So today when LaCanfora did his weekly segment on my radio show, Armando and the Amigo, I had to ask, what legitimate most likely options that leaves the Dolphins? We both agreed not Kevin Kolb of Philadelphia. We both agreed not likely Donovan McNabb. We both agreed Marc Bulger is a possibility. Disclaimer: The last time I saw Bulger play was 2008 in St. Louis and he looked tentative, worn, and frankly, a little afraid to stand in the pocket. I thought he was done. LaCanfora acknowledged that Bulger was not good in his latter Rams days. But he told me something I didn't know about Bulger's most recent stint as a backup with Baltimore in 2010. "I have some pretty good sources on the Ravens," he said. "When I talked to people there they were very impressed with Bulger. They told me when he's on the field and running the offense, the ball often doesn't hit the ground ... They believe he's going to be a very good quarterback in 2011. They would love to keep him in Baltimore as the backup but they think someone will sign him to compete to start or be a bridge quarterback and a pretty good one at that." Bulger makes sense for Miami because he does have plenty of experience. He has had time to recover from the beating he suffered in 2008-2009. He won't require draft choice compensation. He won't be extremely expensive to sign. He is not exclusively a West Coast offense guy like McNabb and others. And the last time someone took a chance on a seemingly washed up former St. Louis QB, it paid off handsomely. Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...-attractive-than-you-think.html#ixzz1NZU317JJ True it's Armando, but I tend to agree and I'd consider Bulger at least as a viable backup to Henne.
And folks wonder why I'm all about Orton/Young/Grossman. A statuesque pocket passing Qb who has not played effective football in 5 yrs? You know how we do in Miami... Ugh...just Ugh.
Agreed, but I consider Bulger somewhat of a wildcard. His body of work is impressive, and he's relatively young, just turned 34 I believe. Career statistics Passing Stats Year Team G-S Passing Comp.-Att. Yards Pct. TD Int. Pass Rating 2002 St. Louis 7-7 1,826 64.5 14 6 101.5 2003 St. Louis 15-15 3,845 63.2 22 22 81.4 2004 St. Louis 14-14 3,964 66.2 21 14 93.7 2005 St. Louis 8-8 2,297 66.9 14 9 94.4 2006 St. Louis 16-16 4,301 62.9 24 8 92.9 2007 St. Louis 12-12 2,392 58.5 11 15 70.3 2008 St. Louis 15-15 2,720 57.0 11 13 71.4 2009 St. Louis 9-8 1,469 56.7 5 6 70.7 Totals 96-95 1,969-3,171 22,814 62.1 122 93 84.4 Kind of a jumble there, but an 84.4 career passer rating. More importantly to me, he's a proven winner who's had some tough luck and injuries, I look for him to rebound, especially in light of the comments by his Ravens teammates. He's accurate, which carries a lot of weight. We need a backup and we need a starter if Henne doesn't cut it, and the competition provided by a 2 time Pro Bowler can't hurt imo. I'd much prefer Palmer, stating the obvious I guess, but as you said it's a bunch of bad options altogether at the FA QB position. In the absence of Palmer I'd cast my vote for getting Bulger.
In 07 his career took a nose dive, you can see that in his stat trend, he has not taken a snap since 11/09, and his prior 2.5 seasons were not very good, to me I'd go with the younger player like an Orton or a Young but can see the thinking behind signing him...just do not agree with that thinking. Put it this way, even "if" Bulger has a successful Camp and beats out Henne and we finish 9-7/10-6, what do we really have at Qb? I believe #Winning is the first priority what is the upside here though?
