Look at this list of QBs. Then tell me...

[BW52]

This thread is dumb. Case Keenum won two games for the Texans after being signed off a practice squad the week before starting. Austin Davis won a handful of games for the Rams and had people wondering for a little while if he was the Answer in STL.

Own the fact that it was a bad move to sign Lindley and a more creative front office would, have found a more creative solution.

How many playoff games did Keenum or Austin Davis start?Even Lindley has won a game in the regular season.

 

[kerouac9]

How many playoff games did Keenum or Austin Davis start?Even Lindley has won a game in the regular season.

Lindley won a game 2 years ago--and it had nothing to do with him. He hadn't thrown and NFL tad until last week.

I just don't get the logic of limiting the field to only playoff teams and saying, "see! No one could win with these bums. Part of the reason those 11 other teams are in the playoffs is because their franchise QB is injured.

Even with a healthy Palmer, we'd arguably have had the worst QB among the playoff teams.

 

[BW52]

Lindley won a game 2 years ago--and it had nothing to do with him. He hadn't thrown and NFL tad until last week.

I just don't get the logic of limiting the field to only playoff teams and saying, "see! No one could win with these bums. Part of the reason those 11 other teams are in the playoffs is because their franchise QB is injured.

Even with a healthy Palmer, we'd arguably have had the worst QB among the playoff teams.

So do you think the result would have been the same with Palmer or Stanton at QB? Or do you think this was going to happen no matter who was QB?

 

[moosehead]

It seems that with a lot of these QB follies we've endured (even with Whiz) - accuracy has been the glaring issue. It seems like they draft projects or pickup through FA QB's who have lots of other attributes but not accuracy.

Is it an oversimplification to say accuracy should be one of the dominant qualities in a #3 QB? It seems like schemes and systems can be more easily coached/adapted to offset other shortcomings but without accuracy, it's pretty much a lost cause. It seems not all that unusual to hear of backup QBs or draft prospects that are "accurate, but limited arm strength" or "accurate, but short", or "accurate, but poor pocket mobility".

Or maybe the inaccuracy IS caused by all of the other shortcomings?

 

[AZCrazy]

So you're telling me that Ryan Lindley was the absolute best guy available? The guy is a bum and will most likely be his last game in the NFL.

Of course he was the best guy available. Which playoff caliber quarterback was sitting on his rented sofa eating Cheetos waiting for the call? It takes months to learn an NFL offense for professionals. Only Lindley had seen it before, except maybe 48 year old Charlie Batch sitting at home.

 

[football karma]

Can a third string QB win games -- of course. Usually it's against bad teams, and/ or if you have a solid run oriented offense to begin with, and the other units play lights out.

That's how Austin Davis won his games. That's how Lindley won his one start in 12 vs Det.

The Cards, for one reason or another, had a very average offense with Palmer at QB.

If we want to bitch about things-- it should be about poor RB depth ( Dwyer didn't help the team there) and the lack of decent choices in the middle of the line, and a lack of commitment to the running game earlier in the season.

The team took a gamble when it drafted Logan Thomas -- they recognized that he was a serious developmental project. By keeping Thomas as the #3, it was a gamble that banked on Palmer and Stanton staying healthy. When they didn't, they were stuck with Thomas who isn't ready and a guy off the street. That guy was Lindley.

Had they drafted a less physically talented but more ready QB -- they may have had a guy who could have performed better. "May" being the key word there.

 

[Ed Burmila]

Can a third string QB win games -- of course. Usually it's against bad teams, and/ or if you have a solid run oriented offense to begin with, and the other units play lights out.

That's how Austin Davis won his games. That's how Lindley won his one start in 12 vs Det.

The Cards, for one reason or another, had a very average offense with Palmer at QB.

If we want to bitch about things-- it should be about poor RB depth ( Dwyer didn't help the team there) and the lack of decent choices in the middle of the line, and a lack of commitment to the running game earlier in the season.

The team took a gamble when it drafted Logan Thomas -- they recognized that he was a serious developmental project. By keeping Thomas as the #3, it was a gamble that banked on Palmer and Stanton staying healthy. When they didn't, they were stuck with Thomas who isn't ready and a guy off the street. That guy was Lindley.

Had they drafted a less physically talented but more ready QB -- they may have had a guy who could have performed better. "May" being the key word there.

The only success we had running the ball this year came when Cooper was playing. Anybody who thinks that is a coincidence should make me an offer on this handful of magic beans.

 

[football karma]

The only success we had running the ball this year came when Cooper was playing. Anybody who thinks that is a coincidence should make me an offer on this handful of magic beans.

I saw a Pro Football Focus note that Larsen had positive grades when working from right guard vs a pretty negative grade from left. I think that is part of the deal as well.

