Surprised at how much love Leinart is getting (1 Viewer)

[bagger]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

not a ML fan and I like your assessment.......not sure about ML's makeup....I could see him folding his tent at the first sign of adversity......he put up very little fight when given opportunity....I think he is one 3 pick preseason game and a good booing away from being an after thought.....the QB to have from AZ may not even be on their roster right now......

 

[David Yudkin]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

BTW, I am not a Leinhart love (spelled wrong just for you), but I am not sure that the Cards can just flick a switch and turn into the old school Steelers (or they would have done so already).

IMO, Leinart should have 3K yards passing if he's the starter all season but probably fewer TDs.

 

[bagger]

not a ML fan and I like your assessment.......not sure about ML's makeup....I could see him folding his tent at the first sign of adversity......he put up very little fight when given opportunity....I think he is one 3 pick preseason game and a good booing away from being an after thought.....the QB to have from AZ may not even be on their roster right now......

I'm a little conflicted because Leinart has actually looked worse as time has gone on in the NFL, but heard a discussion with someone who is close to the team that made a lot of sense.Leinart has more confidence when he is not in a QB competition. This was the case at USC as well. When he is not named the #1 starter he really presses and makes more mistakes than he normally would. Thus how poorly he looked in the last year or two (that pre-season game against the Raiders comes to mind). Leinart did very poorly in practice at USC until Palmer was gone and he was named the starter with no competition...then he thrived.I think you will see Leinart do much better than his nay-sayers predict due to the fact that he is the starter with no competition. OTAs have proved this. He has looked much better than the last two seasons so far and will be something to watch in the preseason. However, despite this, I think that Whisenhunt doesn't want a Warner style offense (but really had to roll with it since it was so good). This is one reason they traded Boldin. They don't need 3 1k receiving yard WRs on the team. Fitz and Breaston are more than enough.The shift in their drafting since Whisenhunt reflects this. Defense, linemen, RBs.Leinart will need to do more than just manage a game, but it really will be a style similar to Rothlesberger in his rookie year. Lots of wins but minimal throwing unless needed to.I will bet that if Leinart ever throws 30+ passes in a game the Cardinals will have been blown out this year. Not sure what the numbers were for Warner but I bet it was often favorable for them to win when this happened.Anyway, I just have a really hard time slotting in anyone to 3k passing yards from hardly any production as it is just too much of a gamble when drafting a fantasy QB when there are plenty out there who have produced at that level or close to it who can be had later.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

 

[bagger]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?BTW, I am not a Leinhart love (spelled wrong just for you), but I am not sure that the Cards can just flick a switch and turn into the old school Steelers (or they would have done so already).IMO, Leinart should have 3K yards passing if he's the starter all season but probably fewer TDs.

I think I addressed most in the above post, but I think the reason why they didn't do so already was a HOF QB and a WR trio of Bolding, Fitz, and Breaston, and not having a viable RB until getting Wells who was a rookie last year.The loss of Warner and Boldin and the development of Wells will play a big factor in changing this. I don't think they will be the Steelers of old...but that is their blueprint and will try.Their D may very well not be as good as last year, which is a concern and if that is the case they'll likely not have a winning record, won't score a lot of points, and I don't think Leinart passes for 3k anyway.With that said, I hope I am wrong as I am rooting for him. Just don't think it will be this year.

 

[bagger]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

Completely agree.

 

[Jason Wood]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

You're talking about one throwback type of season there bagger. 2,800 yards and 25 TDs hasn't happened since 1983, an admittedly much different era. Matt Ryan's 2,916 yard/22 TD season last year is the only thing comparable to that in recent memory.

 

[Mark Wimer]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

This is a very valid point. I think that the expectation that suddenly the Cardinals will be in low-scoring games (under 20 points scored by both teams) with regularity is overly optimistic for the current unit. I've got the current ARI D at 27th in my team D rankings, and they average 22.9 across all FBG's experts at this time (July 26th). This team will have to pass to stay in games more often than not, IMO.

 

[Insein]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

You're talking about one throwback type of season there bagger. 2,800 yards and 25 TDs hasn't happened since 1983, an admittedly much different era. Matt Ryan's 2,916 yard/22 TD season last year is the only thing comparable to that in recent memory.

True. QB's that play the whole season basically wake up and throw 3000 yds by accident. 25 TD's though is alot. For a QB to have a 2800, 25td campaign that would be an incredible DEfense and Special Teams getting the offense short fields all year while the running game got it down close. Don't see that happening in AZ.

 

[Chase Stuart]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

This is a very valid point. I think that the expectation that suddenly the Cardinals will be in low-scoring games (under 20 points scored by both teams) with regularity is overly optimistic for the current unit. I've got the current ARI D at 27th in my team D rankings, and they average 22.9 across all FBG's experts at this time (July 26th). This team will have to pass to stay in games more often than not, IMO.

Yeah, I'm not seeing how a team that gave up 45 points in each of their last two games is suddenly going to be in a bunch of 17-14 slobberknockers after they lost Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and Travis LaBoy.

 

[David Yudkin]

ARI passed for 4200, 4875, and 4228 yards the past three years. A dropoff to 2800 yards would be a monumental difference (I'm assuming that there's no other passing totals and Leinart is the guy in this scenario). I'm not saying it can't happen, but that seems like a really steep dropoff.

 

[bagger]

I'm sure I can figure this out from the many FBG apps, but do one of you know offhand how many 3k passers on average the NFL has had over the past 5 or so years?

I want to say it's no more than 1/3 of the teams. Now obviously injuries and QB replacements play into this. However, when you list the NFL QBs with higher risk profiles of hitting 3k yards, I would say the following risk factors apply:

- Have not hit 3k yards before

- Have not played a full season (perhaps the biggest factor(?) in hitting 3k yards) in career

- Have not played a full season due to injury and/or losing starting job ~4 years into career

Admittedly some of these overlap but the risks with respect to projecting 3k yards passing for Leinart are fairly high. If you had to pick the 11 or so QBs who will do it, Leinart is likely not on that list.

This may be 100% off, but it seems to me that if you haven't hit 3000 yards passing within the first couple years of your career, odds are you won't if you have been given the chance and have failed (key point here...not talking about a Steve Young situation). It may be too early to put the nail in Leinart's coffin, but it seems he is on the precipice of this dividing line.

