MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

It will be a different story when the season starts. Everyone will be gunning to down the SB Champs, but that should be a motivating force for the Eagles.

 

Packers trade Brett Hundley to Seahawks...

Russell Wilson will have a new backup quarterback, and so will Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers have traded quarterback Brett Hundley, who filled in after Rodgers’ injury last season, to the Seahawks, according to ESPN. Seattle is sending an undisclosed 2019 draft pick to Green Bay in the deal.

Hundley did not play particularly well last season as the Packers struggled in Rodgers’ absence, and the Packers traded for former Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer this offseason. So it’s not surprising that Hundley was traded.

The Packers now have two backup quarterbacks on their roster, Kizer and Tim Boyle. Hundley joins Austin Davis and seventh-round rookie Alex McGough behind Wilson on the Seahawks’ depth chart. (PFT)

 

Ben Roethlisberger says his arm feels stronger than ever...

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 36 years old and has mused in the past about whether his career could be almost over. But right now he says he feels like he’s in his prime.

Roethlisberger told ESPN he has lost some body fat, lifted some weights and has a right arm that “feels stronger than it ever has.”

In the past Roethlisberger has sometimes had to be on a pitch count in training camp, and has needed to ice his shoulder after a lot of throwing. This year, Roethlisberger says, he feels great no matter how much he throws.

“I haven’t had to ice it and I haven’t felt any pain,” he said. “That’s always a positive. For me it’s about knowing the days — is it a day off, a full day or a half day.”

After the Steelers drafted quarterback Mason Rudolph, Roethlisberger said Rudolph should be ready to sit a long time before Roethlisberger cedes the starting job. Through this year’s training camp and preseason, Roethlisberger is backing up those words. (PFT)

 

Two seasons left for Ben, Mark my words

 

Before last season you guaranteed that this would be Tom Brady’s last.

 

Eventually he’ll be correct.

 

"Read my lips"

 

It was before last season and a guarantee that TB has only 2 seasons left.

 

Well then, he isn't wrong.....yet

 

true, yet being the operative word.

 

Christian Hackenberg‘s last chance in the NFL may have passed.

The Eagles released Hackenberg this morning, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com reports.

That’s no surprise: When the Eagles signed Hackenberg, the expectation was that he would just be a camp arm and wouldn’t remain on the roster when the season started.

In Thursday night’s preseason finale, Hackenberg turned in an ugly performance, going just 7-for-16 for 69 yards, with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble.

The Jets took Hackenberg in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, but he never got on the field for them. He briefly spent time with the Raiders this offseason but they quickly cut him. He appears unlikely to get another chance in the NFL.

 

Funniest thing was the beat writers talking about how the Hack might make the practice squad because of his Elite arm Talent. I've known of this after a couple of his years in college. it doesn't matter how great you are physically if you are a complete dumbass.

 

Interesting stat that unfolded after yesterday's 53 man roster cut down;

Of the 31 NFL teams not named the Browns, 8 of them (25.8%) have a back up quarterback who was a prior Cleveland Brown.

• Robert Griffin III ~ Ravens
• Cody Kessler ~ Jaguars
• DeShone Kizer ~ Packers
• Colt McCoy ~ Redskins
• Josh McCown ~ Jets
• Brian Hoyer ~ Patriots
• Brandon Weeden ~ Texans
• Brock Osweiller ~ Dolphins

So, as bad as the quarterbacking has been in Cleveland, think of this . . . Over a quarter of all NFL teams are only one snap away from that.

 

Well Griffin, Osweiller and McCown weren’t drafted by the Browns, Griffin only lasted a few games, don’t think Osweiller even took a snap for the team, and McCown has been decent for the Jets since leaving the Browns. So there’s that. Maybe it’s not the the Browns are bad at picking QBs, they’re just bad at developing them. They also made a bad decision with Hoyer who actually had a decent record for the Browns. He went on to the Texans and led them to the playoffs before infamously flaming out and being run out of town. With the revolving door for the coaching staff and front office, not completely surprising. I think they finally got it right this year.

