impressions formed earlier in leinart's career, and may not be factoring in recent reports that he may have turned things around (at least work ethic and professionalism-wise) ...leinart did say some very disturbing things in 2008, which may have doomed him... the stuff about the team should stand behind his struggles, in the context i heard, came off as pathetic, whiney, incredibly naive and self-absorbed, and UNLEADER-like... if he has any REMOTELY remaining vestige, remnant or semblance of that catastrophically, horrifically dunderheaded wrong thinking, i would be the first to say he deserves to lose his job... but i think the light may have come on (and if so, hopefully for him and the cards, not too belatedly)...*** it might be instructive if others ventured an opinion on a percentage basis of the likelihood of leinart keeping or losing his job (less interested for immediate purposes here, and so as not to confuse the issue, in whether anderson wins... if leinart loses, SOMEONE will get it... i think the point made in the OP was that leinart WILL regress, and you can count on it)...the question with leinart is complicated by reasons other than character... he has below average arm strength, maybe well below (are there as man as three-five staring QBs with less arm strength than leinart... last year i could say pennington, but now henne is starting)... many QBs suceed, even at the highest level, without cannons like cutler & stafford (having a strong arm can almost be a curse if it breeds the overconfidence to attempt dumb throws)... but you need minimum strength to have a modicum of success... and based on his pro body of work so far, it isn't like he has exhibited the uncanny kind of accuracy that can compensate for lack of arm strength... i think these types of questions have to be looked at in a thorough, systematic, collaborative vetting of his prospects... if he doesn't have minimum PHYSICAL tools, mental/emotional factors are rendered moot... so another question for the thread (or maybe it would be better as a spinoff?)... does leinart have minimum required arm strength and accuracy to keep his job and succeed at this level (clearly he did at USC, but that is a much different stage)... i think he does have requisite arm strength, but it could be a limit on types of passing plays... he can't drive a 20 yard out route to the sidelines like many QBs... he may have to throw shorter passes (including to RBs), and stuff between the hashes... this seemed to hurt pennington at times with jets (especially after multiple shoulder surgeries), though he did OK in miami before reinjuring it... as to his accuracy, he did appear to regress in limited action since getting demoted... but he got sporadic work, and i'm assuming he got few reps in practice... some QBs become more accurate if they actually get starter reps... leinart could be such an example...given all this, i think his chances of keeping the job are something closer to 50/50 or better... so, while that may not exactly sound like a ringing endorsement, even with the schefter "ammo" (i outlined my reservations on that basis above), i can't say count on him regressing, based in part on OTA reports... i need to hear training camp reports, and see some pre-season games, at a minimum (preferably regular season action, if that transpires), before i could make that final of a pronouncement...
)) - stafford, sanchez and freeman all had 5 INT games as rookies)... if he has turned that around, negative associations based on circumstances no longer as relavant could be misguided... imo, and as noted by several posters upthread, it is also important to note that there is a big difference between pulling leinart for a future HoFer, and derek anderson...
... I think I'll disagree on that one. Braylon must have dropped at least 2 or 3 passes a game in 09 before Anderson's benching, including key 3rd downs and about 4 or 5 TD's. Not to mention running bad routes, or just completely quitting on his routes. We can agree to disagree concerning Romeo giving Anderson "every" chance in the world to succeed. Romeo used Anderson as his scapegoat. Romeo was a joke. Practices weren't called Club Romeo by the players for no reason.
could you twist the situation any more...I think not.You are the opposite of what this forum needs.