Of course the counterpoint is you can't project injuries and/or benchings, but I don't agree with that per se. If a QB has been injured and missed games, has lost his job when he was the starter in the past, and has never achieved 3k yards passing, those are all risk factors that should discount projections even if rationally a QB should produce 3k yards in that offense in a vacuum.

 

[bostonfred]

Leinart might be the biggest value pick on the board this year. It's amazing how little people believe in him. Give a QB a full offseason to prepare, even let him prepare as the starter for a game, and he'll look better than when he's come in for mop-up duty. Question his heart or his leadership, sure. Question his motivation when a HoF QB takes over and leaves him sitting idle on the bench for years? Reasonable. But it's hilarious how people assume he's going to be awful this year. I see him putting up solid QB2 numbers with QB1 upside, throwing to arguably the best WR in the game, a pair of quality receivers in Doucet and Breaston, and Hightower who has shown that he is very capable of catching the ball. He may not be throwing bombs every down, but predicting him to throw for less than 175/game just seems silly.

 

[Jason Wood]

I'm sure I can figure this out from the many FBG apps, but do one of you know offhand how many 3k passers on average the NFL has had over the past 5 or so years?

I want to say it's no more than 1/3 of the teams. Now obviously injuries and QB replacements play into this. However, when you list the NFL QBs with higher risk profiles of hitting 3k yards, I would say the following risk factors apply:

- Have not hit 3k yards before

- Have not played a full season (perhaps the biggest factor(?) in hitting 3k yards) in career

- Have not played a full season due to injury and/or losing starting job ~4 years into career

Admittedly some of these overlap but the risks with respect to projecting 3k yards passing for Leinart are fairly high. If you had to pick the 11 or so QBs who will do it, Leinart is likely not on that list.

This may be 100% off, but it seems to me that if you haven't hit 3000 yards passing within the first couple years of your career, odds are you won't if you have been given the chance and have failed (key point here...not talking about a Steve Young situation). It may be too early to put the nail in Leinart's coffin, but it seems he is on the precipice of this dividing line.

Of course the counterpoint is you can't project injuries and/or benchings, but I don't agree with that per se. If a QB has been injured and missed games, has lost his job when he was the starter in the past, and has never achieved 3k yards passing, those are all risk factors that should discount projections even if rationally a QB should produce 3k yards in that offense in a vacuum.

Over the last five years, an average of 16 QBs have thrown for at least 3,000 yards.http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...rder_by=year_id

 

[bagger]

ARI passed for 4200, 4875, and 4228 yards the past three years. A dropoff to 2800 yards would be a monumental difference (I'm assuming that there's no other passing totals and Leinart is the guy in this scenario). I'm not saying it can't happen, but that seems like a really steep dropoff.

Keep in mind I never said that Arizona would pass for 2800 yards as a team.Just Leinart.Even if Leinart is "the guy", to assume a QB gets 100% of the production is fairly rare Favre and P Manning aside.Got to think even best case scenario there is a 10%-15% slippage to Anderson based on any number of scenarios.

 

[Jason Wood]

Leinart might be the biggest value pick on the board this year. It's amazing how little people believe in him. Give a QB a full offseason to prepare, even let him prepare as the starter for a game, and he'll look better than when he's come in for mop-up duty. Question his heart or his leadership, sure. Question his motivation when a HoF QB takes over and leaves him sitting idle on the bench for years? Reasonable. But it's hilarious how people assume he's going to be awful this year. I see him putting up solid QB2 numbers with QB1 upside, throwing to arguably the best WR in the game, a pair of quality receivers in Doucet and Breaston, and Hightower who has shown that he is very capable of catching the ball. He may not be throwing bombs every down, but predicting him to throw for less than 175/game just seems silly.

I will say that his rookie year was better than many of the current "breakout" young QBs that people happily get behind.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play..._by=pass_rating

But I'm still not sold

 

[Jason Wood]

ARI passed for 4200, 4875, and 4228 yards the past three years. A dropoff to 2800 yards would be a monumental difference (I'm assuming that there's no other passing totals and Leinart is the guy in this scenario). I'm not saying it can't happen, but that seems like a really steep dropoff.

Keep in mind I never said that Arizona would pass for 2800 yards as a team.Just Leinart.Even if Leinart is "the guy", to assume a QB gets 100% of the production is fairly rare Favre and P Manning aside.Got to think even best case scenario there is a 10%-15% slippage to Anderson based on any number of scenarios.

I think the issue many of us had was your throwing out 25 TD passes along with that 2,800 yard tally. 25 TDs is impressive even for a full-time, productive, 16-game starter much less someone that tallies 2,800 yards.

 

[bagger]

I'm sure I can figure this out from the many FBG apps, but do one of you know offhand how many 3k passers on average the NFL has had over the past 5 or so years?

I want to say it's no more than 1/3 of the teams. Now obviously injuries and QB replacements play into this. However, when you list the NFL QBs with higher risk profiles of hitting 3k yards, I would say the following risk factors apply:

- Have not hit 3k yards before

- Have not played a full season (perhaps the biggest factor(?) in hitting 3k yards) in career

- Have not played a full season due to injury and/or losing starting job ~4 years into career

Admittedly some of these overlap but the risks with respect to projecting 3k yards passing for Leinart are fairly high. If you had to pick the 11 or so QBs who will do it, Leinart is likely not on that list.

This may be 100% off, but it seems to me that if you haven't hit 3000 yards passing within the first couple years of your career, odds are you won't if you have been given the chance and have failed (key point here...not talking about a Steve Young situation). It may be too early to put the nail in Leinart's coffin, but it seems he is on the precipice of this dividing line.

Of course the counterpoint is you can't project injuries and/or benchings, but I don't agree with that per se. If a QB has been injured and missed games, has lost his job when he was the starter in the past, and has never achieved 3k yards passing, those are all risk factors that should discount projections even if rationally a QB should produce 3k yards in that offense in a vacuum.

Over the last five years, an average of 16 QBs have thrown for at least 3,000 yards.http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...rder_by=year_id

Awesome ty. So it's 1/2 the teams which is higher than I would have thought, but would still have Leinart on the outside looking in.

