I'm feeling better about Kordelia

[stuckincincy]

I don't think the accelerated cap hit from the Bledsoe cut leaves us much choice.  We are looking for a back-up QB with a cap hit of about $2.3 million.  From the available list I think Batch, Stewart and MacMahon are what we are talking about.

 

Remember no one is talking about a starter and I would have no clue is that was what I was talking about,  Whi do you want as your number2? Shane Matthews?  What does he or some other #2 have to offer you.

244402[/snapback]

 

 

FFS, since you would like to see more running, I should think that Matthews would be a good choice. His reputation and statistics are that of being careful handling the ball, giving it up to avoid a sack, and not attempting heroic measures. In short, he keeps possession and doesn't get a team into insurmountable situations. He has little arm but knows how to read a defense. That's the sign of a good back-up, in my opinion. We would like to have a Volek to come in if a McNair goes down, but that's a rarity these days.

[Guest BackInDaDay]

I'm going ot guess that the primary reason you're feeling better about Kordell is that you haven't had to watch him play for quite a while.

This is certainly true as Clements/Mularkey were able to raise his play to the level of adequacy. However his adequate play was confined to the regular season while the Stillers muddled through the year in the worst division in the NFL. The second P'burgh found itself in p'off competition Kordell reverted to his true nature and completely went to pieces when the pressure was on.

The Bills have already decided that they are not interested in a QB who can put together a few adequate regular season performances, only to spit the bit as soon as things get too tight under the collar. In this regard Bledsoe and Kordell are birds of a feather and I don't think there's a chance that Donahoe is interested in him.

Nor would you be if you'd been forced to watch him at some point in the last couple years. 

Cya

244268[/snapback]

 

I doubt the coaching staff believes they could rejuvenate Stewart's skills to that of a NFL starting QB. Their sights are set on attaining a capable backup. The fact that Kordell has already taken the hardest look in the mirror that any pro athlete can take, and has come to grips with what he has left to offer, enables him to willingly fill that role. Many good players, like Bledsoe, with their best years behind them, will stare into that disturbing reflection soon enough. For them, the 'end of the line' seems quite a distance away. For them, a 'starter' still gazes back from the mirror.

 

Kordell wouldn't be asked to win 'the big game'.

Who's Manning's backup? Brady's? McNabb's? Favre's? Vick's?

Yes, I know some of their names too, but the point is, if we get to know them too well, then those team's seasons are over.

 

Kordell was a gifted natural athlete that came into the league as a QB, and even after his failure to cement his starting role, he was too good a football player to keep on the bench. He may never have been the sharpest knife in Bill Cowher's drawer, but good coaches know talented players when they see them.

 

Look...

Mularkey and Clements are creating an offensive system to enable their inexperienced, but physically gifted QB to succeed. We're not talking Gilbride, Weiss or Martz here. I don't know what Stewart has left in terms of his mobility, but if he still possesses the desire to put the work in, this staff can dust off his mechanics enough to direct any system installed for Losman.

 

PS. Someone mentioned Charlie Batch, another good choice.

[Losman-McGahee-Evans]

Care to elaborate?

 

Or have you run out of anything other than sarcastic comments and self-righteous put-downs?

244253[/snapback]

[seq004]

The Bills have put us firmly between a rock and a good place by handing the job to JP.  My preference is to have a youngster either take the job from his predecessor, or at least produce good results as a pro which make sitting him down impossible to do.  However, this is not how reality has played this one out and the just because the job has been given to JP based on nothing but potential does not mean that he cannot prove himself worthy of the job.

 

Reality being what it is, I hope the Bills can find some cushion for the rock if JP should unfortunately get hurt again (I think the RJ experience has made many Bills fans a bit gunshy and it is way to early to fear that JP is injury prone due this boo-boo at the hands of a fellow Bill in practice) or he is not the player we hope he is.

 

Unfortunately, the most qualified guy to be a #2 QB for Losman is actually Drew Bledsoe (who filled this role perfectly for Tom Brady in 2001 because reality forced him to do so) and he ain't gonna do it (and most Bills fans are so addicted to either loving or hating Bledsoe that it is great for TSW that he won't).  The question is who should be our #2.

The Bledsoe cut puts a real crimp in our cap that makes this one a toughy.  A mere $2.2 million is left over after the acceleration of the Bledsoe bonus and signing anyone for more than that means cutting into out cap room.  This likely leaves out folks like Jeff Garcia or Kurt Warner who probably want to start anyway (this is a factor because they won't come here and I hope we are not going to get into such handholding for JP that we will need to stay away from anyone who plays well for fear of upsetting him),

 

Looking at the list, the candidates look like Chatlie Batch, Mile McMahon and Kordell Stewart.  I pass on MacMahon because he was not able to even complete 50%of his passes in his two biggest seasons of starting for the Lions (not to mention that his biggest seasons saw him start 3 and 4 games respectively).

 

Charlie Batch is interesting though it has been quite awhile since he last saw starter duty also for the Lions.  However. for the last several years he has done back-up duty with the Steelers and I am pretty sure that he is familiar with Clements/MM and their system and more important they are familiar with him,  If e is good for the braintrust who am I to argue without further evidence from play as a Bill so I will accept this if it comes to happen with the same fact-free optimism I have for JP's prospects.

 

However, the guy who intrigues me the most from looking at their records is Kordell Stewart.  On the up side I see:

 

1. Working with MM/Clements clearly improved his play in the 2001 season

2. He has said and done the right things in his move to the Ravens where he was clearly brought in as the #2 for Boller and did what was necessary to help the team including playing the role of punter for the first time since HS.

3. He has experienced success in the NFL before and has seen a lot and even been to the big Dance once before as a rookie.

 

Just like Bledsoe, I would not pick Kordell as my #1, but he has many aspects of his game that look like he can be a good #2.

 

Given the cap limitations caused by the Bledsoe cut make my choices Kordell or Batch in that order.

244237[/snapback]

Just say no.