He was caught up on some crappy teams with crappy offensive lines. His last really good year was 2006, but that doesn't really phase me. Shi* happens, and at least he's proven that he can produce and again, he's very accurate. Interesting stat: On September 10, 2006, in a game against the Denver Broncos, Bulger reached 1,000 completions faster than any quarterback in NFL history. Bulger achieved this in 45 games, two games less than ex-Rams QB Kurt Warner. Drew Bledsoe and Peyton Manning needed 48 games, and it took Dan Marino 49.[1] On July 28, 2007, Bulger signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract extension with the Rams. The contract included $27 million in guaranteed money and put him in a group of six quarterbacks making $10 million a year or more. Bulger had one year remaining on a four-year, $19.1 million contract, which would have paid him $4 million in 2007.[2] In the 2007 NFL season, Bulger was plagued with injuries through the entire season as was the entire team. Injuries on the offensive line took effect as he threw more interceptions than touchdowns for the first time in his career. He was considered one of the biggest disappointments of the 2007 season, though some argue[who?] the offensive line was primarily to blame.[citation needed] The St. Louis Rams record was a poor 3-13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Bulger Your options: Orton: I like him, but he's apparently not available. Vince Young: a proven head case who's being shown the door in Tennessee for good reason. No one needs a psycho QB who brings bad mojo to his team. F- in terms of leadership at the pro level. Rex Grossman: he sucks. Again, just my opinion but with such limited options this year and if Carson Palmer isn't available, I'd roll the dice with Bulger.
I have been thinking Bulger is our best option for some time now . And he wont cost us future draft picks .
If Bulger comes here, and starts, you can bet that we are looking for Bulger's successor in next year's draft, whether Sparano survives or its someone new at the helm. Bulger would be a one-year deal type of guy.
Maybe, maybe not. He's only 34, so if he came here and lit it up he'd most likely get a chance to follow up that performance. I'm still pissed that we didn't get a shot at Ponder, but that's just me. I haven't given up on Henne, but Bulger starting with Ponder as the heir apparent doesn't sound half bad to me. And maybe that's an approach that the Vikings should consider.
Orton=is on the market you just have to *gasp* pay for him Young= his 7 comeback and 14 GW drives are comparable to Bulger's 13 comebacks and 17 GW drives, and he adds dimensions to the O. Grossman has been more effective then Bulger in the recent past, Bulger's best yrs ended in 2006..5 yrs ago. And keep in mind, Bulger was gun shy in St Louis, that is why they dumped him, have you ever seen a Qb who lost his balls suddenly rediscover them with another team? Even Warner kept taking huge hits with the Cards and Giants, Bulger has yet to show he has gotten over being hit, and even then he was sacked 37 times that caused the problem 37 sacks is not a large number jim1.
As to Orton, I like him but I'm tired of the "let's trade a 2nd round pick for a backup QB" concept. Young is talented but you can't get around the issue of him being a headcase and somewhat of a locker room cancer. As to Grossman, I'm just not a fan and I don't think much of his body of work.
Of the 3, Young is the most talented, which is one of the problems with fishing around for a Qb, you will never find a perfect fit as no one just tosses a solid, no questions asked, Starting NFL Qb, on the scrap heap, they just don't land there by accident you have to deal with the scratches and dents.
Scratches and dents? Mentally, Vince Young is more like a multi car blood bath of a wreck with the meat wagon on the way. Dude is talented, granted. But he's also most likely a big problem and a bigger headache to the players and coaches around him.
Take the emotion out of it jim1, never been suspended by the league, never convicted of doing anything illegal, and his one real beef in TN was a desire to play that Fisher would not deal with , in that sense I think the two were a bad fit from the beginning. When Fish wouldn't put Young back in v the Redskins, in a must win to keep a playoff drive alive, what more could Fish had told Young that he did not want him in Tn? Come out in the press and say "I'm trying to run Vince Young out of town"? "We feel Rusty Smith is the future in Tenessee?" What?
I'll put it this way- if Young is mentally back on track he's a compelling talent that I'd look into. The guy is talented, no doubt. Is he worth a shot? I'd prefer Bulger, but if- big if- Young is mentally stable and in a good frame of mind now I'd look into it. The phrase that comes to mind is "caveat emptor". But to take a flyer on him as a low cost FA that we're able to discard quickly and cheaply if he doesn't work out-yeah, I'd have him on the radar.