 

[bagger]

ARI passed for 4200, 4875, and 4228 yards the past three years. A dropoff to 2800 yards would be a monumental difference (I'm assuming that there's no other passing totals and Leinart is the guy in this scenario). I'm not saying it can't happen, but that seems like a really steep dropoff.

Keep in mind I never said that Arizona would pass for 2800 yards as a team.Just Leinart.Even if Leinart is "the guy", to assume a QB gets 100% of the production is fairly rare Favre and P Manning aside.Got to think even best case scenario there is a 10%-15% slippage to Anderson based on any number of scenarios.

I think the issue many of us had was your throwing out 25 TD passes along with that 2,800 yard tally. 25 TDs is impressive even for a full-time, productive, 16-game starter much less someone that tallies 2,800 yards.

Yeah, I think 25 could very well be high...I think I have him in for 22ish but now need to double check >.<.

 

[sholditch]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

 

[Jason Wood]

ARI passed for 4200, 4875, and 4228 yards the past three years. A dropoff to 2800 yards would be a monumental difference (I'm assuming that there's no other passing totals and Leinart is the guy in this scenario). I'm not saying it can't happen, but that seems like a really steep dropoff.

Keep in mind I never said that Arizona would pass for 2800 yards as a team.Just Leinart.

Even if Leinart is "the guy", to assume a QB gets 100% of the production is fairly rare Favre and P Manning aside.

Got to think even best case scenario there is a 10%-15% slippage to Anderson based on any number of scenarios.

I think the issue many of us had was your throwing out 25 TD passes along with that 2,800 yard tally. 25 TDs is impressive even for a full-time, productive, 16-game starter much less someone that tallies 2,800 yards.

Yeah, I think 25 could very well be high...I think I have him in for 22ish but now need to double check >.<.

Just to put some context behind it...there have been 66 QB seasons of 25+ TD passes in the last decade. None of them threw for less than 3,100 yards and they AVERAGED 4,053 yards passing.http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...der_by=pass_yds

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

So what happens if the defense is not what it was and the offense takes a big step back without Warner? Are they going to run the ball to get back in games?

The above is the biggest concern, especially the defense. I think the Cardinals are really going to miss Karlos Dansby and will have a lot more trouble getting off the field. Dansby is a far better player than given credit for. That defense took a big hit when he left.

This is a very valid point. I think that the expectation that suddenly the Cardinals will be in low-scoring games (under 20 points scored by both teams) with regularity is overly optimistic for the current unit. I've got the current ARI D at 27th in my team D rankings, and they average 22.9 across all FBG's experts at this time (July 26th). This team will have to pass to stay in games more often than not, IMO.

I just don't think the defense will be nearly as good as it has been. The loss of Bolden will allow defenses to focus in on Fitz who will make some remarkable jump ball catches a few times this season but you can't just rely on those types of plays to have a big season. I think the defense is down in Arizona which will end up making the INT's and the boo's go up in the desert.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Last year ML had an impressive 66% completion percentage, can't complain about that. What you can complain about is his 5.6 yards per attempt and his 0 tds thrown. I can't imagine anyone not having 3K yards with the weapons in Arizona, however I believe this guy is the guy that can not do it.

I am one of those people that do not see the Cardinals having close to 600 pass attempts this season. Using Leinarts career average he is going to need over 461 pass attempts or 29 attempts per game to go over 3K yards. I just do not think the Cards have that much confidence in Leinart to put the ball in his hands almost 30 times a game.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Awesome ty. So it's 1/2 the teams which is higher than I would have thought, but would still have Leinart on the outside looking in.

It depends how you word the question. Leinart's only on the outside looking in if you project him to miss time or get benched.Over the last 5 years, 68 QBs have started 16 games. 63 of them have thrown for 3,000 yards, with the exceptions being Vick the year he ran for 1,000 yards, two David Carr in Houston seasons, a 22-year-old Alex Smith, and Joe Flacco's rookie season when he played with an elite defense that enabled the Ravens to outgain their opponents by the highest margin in the league.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...der_by=pass_yds

If Leinart starts 16 games, he'll throw for 3,000 yards without breaking a sweat. Of the 93 QBs to start at least 8 games in any of the past three seasons, 74% have averaged at least 187.5 yards per game, i.e., a 3,000 yard pace. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/FKpnI

 

[sholditch]

Anyone on this thread think Skelton gets a shot this year? Derek Anderson has proven he can't do it.

 

[bagger]

Awesome ty. So it's 1/2 the teams which is higher than I would have thought, but would still have Leinart on the outside looking in.

It depends how you word the question. Leinart's only on the outside looking in if you project him to miss time or get benched.Over the last 5 years, 68 QBs have started 16 games. 63 of them have thrown for 3,000 yards, with the exceptions being Vick the year he ran for 1,000 yards, two David Carr in Houston seasons, a 22-year-old Alex Smith, and Joe Flacco's rookie season when he played with an elite defense that enabled the Ravens to outgain their opponents by the highest margin in the league.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play...der_by=pass_yds

If Leinart starts 16 games, he'll throw for 3,000 yards without breaking a sweat. Of the 93 QBs to start at least 8 games in any of the past three seasons, 74% have averaged at least 187.5 yards per game, i.e., a 3,000 yard pace. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/FKpnI

I guess it is how you approach projections.Instead of projecting each QB in a vacuum, assume you have to project your population of QBs for 2010 with certain parameters. Based on the stats Wood gave, your first parameter is that only 16 QBs in 2010 will hit 3k passing.

Now, go through the list of QBs and let's see who is in that range:

1. Aaron Rodgers

2. Drew Brees

3. Peyton Manning

4. Tony Romo

5. Matt Schaub

6. Tom Brady

7. Phillip Rivers

8. Kevin Kolb

9. Brett Favre

10. Eli Manning

11. Joe Flacco

12. Donovan McNabb

13. Matt Ryan

14. Jay Cutler

15. David Garrard

16. Carson Palmer

17. Matt Hasselback

It would be tough to argue that Leinart is going to outproduce any of these QBs if you had to pick 16 3k passing QBs.

