Don Banks Leinart article...

Zeno

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Great article that dispells some of the notions that Leinart hasn't shown anything in his career.
 

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interesting read

in a media world where the trend seems favor those that state things conclusively, uncertainty be damned --- this article had analysis and nuance.
 
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I think its a great article too, he doesn't deserve anyone to expect him to play at Warners level, he doesn't deserve scorn and hatred from the fans for not being Kurt Warner, he deserves a fair shot and assesment.

I can just hear it now with the fans booing him on his first mistake of the season...he will be given very little slack and thats too bad.
 

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Very good article. Puts some perspective on things, something that is sorely missing when talking about Leinart.
 

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Thanks for the link Zeno-----I found this to be a very well written article, that really put into perspective the derailment to Matt Leinart's career. I too believe that he should not be looked at as a bust, but as having been displaced for some two and a half years while Kurt Warner ressurected his own career. The fact that Warner did so as brilliantly as he did, is testament to the fact that Leinart still has not had the opportunity to excell as a starter with this organization, and that his time has now come to be able to do so. He most certainly should not be considered a bust by any standard at this point in his career.

What is very clear, is that of the three quarterbacks drafted in the first round together 5 years ago, he has an opportunity to lead a very well coached and reasonably talented team, and that any judgement as to his success or failure to be a franchise quarterback should only begin at this point in his career. Both Leinart and Vick have the opportunities to lead well coached and talented teams to bigger and better things. Of the three, it appears, (as of now), that only Cutler should be considered when using the term, (bust), as he has so far, squandered two opportunities to lead teams to success, (first the Broncos, and now the Bears).

Leinart and Vick each have the opportunity to place their stamp on their own franchises, and perform to a level that they achieved when in college. Both have had to persevere during the first several years of their professional careers. While it remains to be seen whether or not they succeed as franchise quarterbacks, I believe it will be fun to watch both of them as they begin the 2010 season. I have a feeling that we will see much of each of them over the next several years, and that both will have a great deal of success.
 
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Leinart and Vick each have the opportunity to place their stamp on their own franchises, and perform to a level that they achieved when in college. Both have had to persevere during the first several years of their professional careers.

You mean Young not Vick right? If so I agree, I think Young & Leinart will have better careers than Cutler.
 

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Great article that dispells some of the notions that Leinart hasn't shown anything in his career.

Agreed.

A lot of people should read that article VERY closely. It explains the Leinart situation truthfully, and objectively to a T.

Leinart should be our starter next year. We can debate, doubt, and speculate but there is no reason why he should not be given the starting QB position going into training camp of 2010.
 
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I think its a great article too, he doesn't deserve anyone to expect him to play at Warners level, he doesn't deserve scorn and hatred from the fans for not being Kurt Warner, he deserves a fair shot and assesment.

I can just hear it now with the fans booing him on his first mistake of the season...he will be given very little slack and thats too bad.
Yep, I can imagine the boos rolling when he has a bad game; and there will be bad games, because every QB in the NFL has them...

except for maybe Peyton Manning. ;)

I only hope that all Cardinals fans will show a bit of class when it does occurr! But I wouldn't count on it...
 

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In retrospect, there's certainly no shame in having made way for the Warner of 2008-2009. Losing his job to Warner didn't make Leinart a bust, just the unlucky young quarterback whose development had to be put on hold in the pursuit of a special and unique opportunity. Knowing what we know now, the Cardinals obviously made the right choice in 2008.
I've been trying to say this for two years, but it gets lost in the black or white mentality of not just this board, but America in general.

Just because you don't beat out a completely rejuvenated HOFer doesn't mean you suck.
 

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I've been trying to say this for two years, but it gets lost in the black or white mentality of not just this board, but America in general.

Just because you don't beat out a completely rejuvenated HOFer doesn't mean you suck.

Me too. Damn near every time someone tries to call Leinart a bust I ask them "based on what?"
 

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Agreed.

A lot of people should read that article VERY closely. It explains the Leinart situation truthfully, and objectively to a T.

Leinart should be our starter next year. We can debate, doubt, and speculate but there is no reason why he should not be given the starting QB position going into training camp of 2010.

I totally agree with this. Leinart has earned the right to be our starter next year, and should be given the chance to be the man. Whether or not he will succeed is totally beside the point. That being said, I hope we have better options than St. Pierre and Palko, as backup plans in case he falls on his face. There is a difference between being unfair and being prudent. I hope that we err more towards the second of these.
 

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I'm not pro or con Matt I just try to be fair.

He wasn't as NFL ready as anyone said.

He has had time to mature and to study and now have an offense tailored to HIM, not Kurt, which IMO is huge in terms of how he does.

There is no reason why his version of the Cardinals wont win, it'll be different and the team will have to step up and take on a new identity but I think it will.

I wish him well and hope for the best but if he dosen't cut it then we will move on because that's how Whis is, he's not going to languish a long time trying to fix Matt, it's pretty much this year or gone for Matt, not completely fair in some respects but completely fair in terms of how the NFL works.
 

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And there's one more recent footnote that should give Cardinals fans some hope in the post-Warner era: In the only start he made in 2009, Leinart played superbly, completing 21 of 31 for 220 yards without an interception in Week 12 at Tennessee. The Cardinals were in position to win until the final play of the game, but Leinart's fine performance was completely lost in the shuffle once his '06 classmate and collegiate nemesis, Vince Young, led the Titans on a breathtaking 18-play, 99-yard drive to win 20-17.
That is for all the people on here who say "what has Leinart shown that leads anyone to believe he can be a starter."

While he didn't win, he didn't cost us the game either. This is the most recent example of him starting (which is all that matters. Coming in off the bench is a worthless evaluation tool IMO.) Give Matt a defense and a running game and tell him to limit his turnovers like he did against Tennesee and he will be fine. He is not going to be a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Kurt Warner and carry a team to a Superbowl, but I think he can be a Ben Rothlisberger and be decent and maybe get hot at the right time in a big game.
 

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I'm not pro or con Matt I just try to be fair.

He wasn't as NFL ready as anyone said.

He has had time to mature and to study and now have an offense tailored to HIM, not Kurt, which IMO is huge in terms of how he does.

There is no reason why his version of the Cardinals wont win, it'll be different and the team will have to step up and take on a new identity but I think it will.

I wish him well and hope for the best but if he dosen't cut it then we will move on because that's how Whis is, he's not going to languish a long time trying to fix Matt, it's pretty much this year or gone for Matt, not completely fair in some respects but completely fair in terms of how the NFL works.


This pretty much sums it up for me as well. As has been stated before, IMO the defense will have alot to do with MLs success.
 

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