Padre, that was the final straw between them, but it was all of the other crapola inbetween that CAUSE Fisher to not play him. Fisher didn't play him on just a whim, but because of a number of things that added up to that. Fisher felt he needed to do it to either wake Young up, so he would take control of the team the way a mature adult would, or it would show management once and for all what Fisher wanted them to see, that Young was too immature to remain the starter for Tenn. Now with all the headaches we already have on offense, why, pray tell me, would you bring that nutcase here ? It would be the last straw in the complete and utter destruction of this regime.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-bulger-and-the-10-most-overrated-free-agents if the price is right, he would fit the bill we need competition @ QB not necessarily the franchise QB in 2011 experienced leadership & a good arm
Well, if Young flames out we default to Henne, if Young plays well and consistently does so, we have a Franchise type of Qb. If Young fails to beat out Henne, then we have lost nothing. I can see the logic of gambling on Bulger, my issue with it is his ceiling is so low, if he beats out Henne we have a 34 yr old Qb who has not played well in yrs, so where are we exactly? There is no upside there. That and the nature of the AFCE is SO fierce that you need to add talent wherever you can, this is not really the division to play things safe or you look at the Pats and Jests' through your windshield as they leave you in the dust, and consider the Bills are loaded with players who were Top 10 picks in each rd, sooner or later they will get their **** together, they have guys like McKelvin and Spiller who contributed nothing in 2010 who are just waiting to play.
Good to see that too. I keep on telling you guys I am not a nut, or a bad guy, but just a passionate DolFan just like a lot of other guys here.
Reading Titan fans comments on Young scares me away from him. His team mates don't see him as a leader. A good arm and fast legs help a QB but leadership is very important and most of all your team mates must have respect for you. Suicide watch and tantrums don't earn that respect. Seeing a forum with that kind of stuff makes me relize Henne might not be a bad option.
He's #1 on my list, been that way since the draft came and went. Also, should be noted that neither Vince Young nor Donovan McNabb have officially been released. Right? Time has a wonderful way of healing all wounds. Although, doubtful that either one would be on their current teams roster, I could see scenarios where they aren't released until it's too late to help a team in 2011. With their teams looking to trade them for whatever they can get.
I would push more for the Bulger side than giving up a 2nd for Orton (and $) or a mentally instable Vince Young. The way I see it, if Bulger can beat out Henne then we obviously know 2012 is the year we get our Franchise QB. And, you never know, maybe Bulger makes a run and pulls a Kurt Warner / Rich Gannon later on in his career. Think about that Rams team from 2007 on. At times it had a washed up Isaac Bruce and a soon washed up Torry Holt. Orlando Pace couldn't stay healthy and the rest of their line was terrible. Oh and it only got worse over the next 2 years. I'm not saying Bulger is our answer at QB for the long term or even for 2011. I would much rather have Henne be that answer. But he may end up being the best thing for this team as a veteran presence with success under his belt. At worst, he is a solid back-up to Henne that can take on the mentoring role. Or, you could say this is at worst, Bulger beats out Henne and we search for a new QB in 2012 and hope like heck we hit the next Warner / Gannon for 2011.
Henne, really at this point, is maybe our only option. Because no way do I want this guy around my team. That Henne may be the only go-to option for Miami, is why I often am very depressed these days. A lot of you guys put hours into research, and stats and all other kind of stuff. I don't have time to do all that. But what I do is watch the games on Sunday. And sincerely, in my heart and guts, I just TRULY don't believe the guy will make it. Could I be wrong ? Of course, and really nothing would make me fell better and I will eat every word about Henne if I am wrong. I am a big boy, and can admit that. I have no problems with that. I do have the eye test to go by, and so far, Henne just doesn't pass the test in my opinion. When push comes to shove, in critical moments late in games, it seems more often than not, Henne makes not only the wrong decision, but the fatal one - the one that IS the cause of our loss. Did Marino do that ? Of course he did it a few times, but what he also did, was take the team more often than not and drove that team down the field, and WILLED them to a win. His leadership was unquestioned, his decision making was usually spot-on, and as a consequence, despite having mostly mediocre to fairly awful defensive units to work with, we won many more than we lost under his tenure. If Henne can find that "jen ne sais quoi" that Marino had, then we have someone to build around, even without the other intangibles that Marino had. But so far he has shown only a couple of times that he might have that. Unfortunately he's shown most of the time, he's been no better than an adequate backup QB in the NFL.