That's the ultimate point...you can't blindly assign 20+ QBs to throw for 3k passing yards in your projections when your drafting method is VBD or DVBD. Ultimately your dropoffs are going to be skewed because too many people at that position are assigned to have more yards than what historic parameters define. Maybe you chalk that up to variance, injuries, bad luck, whatever and you just live with it since no projections are 100% accurate. Personally, I would rather start with a projections set that tries to slot in projections to pre-defined norms...sort of a modified AVT. Not that I am an AVT fan, but I do think that dropoffs should mirror (or attempt to mirror) a "likely" dropoff in production within a given population.

 

[bostonfred]

Leinart started 11 games his in 2006, but he was splitting time with Warner right off the bat and didn't start his first game until Warner

Leinart started the first two games in 2007, throwing for a miserable 102/1/2 on 50% passing, then 299/1/1 on 62% passing. He then started three more games, but did not finish as Kurt Warner took over for him and continued to outplay him. It's hard to blame him for getting replaced by a hall of famer.

Leinart didn't start a single game in 2008.

Leinart started one game in 2009 (last year). He completed 21 of 31 for 220 yards and no TDs/INTs. This was a road game, cross country flight against the Tennessee defense after finding out the morning of the game that Warner, who had practiced in full all week, was going to sit out.

People say Leinart has looked good in preseason, but regressed badly in the regular season over the last couple years. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he hasn't had even a day to prepare for a game since 2007, and even then he was splitting reps with Warner.

 

[Bears_Man2]

I have trouble seeing Matt staying healthy for 16 personally. So slow processing things on the field. Reminds me a lot of David Carr. (Equally skiddish in the pocket)

Would have loved to have seen Bulger here (even if as backup initially). Maybe next year perhaps.

Cards must go more with a much more smashmouth style with Beanie & Hightower to make the playoffs (weakened D & far inferior QB)

I'd be surprised if Matt's a Cardinal beyond this year w/o some major restructuring (believe he's due something like a total of $12+ mil next year). Whiz really doesn't owe him much leeway (as shown by the 2 previous times he's gotten the hook -- @ Baltimore & preseason 2008 I believe) as he wasn't drafted by him.

 

[bostonfred]

http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/n...php?id=LeinMa00

Cardinals | Whisenhunt says offense will not change for Leinart Wed Feb 17, 07:01 PM

Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the offense will not need to be revamped for new starting QB Matt Leinart.

Cardinals | Whisenhunt says Leinart ready to become starting quarterback Wed Mar 17, 10:13 AM

ESPN.com reports Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said he is not concerned about QB Matt Leinart taking over for retired QB Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback in 2010. 'I feel very good where Matt is right now,' Whisenhunt said

Cardinals | Appear fully committed to Leinart Thu Apr 1, 11:12 AM

Dan Arkush, from ProFootballWeekly.com, reports Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt was dead serious when he went out of his way to give Matt Leinart the strongest of endorsements as the team's starting quarterback at the recent press conference to announce the signing of ex-Browns QB Derek Anderson. Whisenhunt's full-fledged support of Leinart is a dramatic departure from the way he has handled the quarterback in the past.

Cardinals | More bootlegs with Leinart Wed Apr 7, 06:48 PM

Kent Somers, from the Arizona Republic, reports Cardinals QB coach Chris Miller thinks the offense will have some added dimensions. Matt Leinart is more mobile, and he'll be able to run more bootlegs. Those will be effective if the run game is productive. Defenses have to respect the potential handoff to Tim Hightower or Beanie Wells, and that will allow Leinart to run the naked bootlegs. Leinart throws well on the run, Miller said.

Cardinals | Leinart off to a good start Sat May 22, 06:18 PM

CBSSports.com notes that according to Cardinals quarterbacks coach Chris Miller, QB Matt Leinart looked good during the team's mid-May OTA. Miller said Leinart "threw maybe one poor ball in three days" of work and has done some things to earn the trust and respect of his teammates. They are also working on the details of his game. "We're working on pinpoint accuracy -- throwing the ball from the waist to the face mask, and he's getting there," Miller said, adding that Leinart got off to a good start.

Cardinals | Matt Leinart receiving praise from Ken Whisenhunt Wed Jun 2, 10:15 AM

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt has been encouraged by the play of QB Matt Leinart during offseason workouts, according to Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com. 'You see it in Matt's confidence and how he sees the plays. His reads are much more decisive,' Whisenhunt said. 'He is throwing the ball with confidence. It's obvious to me he's more comfortable with the process. He understands the concepts of the plays ... I am excited about what he has done in OTAs so far.'

Cardinals | Matt Leinart believes he is ready to be starter Mon Jul 19, 02:30 PM

Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart said he believes he is ready to be the team's starting quarterback and is excited about the challenges he will be facing, according to SI.com's Lee Jenkins. 'This is the most excited I've ever been for a season by far,' Leinart said. 'It's the opportunity I've waited a long time for. I know this is my chance. I don't have any doubt in my mind about what I can do.'

Cardinals | Matt Leinart has worked hard this offseason Wed Jul 21, 09:31 PM

Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart moved his locker next to the offensive linemen, according to Cardinals DL Darnell Dockett during an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio. Leinart has asked more questions, worked out more and stayed around later to throw the ball to receivers more than ever before. Dockett noted Leinart has worked hard to become a team leader, and Dockett feels very comfortable about entering the season with Leinart as the team's starting quarterback.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Leinart started 11 games his in 2006, but he was splitting time with Warner right off the bat and didn't start his first game until Warner Leinart started the first two games in 2007, throwing for a miserable 102/1/2 on 50% passing, then 299/1/1 on 62% passing. He then started three more games, but did not finish as Kurt Warner took over for him and continued to outplay him. It's hard to blame him for getting replaced by a hall of famer. Leinart didn't start a single game in 2008. Leinart started one game in 2009 (last year). He completed 21 of 31 for 220 yards and no TDs/INTs. This was a road game, cross country flight against the Tennessee defense after finding out the morning of the game that Warner, who had practiced in full all week, was going to sit out. People say Leinart has looked good in preseason, but regressed badly in the regular season over the last couple years. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he hasn't had even a day to prepare for a game since 2007, and even then he was splitting reps with Warner.