Also in PFFs free agent grades: Fanaika has a deep negative grade.

 

[kerouac9]

So do you think the result would have been the same with Palmer or Stanton at QB? Or do you think this was going to happen no matter who was QB?

Wo Palmer or Stanton at QB I don't think we're in this situation--I think we earn home field throughout the playoffs.

Of course he was the best guy available. Which playoff caliber quarterback was sitting on his rented sofa eating Cheetos waiting for the call? It takes months to learn an NFL offense for professionals. Only Lindley had seen it before, except maybe 48 year old Charlie Batch sitting at home.

Byron Leftwich was available, familiar with the system, and 100x better than Lindley.

 

[Homer Simpson]

I think there may have been another reason the team picked up Lindley when Palmer went down. Palmer was done for the season - you had to rely on Drew Stanton if you wanted to win. Stanton was a career backup, couldn't crack the starting lineup of an 0-16 team, and had backed up 3 different #1 overall picks -- two of them as rookies. He probably wasn't exactly brimming with confidence.

Now, he is thrust into a situation where he has to lead a team with Super Bowl aspirations. That's pressure enough, he doesn't need to be looking over his shoulder. Even if Stanton was the better option, if there was a "known commodity" on the team (Grossman, Campbell, Freeman, Tebow, etc.) as soon as he started struggling, the fans and media would be calling for that option. Think of what the pressure would be after the first Seattle game and the Atlanta game. They may not have won the Chiefs and second Rams game if Stanton had that extra thing to think about. With Lindley and Thomas back there, nobody called for a QB change.

So, the choice was either to take as much pressure off their QB as possible and hope he stayed healthy, or sign a veteran in the unlikely event Stanton got hurt and potentially cause some unneeded strife. They gambled and lost.

BTW, all four QB's I mentioned, as well as almost every other option (Leftwich, for example) were former first round picks that never amounted too much. Indicative that they had trouble adjusting to the NFL game. What makes anyone think they would adjust to Arians' offense so quickly?

 

[kerouac9]

Leftwich had played in Arians offense for two or three seasons with the Steelers.

 

[BigRedMO]

So you're telling me that Ryan Lindley was the absolute best guy available? The guy is a bum and will most likely be his last game in the NFL.

I had thought Bidwill was not like his dad but this move is as bad as anything his dad ever did. Bidwill tanked this season by not signing a vet FA QB. He saved some money with Lindley and his stadium will be full next year. This is just like his old man cutting the legs out from Coryell instead of giving him what he needed to improve the team. Do people forget about letting Warner talk to SF after Super Bowl or not paying a performance bonus the year before when he was less than a decimal point in reaching the incentive?

 

[kerouac9]

I had thought Bidwill was not like his dad but this move is as bad as anything his dad ever did. Bidwill tanked this season by not signing a vet FA QB. He saved some money with Lindley and his stadium will be full next year. This is just like his old man cutting the legs out from Coryell instead of giving him what he needed to improve the team.

This isn't fair--at all.

 

[bankybruce]

Leftwich had played in Arians offense for two or three seasons with the Steelers.

And he has been on of the NFL for two season now and in his last public appearance was well over his playing weight and has a bad back.

 

[kerouac9]

And he has been on of the NFL for two season now and in his last public appearance was well over his playing weight and has a bad back.

No, there are not perfect solutions available. Kurt Warner isn't walking through that door. But there were superior options available to Ryan Lindley.

 

[bankybruce]

No, there are not perfect solutions available. Kurt Warner isn't walking through that door. But there were superior options available to Ryan Lindley.

I agree that there are better option than Lindley. Hell, I would have taken a flyer on Terrelle Pryor and a dumbed down offense.

 

[az240zz]

I agree that there are better option than Lindley. Hell, I would have taken a flyer on Terrelle Pryor and a dumbed down offense.

But isn't that part of the problem..that Ariens wouldn't make major changes to the offense to accommodate the QB?? And, not trying to be smart here, but taking almost a season and a half to learn an offense?? Perhaps the offense is too full of nuances etc to learn.

I never thought we would win another game once Stanton went down. The schedule that we had the last 6 games dictated losses with a 4th string QB.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Lindley won a game 2 years ago--and it had nothing to do with him. He hadn't thrown and NFL tad until last week.



I just don't get the logic of limiting the field to only playoff teams and saying, "see! No one could win with these bums. Part of the reason those 11 other teams are in the playoffs is because their franchise QB is injured.



Even with a healthy Palmer, we'd arguably have had the worst QB among the playoff teams.

Palmer > Cam Newton

 

[kerouac9]

Palmer > Cam Newton

That's insanity.

 

[HeavyB3]

I'm so tired of hearing about how the Cardinals should have signed someone else... blah blah blah.

