kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
I think Bulger/Smith are complete and utter whiffs, three pitch strikeouts. And if we sign either one of those guys, Fitz is gone IMO and once we lose the face of the franchise (and ANOTHER high profile player) you might as well drop a nuclear bomb on the UOP because ain't no one's gonna want to play here.
Hasslebeck's my secondary option. if we're going band-aid, that's where we should go, but i bet we don't pony up for him either.
Then we disagree on the abilities of Bulger and Smith, especially considering that Alex Smith was significantly better than Matt Hasselback last year, and really the last two years.
We also disagree on Hasselback, who I don't think has anything at all left in the tank and has been brittle and awful the last two seasons.
I'll run with your baseball analogy because it is more cogent with the topic.
If we sign Bulger or Hasselbeck, it would be like signing Randy Johnson to a 1 or 2 year contract and expecting him to return to greatness. A once devastating 99 mph fastball has dipped to 91 mph and his slider does not have as much movement as it once did. Moreover, his arm and body have aged and sustained past injuries and is more prone to future injuries. Plus, his recovery time would be longer than a younger player. Subsequently, that baseball team has to call up a young AAA player who may or may not amount to anything.
In this argument, Bulger and Hasselbeck are Johnson and the AAA player is Skelton. Bulger and Hasselbeck were once great, but have diminished in talent, are older, and sustained past injuries. The AAA player is a young Skelton, who played recently against inferior talent. I could also use the analogy that he is a AA player who leap-frogged his way to the majors as he played at Fordham and not a BCS school. We have no clue what his level of contribution is or will be.
So instead of signing a player who has little tread on the tires and is unequivocally not the long-term solution, you take a risk on a guy like Kolb who has proven he can produce on the field. I know your counterpoint is going to be a bunch of stats (which mean nothing to me); however, you take a look at him through a scout's eyes and see a young player who can make the throws and read defenses. Does he need polishing? Sure. But not by much. He can easily be the QB for now and the future as opposed to a possible (not guaranteed) QB for now in the older aforementioned players. If we trade a first rounder and hit a homer, it does not matter as it is the equivalent of drafting a great QB, and I know if Kolb succeeds, we will look back in hindsight and say that first rounder we gave up was certainly worth it.
I'll just say this: there is a reason Andy Reid traded Donovan McNabb, a proven veteran and probable HoFer and felt comfortable about it. And it wasn't because he knew Vick was the answer, but rather Kolb proved himself. Vick's renaissance was simply an anomaly and not predicated by anyone. Additionally, there is a reason he is more coveted by teams who need a QB than Bulger, Hasselbeck, Smith or Palmer.
It's time for this franchise to take a risk. Get Kolb and don't think twice - simple
The difference between a QB and a pitcher is that your QB touches the ball every offensive down, and a pitcher only has control over maybe 30 games out of 162. You can have a 20-game winner on an awful team (Carson Palmer's career is an example), but that doesn't prevent your squad from losing 100 games. I disagree with your side of the metaphor.
Signing Bulger or Alex Smith or Hasselback would be, IMO, like signing Johnny Damon. They weren't perrennial All-Stars at their peak, but they'll do enough to keep on the roster, even if you have to pay a little more to get them. The Rays are 6 games over .500 right now.
I agree that it's time for the franchise to take a risk, but IMO the potential of Kolb is not worth the kind of risk of the Franchise for the next three or four years minimum. We disagree on the evaluation of Kevin Kolb. I think that you're underrating how over-the-hill Reid recognized Donnie McNabb to be (especially with only one year left on his contract), and instead saying that there must be something about Kevin Kolb that is awesome.