Fred, my question for you will be the same as i have presented for others in the different Leinart threads. What's the appeal of leinart? In other words, what is the prize at the end of this rainbow and what corner do you have to paint yourself into in order to feel compelled to take Leinart when there are so many other safer and interesting picks?What would the odds be of leinart finishing top12? +250, +400??? What kind of odds would there have to be in order for action to be equal on both sides? I just cannot fathom why people would want to take this guy...let him be on one of the other 11 owners rosters for 2010, we'll re-evaulate in 2011...assuming leinart is still the QB. Reward is not worth the risk IMHO...we can debate about it in a vacuum but at the end of the day I want Leinart ot be someone else's headache, not mine.

 

[David Yudkin]

Things to consider:

23 teams hit 3K passing yards last year. And 23 the year before. But 26 in 2007.

So IMO, either of two things would have to happen for Leinart not to get 3,000 passing yards. One. he gets hurt and misses time. That certainly could happen, but with the two hand touch rules they have for QBs these days, their have been a lot fewer injuries.

Second, Leinart gets benched in favor of another QB. That certainly could happen, as he hasn't exactly lit it up and he was selected by a previous regime.

But I just don't see how the Cardinals will morph into a running team seemingly overnight. As documented in other threads, the Cardinals have been a very poor running team for decades at this point. That could very well be an outgrowth of them not being a very good team most of the time, but they generally have not been very good running the ball.

Obviously every team is different and this year could be the year they become a power running game, but short of an injury or a really bad stretch by Leinart and a benching, I don't see the running game having an impact on him not getting #K passing yards.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Things to consider:23 teams hit 3K passing yards last year. And 23 the year before. But 26 in 2007.So IMO, either of two things would have to happen for Leinart not to get 3,000 passing yards. One. he gets hurt and misses time. That certainly could happen, but with the two hand touch rules they have for QBs these days, their have been a lot fewer injuries.Second, Leinart gets benched in favor of another QB. That certainly could happen, as he hasn't exactly lit it up and he was selected by a previous regime.But I just don't see how the Cardinals will morph into a running team seemingly overnight. As documented in other threads, the Cardinals have been a very poor running team for decades at this point. That could very well be an outgrowth of them not being a very good team most of the time, but they generally have not been very good running the ball.Obviously every team is different and this year could be the year they become a power running game, but short of an injury or a really bad stretch by Leinart and a benching, I don't see the running game having an impact on him not getting #K passing yards.

Assume Leinart can throw for 3,500+ yds and 16-18 Tds...where does that put him in the rankings?

 

[bagger]

Leinart started 11 games his in 2006, but he was splitting time with Warner right off the bat and didn't start his first game until Warner Leinart started the first two games in 2007, throwing for a miserable 102/1/2 on 50% passing, then 299/1/1 on 62% passing. He then started three more games, but did not finish as Kurt Warner took over for him and continued to outplay him. It's hard to blame him for getting replaced by a hall of famer. Leinart didn't start a single game in 2008. Leinart started one game in 2009 (last year). He completed 21 of 31 for 220 yards and no TDs/INTs. This was a road game, cross country flight against the Tennessee defense after finding out the morning of the game that Warner, who had practiced in full all week, was going to sit out. People say Leinart has looked good in preseason, but regressed badly in the regular season over the last couple years. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he hasn't had even a day to prepare for a game since 2007, and even then he was splitting reps with Warner.

Fred, my question for you will be the same as i have presented for others in the different Leinart threads. What's the appeal of leinart? In other words, what is the prize at the end of this rainbow and what corner do you have to paint yourself into in order to feel compelled to take Leinart when there are so many other safer and interesting picks?What would the odds be of leinart finishing top12? +250, +400??? What kind of odds would there have to be in order for action to be equal on both sides? I just cannot fathom why people would want to take this guy...let him be on one of the other 11 owners rosters for 2010, we'll re-evaulate in 2011...assuming leinart is still the QB. Reward is not worth the risk IMHO...we can debate about it in a vacuum but at the end of the day I want Leinart ot be someone else's headache, not mine.

I actually agree with both of you. Leinart is not nearly as bad as some here suggest. With that said the risk you take in drafting him where his ADP is, is not worth it given other options available.It's not that it is impossible for him to hit 3k yards, it's just that I can get other QBs at equal or later rounds in my draft who have done it before.And wrt the article bfred pasted...of course the coach is going to say that. Let's see in pre-season what the starting O does...a lot less 3 wides and a lot more 2 TE sets with Beanie pounding it and Leinart doing some bootlegs.Interesting stat I heard the other day on the local Cardinals radio show...Leinart's passer rating on the opposite side and the middle of the field is abysmal. He is only good to one side (the side he rolls to) so essentially half of the field is going to be shut off on passing plays. Opposing Ds will take away Fitz with doubles on that side of the field forcing Matt to make some throws he is not comfortable with. He couldn't do this very well at USC either (didn't have to).

 

[David Yudkin]

Things to consider:23 teams hit 3K passing yards last year. And 23 the year before. But 26 in 2007.So IMO, either of two things would have to happen for Leinart not to get 3,000 passing yards. One. he gets hurt and misses time. That certainly could happen, but with the two hand touch rules they have for QBs these days, their have been a lot fewer injuries.Second, Leinart gets benched in favor of another QB. That certainly could happen, as he hasn't exactly lit it up and he was selected by a previous regime.But I just don't see how the Cardinals will morph into a running team seemingly overnight. As documented in other threads, the Cardinals have been a very poor running team for decades at this point. That could very well be an outgrowth of them not being a very good team most of the time, but they generally have not been very good running the ball.Obviously every team is different and this year could be the year they become a power running game, but short of an injury or a really bad stretch by Leinart and a benching, I don't see the running game having an impact on him not getting #K passing yards.

Assume Leinart can throw for 3,500+ yds and 16-18 Tds...where does that put him in the rankings?

Probably 15-20 in both rankings and projected yearend results.

 

[vandyt]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

I'd have to think the number of QBs that have thrown for 25TDs without breaking 3000 yards in modern-NFL history can be counted on one hand.

 

[bagger]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

I'd have to think the number of QBs that have thrown for 25TDs without breaking 3000 yards in modern-NFL history can be counted on one hand.

what's the word in front of 25...

