Play GM : What do you do with M. Leinart?

[AntSports Steve]

Assume that the Cards sign Warner to a 2 year deal and are committed to Warner via salary for 2 years.

Lienart has a reasonable salary this year, but in 2010, his salary goes up. I'm not sure of the exact figure but let's say it will be $14.0M.

It would be very nice to keep him around this year in case Warner gets injured, but if Warner plays good, the Cards would have to pay him $14M to be a backup. If that happens, his trade value will be low. All teams will know that the Cards only choices are to pay him or cut him. The only reason to trade for ML would be to get him sooner, like before camp starts, or prevent another team from getting him. Maybe a 6th or 7th round pick.

I think you could trade ML to Tampa or Detroit now, this year, and possible get a 2nd or a 3rd. Cassel went for a 2nd, but KCC will have to pay high dollar and restructure him now. But with Matt, teams would get his reasonable salary now and if he plays good, then they can restructure knowning what they have in Matt.

So, should we trade Matt now or keep him for insurance for the 2009 season?

 

[abomb]

Keep him. This has been discussed ad nauseum.

 

[ARZCardinals]

you keep Leinart as a backup. He's got 2 years left on his deal (I think) and you don't assume Kurt is going to live through the season.
I'm all for the Cards offering a solid deal to Kurt, but with Leinart available for duty...he's ready to roll.
I'd take that 10 mill that was going to be placed at Warners step and resign Q and Wilson with that.
It would leave me a bunch of money to go out and upgrade via Free Agency.
The hole would be we'd only have Matt at Qb with St. P as the backup. I could live with it.
If you don't think Matt is ready to roll after watching Kurt take over and lead them to the Super Bowl you are so wrong. He's ready to go.

 

[Stout]

Assume that the Cards sign Warner to a 2 year deal and are committed to Warner via salary for 2 years.

Lienart has a reasonable salary this year, but in 2010, his salary goes up. I'm not sure of the exact figure but let's say it will be $14.0M.

It would be very nice to keep him around this year in case Warner gets injured, but if Warner plays good, the Cards would have to pay him $14M to be a backup. If that happens, his trade value will be low. All teams will know that the Cards only choices are to pay him or cut him. The only reason to trade for ML would be to get him sooner, like before camp starts, or prevent another team from getting him. Maybe a 6th or 7th round pick.

I think you could trade ML to Tampa or Detroit now, this year, and possible get a 2nd or a 3rd. Cassel went for a 2nd, but KCC will have to pay high dollar and restructure him now. But with Matt, teams would get his reasonable salary now and if he plays good, then they can restructure knowning what they have in Matt.

So, should we trade Matt now or keep him for insurance for the 2009 season?

IF that is the case, you either trade him this offseason or re-structure him this offseason. This would be a very strange contract, but give him a signing bonus that would be on par as a starter would get, then the first two years' worth of salaries for low value, and then the salaries go to good QB money starting in year 3. Granted, not probable that he'd consider such a contract, but it would be nice.

 

[Pariah]

Keep him, but if there's a QB you like a lot available in the second round (or Stafford/Sanchez falls to late in the first ala A. Rogers), you light up the phones to see what you can get for him and get your target. But, I think both of those things are unlikely, so you keep him.

JMHO

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Keep him, and worry about it next year.

 

[the_future23]

Keep him and ask him to restructure his contract.

 

[Shogun]

Keep him. This has been discussed ad nauseum.

This.

 

[Redbird 78]

First off, I don't re-sign Warner. There's little chance the Cards get back to the Super Bowl next year, regardless of who the QB is. In the past decade, only New England has done it. Given that, I'm not going to waste the money I've already invested in Matt Leinart, and I'm not going to spend $10+ million more dollars on the QB position than I need to.

 

[joeshmo]

Keep him, and worry about it next year.

Yep worry about next year, next year. Lots change in a year.

 

[DoTheDew]

If next year ends up being uncapped it becomes a non-issue anyway. If it doesn't, then we can either hope Warner retires, or dump Leinart then if he won't restructure.

 

[Shzm13]

Keep him. Restructure a deal?

 

[SECTION 11]

Start him

 

[HookemCards]

I'd probably start Leinart and not resign Warner. The minute Warner signs that contract, Leinart has all the leverage in the world. The only way I resign Warner is if there isn't any (or much) guaranteed money the 2nd year. That way if he struggles a bit next year, we can turn the keys over to Leinart and cut Warner loose.

 

[slanidrac16]

I know this has been talked about but it warrants some intelligent thought. Not saying I'm intelligent, but heres my take.

I see two roads assuming we sign Warner.

1. You call matt and start renegotiating his contract. Yes, this means you will have to pony up some money now and add a year or 2 also increasing his base. Many might think this is absolutely crazy, but the Cards can't possibly go into next year staring a 15 m cap hit, EVEN IF HE IS OUR STARTING QB IN 2010. You do this only if you truly believe beyond a shadow of a doubt he is the future.

2. You put some feelers out their to see if tere is any interest in Leinart but you can't be looking to fleece anybody interested. A #2 may get some teams to take a chance. There are plenty of teams out there that could be looking and take a chance on him.
The Bears, Jets, Bucs, Lions and perhaps the Vikings are viable customers. The problem with this is the organization has invested a lot of dough in this kid and will have gotten nothing in return.

It also means the Cards would have to look to who may take over in a 2010 or 2011. Some believe that guy could be St. Pierre.....I don't. So who?
Do you draft a guy with that second pick to groom? We certainly don't use our first pick. Is there any QB's in this draft even worth considering when we get beyond our first pick?

I don't think so.

How about Derek Anderson? He's young enough to groom. He has size and a strong arm. He has had some very good success under a terrible situation. His stats are comparible to Leinart and he's only going to be 26. Is he a sure shot thing? Not by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is Leinart. He would definitely need to be coached up and who better to do that than Warner? The other positive thing is if Warner lights it up again this year we won't have the stigma of "what do we do with Leinart " come next March. We'll have Warner around for 1 more year.

The thing you have to keep in mind so as not to drive yourself crazy is that this dilema has been brought on by success. However, every year new decisions and adjustments to your plan need to be addressed. That being said this scenario is WAY TO OUTSIDE THE BOX for this front office to come up with.

 

[Pariah]

Start him

Wisdom handed down from the mountain, Mount Section 11 (it's a military base apparently, so no flowery names for it).

 

[LACardsJoe]

Can I answer this once I hear whether Kurt has been signed or not?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

We had a poll recently on this question, and about 90% were in favour of keeping Matt this year at his $3.7M cap hit.

 

[FArting]

Keep him

 

[Mulli]

Trade him.

 

[Pariah]

Guys, you realize we're playing a 38 year old QB, right? That's significant for two reasons:
1. He could break in half at any moment.
2. He's a shining example of the truism that QBs can play for a loooong time in the NFL.

Leinart is the QBoF. Be patient.

 

[Mulli]

Guys, you realize we're playing a 38 year old QB, right? That's significant for two reasons:
1. He could break in half at any moment.
2. He's a shining example of the truism that QBs can play for a loooong time in the NFL.

Leinart is the QBoF. Be patient.

Was only kidding.

 

[Pariah]

Was only kidding.

straighten up and fly right, kid.

 

[LACardsJoe]

Time to trade Leinert, Warner's locked up for 2 more years, we need to get some value for Leinert while we can. Didn't think I would utter those words, but now is the time.

 

[Mulli]

Time to trade Leinert, Warner's locked up for 2 more years, we need to get some value for Leinert while we can. Didn't think I would utter those words, but now is the time.

Leinart