Disagree, Fisher had problems with 3 all pro players prior to the stuff with Young, and Fish not inserting Young into the game, that was a must win, in favor of Rusty Smith was Young's last straw. Screw over Young and hurt the team? Why? Or set us up at Qb for the next 5 yrs, just like drafting a Qb...hey wait a minute...only this one has actually played in the NFL..
I think people forget too that there was disention on the Titans staff among the HC, OC, and GM on even drafting Young. He came into the league knowing part of the staff never wanted to draft him. Now his poor handling of that may have led to some of the nonsense that came after, but the guy did play well enough in an adverse situation that I'd like to give him a look. His experience running the kind of offense I expect to see us in from the gun and pistol could put him way ahead of the curve, and his mobility could turn into some big plays for us. Henne hasn't done anything to make me think he's head and shoulders ahead of Young in maturity or anymore likely to do well here. If it comes down to experience being the deciding factor of the two, I'd expect Young to easily beat out Henne in Daboll's system.
What concerns me about Young is whether or not the notion of "I'm a #1 Qb in the NFL and will accept nothing else" has set into his head, "we" see Vince Young as devalued due to TN givng up on him, does Young realize that he has been devalued? If not, he will only go where he is guaranteed to start, imo, and imho he really has not earned that automatic starting nod that he may expect to get, he won't think "I have to work hard and compete with Henne" his mentality would be more akin to "I'm Vince Young I earned my stripes". That won't fly, nor should it, imho Young will have to walk the streets a bit to maybe humble him and make him hungry again.
At this point, if Henne bombs in 2011, and we're depending on our backup QB, we're in serious trouble anyway. the only option to maintain or possibly minutely improve over Henne is Orton, and he's too expensive to think about. Given that, I'd be okay with Bulger. hopefully our backup is just someone to fill in for a few games in case Henne gets banged up and misses those few games. Bulger could likely fill in in that situation.
I think Henne is your best option from the pocket, so if a backup has to come in, I'd like him to have a different skillset.
True. something I've believed in for quite sometime. that's why I'm also okay with Thigpen as our backup. Maybe Daboll can make better use of his skillset.
Disagree Bro, Henne has not earned the right to have an entire season pegged to his performance, if he bombs we need someone who can win. Eh, see above, would prefer someone of quality who can unseat Henne and lead the Offense, if they do feel Bulger is that guy then I'm fine with it just think it is a wimpy choice.
Not disagreeing Padre, but our options aren't very hopeful at this point. Therefore we ride Henne another year. I will be so pisses if we spend a 1st rounder on Orton and then we ar QB shopping in 2 years again because he's good enough to start, but not good enough to tak us to the next level.
I agree with all of the above Ohio. I think that whomever we bring in, needs to be comfortable with the back up role. I say that because if they lose the QB competition to Henne, I don't want any division there. I wonder if Bulger would be comfortable with that. Then again, I'm not so sure he'd lose the QB battle.
Bulger has been in a backup role recently, I don't see a problem there. Henne- if he doesn't step up he's the one who'll have to get used to it. Bottom line- Henne is lucky to be in the position that he is now, as a result of the Vikings taking Ponder before we got a shot at him. I'm still hopeful that Henne can turn the corner, but this offseason/draft had better be a wakeup call for him, it's make or break time and that time is now.
One of the reasons why I have Orton/Young/Grossman on my list, with Thiggy/Moore/Jackson bringing up Tier #2 They all are 30 or younger and have shown something, if they manage to beat out Henne then we'd have some sort of future at Qb. Well, he'd also be 31 at that point in time, so he'd have some time to get it squared away, or say we reach the Wanny Level, 10-6/9-7 with Orton, then we could avoid the Wanny Error and take that Qb with a #1 pick and groom him. What happens if Henne fails and Bulger really is washed up? Or Bulger reverts to 21 Td's and 14 int's? Where would we be on the whole climb the performance ladder? Bulger would not get much better and could play worse moving onwards. That to me is why I'm not wild about signing him, even, making the leap, that he is successful we run right into the same brick wall of old, fragile Vet and green rookie Qb.