 

[David Yudkin]

I'm a big Leinart fan, but I have a really hard time seeing him snap off 3k+ yards passing this season. Whisenhunt now has a team that is what he envisioned, good defense and a run control game with Wells and Hightower. Leinart is going to be hard pressed to be passing the ball more than 25 times per game and will often have under 20 attempts.

With that said I think his upside is 2800 passing yards and maybe 25 TDs. We're going to see a lot of 17-14 Cardinals wins which will be very effective to get them to their 3rd consecutive division title, but is not going to be good for people thinking they can just take a 10% reduction of passing yards from Warner and pencil in Leinart for it.

In before people spell Leinart with an h.

I'd have to think the number of QBs that have thrown for 25TDs without breaking 3000 yards in modern-NFL history can be counted on one hand.

In the past 50 years, it's happened 10 times, the last time in 1976 by Ken Stabler.

 

[David Yudkin]

I think a better question would be what your projection for the Cardinals as a team would be passing wise.

 

[Bears_Man2]

As documented in other threads, the Cardinals have been a very poor running team for decades at this point. That could very well be an outgrowth of them not being a very good team most of the time, but they generally have not been very good running the ball.

They haven't had a RB the caliber of Beanie Wells either. (The Thomas Jones we see today [and past few years] isn't the same guy that'd dance all night long behind the line during his time here).Beanie IMO is every bit as good as Adrian Peterson running the football. I think the guy will be this year's breakout RB star. I think he'll be a 1st round fantasy draft talent that you'll find in the 3rd-4th (?) round. Surprised the Cards reined him in as much as they did -- as it was visibly apparent dating back to his 1st preseason game vs. the Pack that he was head & shoulders above Hightower running the ball)---------------------------Edit: I don't put a lot of stock in what the Cards of 10+ years ago (or even 5 years ago) vs. what they're doing today. Whiz is better than what they've ever had and John Lott (strength & conditioning coach) is the most valuable individual in the entire organization. It's a better staff, better atmosphere period. Lott & Co. get the most out of those guys (why I think he's far and away the best in the biz at what he does)

 

[bagger]

I think a better question would be what your projection for the Cardinals as a team would be passing wise.

In the past I could have given you this number. In 2010 I have taken a new approach...I don't care.Not that it isn't important...in many respects it is. However, when it comes down to projections I have virtually stopped looking at any player who is overwhelmingly not likely to ever be on my team thus leaving it to the FBG consensus in the Projection Dominator to do that for me. This now frees me to do more analysis on players who likely have a better shot at being on my team. This is one of the many benefits to using the PD versus the now defunct baggerapp5000™ (for fans of that app...it is now being converted to ChoreBuddy).

Unfortunately that leaves some gaps in projections when I diverge from the FBG consensus but don't then update the backup(s) to get to a true team projection.

But to answer your question more abstractly I would project AZ as a team will indeed be above 3k passing yards.

The divergence between Leinart and the team?

Based on any and/or all of the following:

-Risk of missing at least 1-2 games based on injury.

-Risk of losing starting job either permanently or temporarily (poor half and Anderson comes in)

-Estimated "normal" slippage between team passing stats and an "average" QB's passing stats who "starts" 16 games (could be taken out in a blowout, doesn't start or complete a meaningless game if resting an injury for the playoffs...or so far out of the playoffs not playing the last game)

I think you could have Anderson easily pass for 200-500 yards for the season based on any number of these all the while maintaining that the AZ team has 3k passing yards but Leinart falls a few hundred yards short.

Of course this then gets into the debate of even based on all of this Leinart is still a good pick based on a PPG drafting method much like Warner was even if you knew Warner would miss 2-3 games in a season based on the per game production he would give you on the weeks he did play.

 

[kutta]

Leinart sucks. You can look at stats and make of them what you will. But the bottom line is the guy just sucks. He has a weak arm and no accuracy, can't lead a team, and as much as his teammates and coaches might say they believe in him right now, they don't. I think he will start the season and be benched by week four.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Leinart started 11 games his in 2006, but he was splitting time with Warner right off the bat and didn't start his first game until Warner Leinart started the first two games in 2007, throwing for a miserable 102/1/2 on 50% passing, then 299/1/1 on 62% passing. He then started three more games, but did not finish as Kurt Warner took over for him and continued to outplay him. It's hard to blame him for getting replaced by a hall of famer. Leinart didn't start a single game in 2008. Leinart started one game in 2009 (last year). He completed 21 of 31 for 220 yards and no TDs/INTs. This was a road game, cross country flight against the Tennessee defense after finding out the morning of the game that Warner, who had practiced in full all week, was going to sit out. People say Leinart has looked good in preseason, but regressed badly in the regular season over the last couple years. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he hasn't had even a day to prepare for a game since 2007, and even then he was splitting reps with Warner.

Maybe Fred and if he turns out to be decent this year, I'll remember you were one of the guys who was willing to roll the dice on him. I don't know, I like that the schedule appears easy and he could post some quality numbers from time to time. Personally I am going to have to wait until I see him in a couple preseason games. If I like what I see there I'd be willing to roll the dice on him as my QB2 but if I see the same things I've seen in the past, then I'm just going with my gut and making him prove me wrong. I do think it's a mistake for people to just write him off without taking a look at him this year if your leagues don't start closer to the season, tha'ts about as half full as it will get for me on Leinart ATM.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Leinart sucks. You can look at stats and make of them what you will. But the bottom line is the guy just sucks. He has a weak arm and no accuracy, can't lead a team, and as much as his teammates and coaches might say they believe in him right now, they don't. I think he will start the season and be benched by week four.

Ya but Kutta, tell us how you really feel about Leinart.He'd really really really have to stink up the joint to be benched by week 4. I mean, this is it for Leinart in Arizona, this is why they intially drafted him. If he gets benched for poor play that early, he's done in Arizona for sure. So for them to be absolutely sure by the end of week 3 he's done in Arizona when right now he's the starter, I'd be surprised. I'm in the camp that thinks Leinart isn't going to be a good NFL QB either, I'm just saying Week 4 is a bold statement but who knows, could happen.

