Sponsor




Home  >  Columns   >  Fantasy Blitz  >  2006 ROOKIE QBS TO CONSIDER DRAFTING

Columns

Fantasy Blitz - 2006 ROOKIE QB'S TO CONSIDER DRAFTING

The best might surprise you!
Posted On: 5/20/06
Written By:  
Kurt Backert
2006 ROOKIE QB'S TO CONSIDER DRAFTING
This year’s rookie class of quarterbacks had scouts beaming almost as much as in 1999, when Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, and Cade McNown came out. All of these above mentioned quarterbacks were supposed to make impacts for their teams and eventually rise on the fantasy draft boards. Two for five makes you a .400 hitter in baseball, but the class of 1999 has come up a little short on expectations. McNabb and Culpepper are superb players but where are Couch, Smith, and McNown today?
 
So, which category does Matt Leinart, Vince Young, and Jay Cutler fall into -- McNabb’s or McNown’s. Time will tell, but today let’s look at the fantasy impact these players will have this year, and we will look at two others who have a chance this year to score points.
 
With all of the attention and high expectations Leinart, Young, and Cutler had thrusted upon them this past April, the truth is that if their respective team’s plans unfold as forecasted, none of these players will make a major impact. But as history has shown us, game plans and depth charts have a way of going by the wayside when the real hitting begins.
 
Choosing our number one rookie fantasy quarterback this year came down to almost a coin toss. Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green has stated that Leinart will play only if Kurt Warner gets hurt. Green’s Titans counterpart Jeff Fisher has shown he is willing to let a rookie quarterback learn from the bench as Steve McNair did his first two years with the Oilers. Will Fisher bring Young along the same as he did McNair?
 
1. Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
 
Jeff Fisher allowed Steve McNair to learn from the bench while watching veteran Chris Chandler play in 1995 and 1996 with the Oilers. Fisher could do this because in McNair’s case it was the right thing to do and there was no pressure to win in Houston during those years. The team had given up on the city, announcing it was leaving after the 1996 season shortly after the 1995 season was over, for Tennessee, thus the city gave up on the team. There was no support for that team, no one cared and Fisher actually gained an advantage because there was no pressure to win. He could allow McNair to absorb everything he needed to learn from Chandler. When McNair did get playing time in relief of Chandler in 1996, he played well completing over 61% of his passes.
 
There is no luxury this time around in Tennessee. The pressure to win is now as it is in every NFL city. While early reports are coming in that Young’s mechanics are worse than first thought he will get playing time this year. First, it looks like McNair is gone, hopefully headed to Charm City. Billy Volek will start the season but if logic prevails, the Titans will lose early and Fisher will be forced to play Young. Young’s performance in the Rose Bowl along with his 26 touchdown passes and nine rushing touchdowns last year will make it difficult if not impossible for Fisher to let Young learn from the bench.
 
Volek while being competent behind center is not the long term solution for the Titans -- Young is. The Titans receivers are nothing to write home about, even with former Patriot David Givens joining the team. We see Young improvising his way to a total of 10 to fifteen touchdowns both in the air and on the ground combined this year. Not enough to make him your fantasy starter but enough to make him a valuable backup and a possible late season starter depending on your weekly match ups.
 
2. Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals
 
Leinart is better prepared to play in the NFL now than Vince Young is. The problem for Leinart fans is that he plays only if there’s an injury to Warner.  The Cardinals should score more points this year. With Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Edgerrin James in the fold, the Cardinals quarterback will throw over 20 touchdowns, possibly more. Warner could land as a fantasy starter in deeper leagues, and if you take Warner you have to take Leinart with Warner’s history. With having James to take pressure off of the passing game, the chances of Warner getting hurt are reduced. We feel that while Leinart will score when he gets a chance running the Cardinals offense, he will not get that many opportunities this year.
 
3. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
 
Jay Cutler may be the best quarterback in this year’s class. He has the perfect coach to work with, a balanced attack and the addition of Javon Walker at wide receiver. These factors would lead you to believe he could have a huge year. But as we all know he will see limited playing time behind Jake Plummer. Cutler should win the back up job, beating out Bradlee Van Pelt. Cutler is one injury away from having a potential big year, but Plummer has not missed a game since 2003.  If you draft Plummer get Cutler but Jay is two years away from taking the reigns from Plummer.
 
4. Kellen Clemens, New York Jets
 
The first thing you ask is, who is Kellen Clemens and how is he going to get time with all of the other quarterbacks in New York?. Who would have thought Brooks Bollinger would have seen as many as starts as he did last year?  First, look at the Jets quarterbacks as they stand today. Chad Pennington lists as the starter, great player but has only played in 16 games since 2003, his arm is shot. If he does start the season it is only a matter of time before he gets injured again. The Jets brought in Patrick Ramsey and history indicates that you never put your trust in a quarterback that Joe Gibbs gets rid of. If he plays, he will play himself out of the lineup in a couple of weeks.
 
Brooks Bollinger will not make the team and our Vinny Testeverde will finally retire. That leaves you with Jets second round pick Clemens. If Clemens had not broken his ankle midway in his senior year at Oregon he would have been much higher on the draft board. He has a fast delivery, has mobility, but most importantly for playing in the Meadowlands, has tremendous arm strength. It may take him a little while to work his way through the other quarterbacks on the roster but he will be your starter by the end of the season. How much time he will get will depend on a number of factors. One negative is once you get past Laveranues Coles there is not much in the way of solid fantasy receivers at this time. If you are in a gambling mood late in your draft, Clemens could get you some late season points.
 
5. Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota Vikings
 
Are your ready to roll the dice with a late pick? The Vikings were willing to do it with a second round choice, the 64th in entire draft. Jackson played just two years at Alabama State, not Alabama, Alabama State. He is athletic, threw for 29 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions his senior year. He ran 4.69 in the 40, so he can move. Many college scouts had him as a Day 3 pick – a UDFA.  But the Vikings liked him. The key to fantasy players is of course playing time.. Let’s look at two factors that are in Jackson’s favor.
 
First the Vikings will go with veteran Brad Johnson at quarterback this year. Johnson won 7 of his nine starts last year while throwing only 4 interceptions. He was a calming influence on a team that had a ton of internal trouble last year. If Johnson gets injured or is ineffective the Vikings’ other quarterbacks besides Jackson are Sean Hill, the former Terp who has barely played in five years and journeymen JT O’Sullivan and Mike McMahon. Both have played but neither is the type of player you build your team around. Jackson will make the team and being a second round pick will get snaps if Johnson goes down.
 
The second factor may be the most important. New head coach Brad Childress. He took an unpolished rookie quarterback in Philadelphia in 1999, Donovan McNabb. The press and the fans if you recall did not want McNabb. Childress schooled him and turned him into the quarterback he is today. Childress would not have taken Jackson if he did not see something there. Again Jackson probably only plays if Johnson gets hurt, but is worth a late round pick, stranger things have happened.

Post your comment

Your Name:
Your Email:
Your Comment:
There are no comments. be the first to post a comment.


«Go back to the previous page.
Posted On: 5/20/06
Written By:  
Kurt Backert

Polls

From the following list who will have the most sacks in 2012?


Twitter

Check us out on Twitter
  • 5/18/12: Why Foster, McCoy and Rice are equals and should be paid accordingly: http://t.co/Q1R93XNe

View all tweets & follow us!

Got Poker Face?

E-News

Sign up for Email Alerts and get the best deals and news in your inbox.



Copyright © 2012 24x7 Network, LLC, All Rights Reserved
Website Design by D3Corp Ocean City Maryland