Jim McMahon, Chicago Bears - SB XX
Doug Williams, Washington Redskins - SB XXII
Jeff Hostetler, New York Giants - SB XXV
Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins - SB XXVI
Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens - SB XXXV
Tom Brady, New England Patriots - SB XXXVI
Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - SB XXXVII
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers - SB XL
Eli Manning, New York Giants - SB XLII


I can't really go back beyond 85 due to my age, but there are a more than a few examples of teams winning without an elite QB. I'm not sure Rypien belongs on this list (average+ for most of his career but great this year), and obv Brady is debatable for the opposite characteristics.

I damn sure wouldn't give up Brady, see Hostetler imo.

Dilfer and Johnson excepted, that's a list of some pretty damn fine qb's you typed. I wouldn't mind having any of them on my team.

And Brady's name sticks out like a sore thumb on that list.

Obviously we could derail everything with the Brady wasn't exceptional in in 2001 debate, but I think there is nothing to be gained by rehashing a discussion that has been beat to death.

You could dump Eli and Ben because of their age and the fact that we don't really know how good they might turn out be. Their SBs could turn out to be outliers or the start of a great career. My point is that they won SBs while getting QB play that would be considered closer to average than elite.

I'd really like to hear why you consider backups like Williams and Hostetler so good. Both are basically test cases proving that you can take a very good team, toss in a backup QB and win a SB.

McMahon belongs in the Dilfer/Johnson category. He was an average QB surrounded by a historically great team. He had a defense and a RB that both are in the debate for GOAT. Take him off the team and Fuller takes the bears to a title easily.

The Patriots are going to franchise Matt Cassel.

At least according to a report on Inside the NFL.

By getting tagged, Cassel will be paid the average of the five highest paid quarterbacks. He'll be paid more than Tom Brady.

The Patriots are going to have a lot of money tied up in two quarterbacks next season. However, if Brady is healthy for the start of the season or before the trade deadline, the Pats could get good trade value for Cassel.

If i was running the Pats, I'd be doing everything I could to leak that info.
If they can convince teams that they'll be franchising him, they can get into trade discussion earlier.

Can they actually talk trade before franchising him? They shouldn't have the rights to him if his contract expired after week 17's game.

Their ownership of his rights should extend to the end of the league year, which is usually around Feb 28. They can't actually trade him because its past the deadline, but there are likely back channel discussions, even if they aren't perfectly legitimate.

I assume they are going to hit him with the non exclusive and just hope someone is desperate enough to give up two 1st round picks.

Detroit? they have 3!

my guess is Cassel will end up being worth a 1st and 3rd round pick or something like that

What if it appears Brady won't be ready for the start of the season? Will the Patriots keep Cassel intending to use him for 4-8 games? Or, do they trade him and use a third QB until Brady is ready?

my guess is Cassel is gone, either way. they won't want to commit $25m + to the QB position.

I won't be tolerating any complaints about the BCS from NFL fans.

Please don't try to compare the two, you will not make out well.

Let's forget for a moment that with the BCS no post season tournament exists at all.

The NFL has a well defined structured manner for a solid portion of teams to be eligible for their postseason tournament. The unbalanced schedule means that some teams may have racked up more wins than others. That is no different than a team from a top heavy conference missing out on the NCAA tournament. But it is far different from having six one loss teams and deciding by popularity which of those should play a single game to determine a champ.

I feel bad that this thread may be hijacked. Pats fans have my sympathies, but a favorable schedule it was, and they finished behind a team that did as well with the same schedule. At least from the AFC teams with tougher schedules are in the playoffs (Tenn, Indy, Pittsburgh, Baltimore). San Diego may not have the record, but the rules are what they are, and they certainly played a tougher schedule (NFC South as opposed to NFC West).

I think college has a well defined structure too, and its conferences are much more solid than the somewhat arbirtrary NFLs.

lol, if he had a year left on his contract he may get a 2nd round pick. If they franchise him, which is the only way they can trade him then a 5th or a 6th round pick would be generous, he may have negative trade value because of his contract.

any team trading for him would sign him to a long term deal

re: his value. we'll see.

but the Cowboys offered a 1st and 3rd for Derek Anderson. Schaub was traded for 2 2nd rounders and a small upgrade in the first. Roy ****ing Williams was traded for a 1st and a 3rd. if you think a league average QB is worth a 5th or 6th round pick...ok

Wouldnt a franchised qb count around 14 million to the cap?

OK I waited all season.

Can someone please explain the thread title to me?

anybody who trades for him would sign him to a long term deal. franchising him doesn't mean he gets $14m - it means he gets $14m unless he agrees to a long term deal

It makes no sense at all.

Though, it did make me realize a team could go 15-1, finish 2nd in their division, win four playoff games to become Super Bowl champions, and finish a season 19-1.

it was made by a Pats fan

jfc you have to scroll all the way down to post #2 to see that I added wrong, this shouldn't be too confusing
and neither should be adding 2 numbers to get to 19, I know

funny fitzy video for this season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3bZm...e=channel_page

as pathetic as most pat fans

Look I like hating on the Pats as much as anyone.. and I hate him about as much as any player in the league.. but who cares?

Oh, the irony.