With the pointless lockout finally over, we can get back to things that really matter, the game. One quick thing on the lockout, I think BOTH sides lost. There is so much more they could have gotten out of the Lockout. (Maybe I will write a blog about this later).
Let’s move on to things we as fans care about, since there has only been about a week since the lockout has lifted, there has been a lot of movement among players. Teams have signed a lot of guys in a short period, for example the Chicago Bears have signed 48 players in 4 days. That is a lot of change in such a short period of time. The first group that I am going to rank is quarterback, what I consider 1B when it comes importance on the offensive side of the ball. (The Offensive lineman inside of me will not let the QB ahead of the center, which I consider the most important position on offense or 1A.) Here goes nothing:
1.) Green Bay Packers
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| Aaron Rodgers after Super Bowl XLV. |
There is no question about this position; Aaron Rodgers is a clear cut top five NFL Quarterback. He ranked in the top ten any statically category that matters. He is the only quarterback in the division with a Super Bowl Ring and was also named the MVP of Super Bowl XLV. Now he does have some help when it comes to achieving this ranking, as a group he has the best supportive cast. His coach, Mike McCarthy is the only offensive minded coach in the division. Scary thing is he is still improving.
2.) Chicago Bears
| Jay Cutler will need to step up and lead the Bears in 2011 |
Jay Cutler is the clear cut number two quarterback in the division. However he has enough talent to leap frog Rodgers as the number one QB in the division. Cutler’s biggest problem is his arm strength because it forces him to make dumb plays. He tries to make throws that should not be made but with his arm he can make them, but not all of them. These poor throws lead to interceptions. Another issue is his supporting cast is not very good; team led the league in sacks given up with a total of 56. Cutler has also been through a few coaching changes his also hurts a quarterbacks development. It will be interesting to see Cutler develop this season, this is a make or break year for him. Does he want to be elite or an average quarterback? The bears have upgraded some of the talent around Cutler, as a bears fan I hope it is enough to put him over the top.
This is where things get a little dicey; I feel either team could be three or four. So I am going to based this of talent I thing both players have left.
3.) Detroit Lions
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| Can Matthew Stafford stay healthy? |
Last year the Lions could not keep any of their three quarterbacks healthy, which is not a good sign. However, their starter is Matthew Stafford, his biggest problem is staying healthy. He has been in the league for two years and has had season ending injuries in both years. Last year, Stafford was hurt in week one returned during week eight, but then was hurt again during week nine and was done for the year. However, Stafford does have some toughness about him. He threw a touchdown his rookie year minutes after separating his shoulder. Stafford has talent only question is can he stay on the field? This leads me to talk about his backup Shaun Hill, who is a very serviceable quarterback in the NFL. Hill is going on his tenth year in the league; he has started 26 games and played in 30 games. Although he is not a starter, he is the best backup in the division. Normally that would not matter in rankings but since Stafford is injury prone, Hill is a factor in these rankings.
4.) Minnesota Vikings
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| How much is left in the tank? |
About two years ago I would have ranked them much higher if they would have acquired Donovan McNabb then, but they got McNabb this year. McNabb is clearly on the downswing of his career. He has been traded twice in as many years. Last year McNabb was with the Washington Redskins and for the first time in his career threw more interceptions then touchdowns. He was benched in favor of Rex Grossman, in the final three games of the year. Also, was McNabb was benched during a two-minute drill, in favor of Grossman. Now I am not a Grossman hater, but he is not a top 32 quarterback in the NFL. So with McNabb getting benched in favor of Grossman, this leads me to think that McNabb is no longer an elite player in the NFL. McNabb however is just a man holding the spot warm for the rookie Christian Ponder. I think the Vikings made the right move getting McNabb, because it will be hard for any rookie to come in and start with the offseason in which the NFL just went through with the lockout. Question here is: Ponder the answer at QB and can McNabb do enough?