 

[Jeff Tefertiller]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/KentSomers/91032

Since Matt Leinart was drafted in 2006, people have debated if he could play in the NFL. Those on each side can find supporting evidence in the past four years. The truth is, nobody knows. It’s also true that we’re all about to find out.



Leinart will have to play terribly in the preseason to lose his job as Kurt Warner’s replacement.

Derek Anderson is the backup, and like Leinart, he has been inconsistent through his career.

This is Leinart’s fourth year in Ken Whisenhunt’s offense, so inexperience is no longer an excuse for failure.

A mediocre pre-season likely won’t cost Leinart the starting job, but it will do nothing to inspire the confidence of his teammates. The Cardinals players had great faith in Warner, who likely secured a future spot in the Hall of Fame with his performance the past two years.

Leinart’s teammates profess faith in him, but there is little question that they, too, are wondering just how good the former Heisman Trophy winner is.

The Cardinals don’t have many alternatives. Anderson, a free agent signee from the Browns, has a great arm, but he struggles with accuracy at times. The No. 3 job is up for grabs between rookies John Skelton, a fifth-round pick, and Max Hall, a free agent.

 

[bostonfred]

I don't need Leinart in 3 wide sets to put up 3000 yards. In 12 games as a rookie, Leinart passed for 2547 yards, which pro-rates out to well over 3000 yards in 16 games. This year, the backs can easily get 500 yards between them, Fitz can get 1100, Breaston Doucet and Urban can combine for 1100, and the rest of the team can get 200. Those are fairly conservative numbers - the backs combined for 700 yards last year, Fitz had 1092, Breaston, Doucet and Urban combined for over 1100 even with Boldin in town, and the rest of the team combined for over 400. You have to predict that all of those guys will just drop off the face of the earth for him to get less than 3000 yards.

I don't need Leinart in 3 wide sets to put up 20 TDs. Warner passed for 26 TDs last year, but half of those were to Fitzgerald. Only 4 went to Boldin. Sure, Leinart is no 2008 Warner, but 2009 Warner was no 2008 Warner, either. He dropped off in every category while dealing with some kind of neck thing, concussion symptoms, and a possible metabolic dystrophy which may or may not have been caused by getting the 15% off at Denny's for being 100 years old. If Leinart literally put up just 2/3 the numbers Warner 2008 did, he'd have 3000 yards, 20 TDs. I think he can do better than that.

Now let's look at his upside. Larry Fitzgerald is coming off a bit of a down year in which he "only" caught 97 balls for 1092 yards and 13 TDs. He's capable of over 110/1500/16. Steve Breaston, as WR3 in the offense, caught 55 passes for 712 yards and 3 TDs. He could easily put up 70/1000/6. The backs caught 75 balls last season, and Beanie looked really good as the season wore on. Second and 5, third and two are the kinds of down and distance that quarterbacks like Leinart thrive in. He's throwing with more confidence, he's had several years to carry a clipboard behind a hall of famer, and all of the news around him in camp has been positive.

I see a guy who is poised to have one of those "unexpected" great years. He's following the progression the way first round rookie QBs used to - take a few years on the bench, learn from the veteran QB in front of you, drop any ego or prima donna attitude, work with some of the scrubbier receivers on the scout team and develop a rapport that will carry over when you meet again in the starting lineup. The last guy who did that successfully was Aaron Rodgers, and Leinart had higher expectations coming out, a more talented receiving corps, and smaller shoes to fill than Rodgers.

 

[bostonfred]

Beanie IMO is every bit as good as Adrian Peterson running the football. I think the guy will be this year's breakout RB star. I think he'll be a 1st round fantasy draft talent that you'll find in the 3rd-4th (?) round. Surprised the Cards reined him in as much as they did -- as it was visibly apparent dating back to his 1st preseason game vs. the Pack that he was head & shoulders above Hightower running the ball)

I agree that Beanie is a very talented back and capable of putting up Peterson numbers. What held him back was not Hightower, though, it was Warner. Everybody talked about how bad the Giants' offensive line was back when Warner was there, but it turned out Warner was so slow that unless he could zing it in to his receivers, he just took way too long to get things going. Sure enough, Warner with Fitzgerald and Boldin looked like Warner with Holt and Bruce all over again. But the problem Arizona faced was that Warner was getting older, slower, and more fragile, and they needed to protect him. Hence, Hightower. One of the nice things this year is that it's a lot harder for teams to build up a head of steam in run stopping when they're working with a QB who can legitimately roll out. That makes Beanie better. Hightower is still the better receiving back and is a solid complement to Beanie, but I think this year is a big step forward for the line, for Beanie, and for Leinart. I know I'm a lot higher on the Cards' offense than most here, but part of it is that I think people have been too quick to write Leinart off as a bust and too quick to assume that Warner was a great QB plagued by a weak o-line and a mediocre running game.

 

[Sopranos25]

I didnt read any of the replys. Keep in mind Leinarts numbers are better than Sanche.. his first year. He will be fine. They lost some D. He should put up 3300 and 22tds, Wells if healthy should carry the team

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I don't need Leinart in 3 wide sets to put up 3000 yards. In 12 games as a rookie, Leinart passed for 2547 yards, which pro-rates out to well over 3000 yards in 16 games. This year, the backs can easily get 500 yards between them, Fitz can get 1100, Breaston Doucet and Urban can combine for 1100, and the rest of the team can get 200. Those are fairly conservative numbers - the backs combined for 700 yards last year, Fitz had 1092, Breaston, Doucet and Urban combined for over 1100 even with Boldin in town, and the rest of the team combined for over 400. You have to predict that all of those guys will just drop off the face of the earth for him to get less than 3000 yards.

I don't need Leinart in 3 wide sets to put up 20 TDs. Warner passed for 26 TDs last year, but half of those were to Fitzgerald. Only 4 went to Boldin. Sure, Leinart is no 2008 Warner, but 2009 Warner was no 2008 Warner, either. He dropped off in every category while dealing with some kind of neck thing, concussion symptoms, and a possible metabolic dystrophy which may or may not have been caused by getting the 15% off at Denny's for being 100 years old. If Leinart literally put up just 2/3 the numbers Warner 2008 did, he'd have 3000 yards, 20 TDs. I think he can do better than that.