Let's think about this in another context. Say I was a computer programmer and I was looking for a job. Let's say that I was ok at my job but have been out of programming for a couple of years. A company has some kind of dire emergency and wants to hire me to help write a program. They are writing the program in Java and I only know C++. Maybe I can do a few things in Java because I recognize the logic behind the code or something, but I certainly wouldn't be successful.

To sign a "veteran" QB that's on the streets and was never more than mediocre at the zenith of their career (IE Rex Grossman) and expect them to learn an offense, be in football game shape, and be successful in a tiny window of time is a tall order. Let's not kid ourselves, Lindley may have been the best option. Still a terrible option though. A great QB in their prime might be able to come in quickly and be somewhat successful based on athletic ability alone but those guys are already on teams.

 

[40yearfan]

I had thought Bidwill was not like his dad but this move is as bad as anything his dad ever did. Bidwill tanked this season by not signing a vet FA QB. He saved some money with Lindley and his stadium will be full next year. This is just like his old man cutting the legs out from Coryell instead of giving him what he needed to improve the team. Do people forget about letting Warner talk to SF after Super Bowl or not paying a performance bonus the year before when he was less than a decimal point in reaching the incentive?

Must be PWI. It's the only way you could come up with this reasoning. Won/loss record of 21 and 11 over the past two seasons and you claim the owners are tanking the season. Apparently you've only been a fan for the last two years or so. You surely don't recall all those 5 and 11 seasons we suffered through.

I get a kick out of how when we were winning, all the praise was going to the coaching staff. Now that the losses are piling up, it's the owner's fault. Pure non-sense. We ran into some really bad luck and ran out of miracles. I don't care how good your coaches or owners are. They can't overcome a complete catastrophe. Hopefully, the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction this coming year and we'll be talking about our first SB win.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm so tired of hearing about how the Cardinals should have signed someone else... blah blah blah.

Let's think about this in another context. Say I was a computer programmer and I was looking for a job. Let's say that I was ok at my job but have been out of programming for a couple of years. A company has some kind of dire emergency and wants to hire me to help write a program. They are writing the program in Java and I only know C++. Maybe I can do a few things in Java because I recognize the logic behind the code or something, but I certainly wouldn't be successful.

To sign a "veteran" QB that's on the streets and was never more than mediocre at the zenith of their career (IE Rex Grossman) and expect them to learn an offense, be in football game shape, and be successful in a tiny window of time is a tall order. Let's not kid ourselves, Lindley may have been the best option. Still a terrible option though. A great QB in their prime might be able to come in quickly and be somewhat successful based on athletic ability alone but those guys are already on teams.

The only problem with this analogy is no competent company in it's right mind would hire someone even in an emergency without the necessary skills to help. I have hired hundreds of IT contractors over my career.

For example, we recently had an emergency and needed someone with SharePoint experience. He was not completely up to date with his skills (older gent retiring soon) but that was better than going with someone who for example only knew HTML or had no proven SharePoint skills. I know some HTML guys can pick up on the "base" of SharePoint stuff and even produce customized code. However, that would not have helped.

Give me the guy that might be passed his prime versus some guy who doesn't have the skills to get the job done every single time. You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks but at least he has some tricks to contribute. If I was the hiring manager and tried to convince my boss that some guy who doesn't have the skills for the job can get it done and doesn't deliver.....I would be out of a job. However, if I hired someone who was "rusty" or might not be totally up to date but has some basic skills....that would be different. Especially, in an emergency.

 

[HeavyB3]

The only problem with this analogy is no competent company in it's right mind would hire someone even in an emergency without the necessary skills to help.

Exactly my point. We did not hire someone that was going to be completely unqualified or lacked the current skills to be our QB. Wasn't the best analogy, I admit though.

 

[HeavyB3]

Exactly my point. We did not hire someone that was going to be completely unqualified or lacked the current skills to be our QB. Wasn't the best analogy, I admit though.

The guy that already knows the basics of the system is much better than a guy who's been out of the game and does not know the system. I'm not arguing that Lindley was a great option because he wasn't but sometimes you have to make due and hope it works out.

 

[Covert Rain]

Exactly my point. We did not hire someone that was going to be completely unqualified or lacked the current skills to be our QB. Wasn't the best analogy, I admit though.

The guy that already knows the basics of the system is much better than a guy who's been out of the game and does not know the system. I'm not arguing that Lindley was a great option because he wasn't but sometimes you have to make due and hope it works out.

Except in my analysis, Lindley would be the guy that lacks skills to do the job at all and I would never put my neck on the line to tell my boss this guy could get it done. I would have gone with a Vet that has seen enough systems that he could of at least run a basic offense. IMO, Lindley couldn't even do that.