And following up with Griffin, I think if Flacco goes down he would be first off the bench to finish the game. But if Flacco is out for any length of time Jackson would be the one starting, not Griffin. Just my opinion there.

One last thing: completely correct, if these guys start for any length of time their teams are in trouble. Only possible exception would be Kessler in Jacksonville because of Fornette and their defense. Of the teams on the list they are the best equipped to survive the loss of their QB for a couple games.

 

IMHO, RGIII and Lamar Jackson (and, so far, Deshaun Watson) are the same player with different birthdays. All of them have a high football IQ, all of them have a very good arm but none of them have the ability to stand up to the physical rigors of the NFL.

NOTE: I could be wrong on Jackson. Time will tell.

Regarding Brian Hoyer: Of the 29 (soon to be 30) starting QB's that have played for Cleveland since their return, he is the ONLY one with a winning record while with the Browns. And he accomplished that even with the ghastly rosters there that surrounded him. Couple that with the Patriots' roster and Bill Belechick, and the Pats could probably survive a longer term injury to Tom Brady.

Regarding Cody Kessler: He will not only wear down Leonard Fornette, he will also wear down his own defense.

 

To be honest I’m sort of with Gideon on the downfall of the Pats beginning as early as this season, but i also thought they were through a few years ago, just for Brady to go on a tear and win another ring so take that with a grain of salt...but you’re right, Hoyer for the Pats would probably be able to keep the Patriots afloat if Brady misses time. Also he’d probably have the greatest margin of error since their division is still in shambles

 

Paxton Lynch out in Denver...

The best third-string quarterback in the league will have to be a third-string quarterback on another team.

Per multiple reports, the Broncos will be waiving quarterback Paxton Lynch. The move comes a day after the Broncos decided to keep Lynch on the 53-man roster, along with one last dose of maybe-someone-will-trade-for-this-stiff hype.

No one did, which means that the Broncos will remain on the hook for up to $1.9 million in guaranteed base salary over the next two years for the player the Broncos acquired by trading up in the 2016 draft. Unless someone claims his contract on waivers.

If that doesn’t happen, Lynch will become a free agent. And if anyone signs him the Broncos would get credit for the money he makes in a new team.

Maybe someone will. The Cowboys wanted to take him in 2016, settling instead for Dak Prescott in round four. (PFT)

 

Bills announce Nathan Peterman will start Week One...

The Buffalo Bills have their starting quarterback: Nathan Peterman.

Peterman, the second-year player who struggled as a rookie but looked good this year in preseason, was officially announced as the Bills’ starting quarterback this morning.

The Bills drafted Josh Allen and were considering giving him the starting job, but Peterman looked better over the summer and appears more likely to perform well early, when the Bills have a tough September schedule.

Allen is the Bills’ quarterback of the future, but Peterman is the starter on Sunday when the Bills take on the Ravens in Baltimore. (PFT)

 

Eagles confirm Nick Foles will start Thursday night...



Eagles coach Doug Pederson had no interest in talking about his quarterback decision on Sunday, but he was in a more forthcoming mood on Monday.

Pederson announced that Nick Foles will start on Thursday night against the Falcons. A report to that effect over the weekend led to Pederson’s contentious Sunday press conference, but the coach did say Carson Wentz had yet to be cleared for contact so things were pointing in the direction of the Super Bowl LII Most Valuable Player.

Pederson said that starting Foles was in the best interest of the Eagles and the coach said many times this offseason that he was more interested in the next 10 years of Wentz’s career than in the first few games of this season. That’s an easier path to take when your other quarterback piloted the offense to a Super Bowl win and it is one that gradually became the most logical one for the Eagles to take as the preseason unfolded.

After facing the Falcons, the Eagles will have 10 days off before their Week Two date with the Buccaneers and the question of that week’s starting quarterback will surely be revisited in the days after the opener. (PFT)