Now let's look at his upside. Larry Fitzgerald is coming off a bit of a down year in which he "only" caught 97 balls for 1092 yards and 13 TDs. He's capable of over 110/1500/16. Steve Breaston, as WR3 in the offense, caught 55 passes for 712 yards and 3 TDs. He could easily put up 70/1000/6. The backs caught 75 balls last season, and Beanie looked really good as the season wore on. Second and 5, third and two are the kinds of down and distance that quarterbacks like Leinart thrive in. He's throwing with more confidence, he's had several years to carry a clipboard behind a hall of famer, and all of the news around him in camp has been positive.

I see a guy who is poised to have one of those "unexpected" great years. He's following the progression the way first round rookie QBs used to - take a few years on the bench, learn from the veteran QB in front of you, drop any ego or prima donna attitude, work with some of the scrubbier receivers on the scout team and develop a rapport that will carry over when you meet again in the starting lineup. The last guy who did that successfully was Aaron Rodgers, and Leinart had higher expectations coming out, a more talented receiving corps, and smaller shoes to fill than Rodgers.

Fred, I don't think many in redraft format are going to agree with you...I can't remember anyone putting up those numbers in all 3 categories in a very long time. Randy moss in 2003 posted 111/1632/17...Jerry Rice in 1995 posted 122/1848/15...I'm not saying Fitz can't ever do it in his career but it would have been a lot easier with a HoF QB throwing him the ball.

I posted a comment up the page a bit. I appreciate your POV on this but if leinart throws for 3,500 yds and 20 Tds, that still is pretty mediocre these days in FF. Too many QBs are tossing 4,000+ yds and at least 26-30+ Tds...Brees, Rodgers, Big Ben, Favre, Peyton, Schaub, Romo, Brady, and Rivers...most of those guys would have all been on different teams in a 12 team league so you are pretty much behind the 8 ball at QB if leinart is your main guy going into the season.

Leinart as a QB2 behind anyone of the guys I mentioned, perhaps. But some people wait and wait on QB, then in the 8th round go and take Joe Flacco or Carson palmer as their QB1, then grab Leinart as their QB2, that's a bad combo and will put owners a good 6-8 points down on a weekly basis and on the weeks you have to face a top QB like Rodgers or Brees you will be more like 15-20 points behind the 8 ball if those guys have a strong week.

How many strong games during the year do you think Leinart will have? Do you have to answer that question really.

 

[Banger]

http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/n...php?id=LeinMa00

Cardinals | Whisenhunt says offense will not change for Leinart Wed Feb 17, 07:01 PM

Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the offense will not need to be revamped for new starting QB Matt Leinart.

Cardinals | Whisenhunt says Leinart ready to become starting quarterback Wed Mar 17, 10:13 AM

ESPN.com reports Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said he is not concerned about QB Matt Leinart taking over for retired QB Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback in 2010. 'I feel very good where Matt is right now,' Whisenhunt said

Cardinals | Appear fully committed to Leinart Thu Apr 1, 11:12 AM

Dan Arkush, from ProFootballWeekly.com, reports Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt was dead serious when he went out of his way to give Matt Leinart the strongest of endorsements as the team's starting quarterback at the recent press conference to announce the signing of ex-Browns QB Derek Anderson. Whisenhunt's full-fledged support of Leinart is a dramatic departure from the way he has handled the quarterback in the past.

Cardinals | More bootlegs with Leinart Wed Apr 7, 06:48 PM

Kent Somers, from the Arizona Republic, reports Cardinals QB coach Chris Miller thinks the offense will have some added dimensions. Matt Leinart is more mobile, and he'll be able to run more bootlegs. Those will be effective if the run game is productive. Defenses have to respect the potential handoff to Tim Hightower or Beanie Wells, and that will allow Leinart to run the naked bootlegs. Leinart throws well on the run, Miller said.

Cardinals | Leinart off to a good start Sat May 22, 06:18 PM

CBSSports.com notes that according to Cardinals quarterbacks coach Chris Miller, QB Matt Leinart looked good during the team's mid-May OTA. Miller said Leinart "threw maybe one poor ball in three days" of work and has done some things to earn the trust and respect of his teammates. They are also working on the details of his game. "We're working on pinpoint accuracy -- throwing the ball from the waist to the face mask, and he's getting there," Miller said, adding that Leinart got off to a good start.

Cardinals | Matt Leinart receiving praise from Ken Whisenhunt Wed Jun 2, 10:15 AM

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt has been encouraged by the play of QB Matt Leinart during offseason workouts, according to Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com. 'You see it in Matt's confidence and how he sees the plays. His reads are much more decisive,' Whisenhunt said. 'He is throwing the ball with confidence. It's obvious to me he's more comfortable with the process. He understands the concepts of the plays ... I am excited about what he has done in OTAs so far.'

Cardinals | Matt Leinart believes he is ready to be starter Mon Jul 19, 02:30 PM

Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart said he believes he is ready to be the team's starting quarterback and is excited about the challenges he will be facing, according to SI.com's Lee Jenkins. 'This is the most excited I've ever been for a season by far,' Leinart said. 'It's the opportunity I've waited a long time for. I know this is my chance. I don't have any doubt in my mind about what I can do.'

Cardinals | Matt Leinart has worked hard this offseason Wed Jul 21, 09:31 PM

Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart moved his locker next to the offensive linemen, according to Cardinals DL Darnell Dockett during an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio. Leinart has asked more questions, worked out more and stayed around later to throw the ball to receivers more than ever before. Dockett noted Leinart has worked hard to become a team leader, and Dockett feels very comfortable about entering the season with Leinart as the team's starting quarterback.

that's all well and good but it looks very similar to 2 years ago when the team was ready to hand off the reigns to him. They were saying the right things and you could probably find clips that state nearly the same word for word quotes. He played SO poorly in the preseason that the team had no choice but to give the job to Warner despite making overtunes/statements all offseason that they were going to ride with Leinart. Looking back people think "well, duh of course they would give the job to Warner" but that wasn't the direction they were leaning all offseason. Derek Anderson is no Warner in the wings but I've heard this story before with Leinart and he may prove me wrong this time but I'll let someone else take the risk / upside and I'll look in a different direction.