QB Roulette: Reliable Veteran or Young Potential?

Unless you have been living in a cave for the last few months, you have probably noticed that there is an election coming up in November. If you happen to live in one of those magical places called a "Swing State," as I do, then this means a constant bombardment of political ads and campaign visits by the candidates and their surrogates. This can get old real fast, even for political junkies like myself.

The good news? FOOTBALL SEASON IS ALMOST HERE! My skin started to get all tingly when I saw pro football on the television the other day. Sure, it was meaningless preseason game, but still it was football on TV! Is there anything more beautiful than football season?! I don't think so.

So to help you get caught up in all the excitement of the oncoming NFL season, allow me to offer some musings on a question that will be faced by many a team in the 2004 season: how bad it will need to get before rookie (or those with starts to their credit) QBs are thrown to the wolves? Let's take a look at few places where teams might turn to their big-name draft picks for help if the season turns ugly.

New York Giants

It appears that the former out-of-nowhere-superstar-turned-expendable-QB Kurt Warner will start for the Giants this season, and Jesse "The Bachelor" Palmer is also in the mix, I suppose, but how long do you think Eli "My Dad is Archie and My Brother is Peyton" Manning will carry a clipboard if things get rocky? We all know how patient and understanding New York sports fans should be, so I am sure the pressure to win is really minimal in the Meadowlands these days, right?

Personally, I think Coach Coughlin should resist putting Manning under center as much as possible. If the O-line can't protect him and he isn't knowledgeable enough to run the offense, it is always a huge risk to insert a rookie QB. They just seem to learn too many bad habits. Happy feet can ruin many promising careers.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tommy Maddox is the starter and Steelers coaches and fans are hoping that a revamped running game with Duce Staley and a healthy offensive line allow Maddox to once again start throwing touchdowns to his talented receivers. But let's face it, if the offense looks as bad as it did at time last year, the pressure to put Ben Roethlisberger into the lineup will be immense. This young kid obviously has talent and a good head on his shoulders, as well, so the fans have to be thinking that is a waste of talent to let him walk the sidelines while the fans suffer. Better to see Ben develop than watch Tommy flounder.

But, in what might be considered the point of this section, it pays to remember that Maddox struggled last year for good reason: they had no running game and they couldn't protect him. Very few QBs have the ability to carry a team. If you can't threaten the run or give the guy time to throw, the defense will eventually win. Too many sacks begin to lead to too many interceptions. This is how Maddox works. If he feels pressure to win games, then he usually tries to force things with bad results.

If the Duce Staley/Jerome Bettis combination can produce a credible running game that will give Maddox time to throw, it will also give Roethlisberger time to develop and learn the offense. A solid year of watching and learning could make the Steelers' first-round draft pick a franchise player.

Dallas Cowboys

Okay, so call me crazy, but I am wondering weather Vinny Testaverde can really carry the Cowboys for a whole season. With Quincy Carter gone and Drew Henson bubbling with potential, one has to wonder what Bill Parcells' plans are these days. Having watched Henson play at the University of Michigan -- and watching helplessly as he understandably left to take a bunch of money from the New York Yankees instead of returning to compete for a national championship -- I am doubly interested to see when Henson might make an appearance.

On this one, I am somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, as I have made clear above, I don't usually like to see rookies start for struggling teams. On the other hand, this is Vinny Testaverde we are talking about here!

Seriously, I am not sure that Henson isn't Tuna's best bet for a winning season. Henson isn't overly cocky after a humbling baseball career and so isn't as likely to go crazy if given the reigns. Plus, Parcells simply won't allow his QB to get too far ahead of himself.

Testaverde could start a few games and give Henson a chance to watch and learn. Then Parcells could insert Henson and begin to slowly teach him the offense. They are going to try and run the ball a great deal, anyway, why not let Henson get some snaps? It is not as if they have a lot of options. In this case, I just might lean towards getting a jumpstart on the future.

San Francisco 49ers

Another fascinating situation is the potential of Ken Dorsey in San Francisco. Tim Rattay is slated to start for the recently-depleted 49ers (they lost Jeff Garcia, Terrell Owens, and Garrison Hearts, among others), but he isn't exactly the most injury-free QB out there. In fact, he missed the first preseason game with an odd arm injury.

Right behind Rattay is Ken Dorsey. You might remember that Dorsey had a half-decent college career, but pro-scouts weren't all that impressed. But a lot of good NFL QBs weren't college superstars (Tim Rattay went to L.A. Tech) and Dorsey has the physical talents to play in the big leagues. If he can master the mental game -- experience at Miami can't hurt in that department -- and the speed of the NFL, he could be a credible starter in the City by the Bay.

49ers fans have to look for excitement from their draft picks because so many veterans have left, but Dorsey and company could be contenders soon. San Fran has a couple of receivers with a lot of upside, as they say. Brandon Lloyd is ready to really break out. While Curtis Conway and Cedric Wilson should be dependable veterans, rookie Rashoun Woods could soon give them a run for the starting job. I don't have a lot of confidence in Dennis Erickson as a coach, but if some of this young talent -- with Dorsey under center -- begins to click, the 49ers might finally return to their winning ways.

San Diego Chargers

I would talk about exactly when Phillip Rivers might start for the Sand Diego Chargers, but they haven't been able to sign him yet, thus making his starting unlikely. Drew Brees was fun to watch in college, but his pro career has been rocky. This is not a surprise, given the pitiful goings on in Charger land. Still, when you get benched in favor of Doug Flutie and he actually gives the team a boost, things are dark. Perhaps Brees can turn things around and help LaDainian Tomlinson carry this team, but I won't be holding my breath.

Cincinnati Bengals

Also worth watching this year is Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. He has been designated as the starter over workmanlike, but un-exciting Jon Kitna. Carson Palmer obviously has a great deal of talent, but can he make the Bengals a team to be feared? Only Time will tell, but there are some building blocks there in Chad Johnson, Peter Warrick, and Kelly Washington. Much like the 49ers, the Bengals' offense could take it to the next level if these young guns click at the same time.

I have a sneaking suspicion that a great deal will come down to pass protection. If Palmer has to run for his life, he won't be able to get comfortable in the pocket and get the ball down field. The running game of Rudi Johnson and rookie Chris Perry (who is great out of the backfield) should help Palmer out, but when push comes to shove, there is simply no substitute for pass protection.

So there you have it, a handful of teams whose fans will either be glad they have a tested veteran at the helm or will be calling loudly for the young guns to take their place in the starting lineup. This is one of the many reasons being a head coach in the NFL is so stressful.

Finding the right balance between winning now and developing talent for the long haul is more of an art than a science. And fans rarely remain patient these days when the losses start to pile up. Nine times out of 10, I think it is best to give talented, but young QBs as much preparation and time as you can, but then again, I am not on the sideline or in the front office.