Brett Favre (again) announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, leaving the NY Jets without a starting quarterback just six months after signing the future Hall of Famer. In 2008 Favre had flashes of brilliance – like his six touchdown performance against the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals – and was a model of inconsistency when he led the Jets to a 1-4 record to finish the season (five games in which he threw nine interceptions and just two touchdowns). While Favre’s departure from New York comes with good and bad sentiments, the most pressing issue for the Jets is to find a viable starting quarterback who can lead NY to the playoffs in 2009. Here is a list of some of Favre’s possible replacements in 2009.
In-House
Kellen Clemens
Clemens would have been a sure-thing first round pick coming out of college if he hadn’t broken his ankle in his senior year at Oregon in 2006. At the time of the injury, Clemens had passed for 2406 yards while throwing 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions. His injury had him slip into the second round of the draft, where the Jets picked him with the 49th overall selection. The Jets went just 2-5 in the seven games that Clemens started in 2007 in place of the ineffective Chad Pennington. The Jets are a very different team now than they were in 2007, however, and Clemens would have the benefit of a vastly improved offensive line and a stout defense led by new head coach Rex Ryan. Many people are down on Clemens after his poor showing in 2007, but he is a proven winner.
For more, check out this NY Times article by Greg Bishop.
Brett Ratliff
The three-year pro played in a spread offense at the University of Utah and showed some flashes of brilliance during the preseason in 2008. While Clemens and Chad Pennington were tangled in a QB battle, Ratcliff subplanted 2007 draft pick Erik Ainge as the team’s third-string quarterback and even had some people convinced that he should start over Clemens. It is still way too early to know just how good Ratliff can be, but I expect Rex Ryan to pay close attention to him in camp.
Judy Battista wrote a great article on Ratliff in the NY Times in August of 2008.
Via Free-Agency/Draft
Mark Sanchez, USC
Sanchez is going against the advice of head coach Pete Carroll and splitting with USC after his junior season. Former USC QBs Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and John David Booty all returned to So-Cal for their senior seasons and are all in the NFL. Sanchez has displayed incredible accuracy during his career at USC, completing 65.8% of his passes last season. He finished with 3207 yards passing with 34 touchdowns and just ten interceptions. Sanchez is also a mobile quarterback who can break defenses down with his speed. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Sanchez going as the third overall pick to Kansas City in his most recent NFL Mock Draft, but scouts are generally unsure of his pro-potential. If Sanchez is still available when the Jets are on the clock with the 17th pick, it would be difficult for them to pass.
Josh Freeman, Kansas State
After just two seasons as the starter in college, and a year after breaking five passing records at Kansas State, Josh Freeman is making the leap to the NFL draft. Freeman is a physical specimen at six-foot, six inches tall, and has a strong, accurate arm, which makes him an incredibly appealing pro prospect. Freeman will likely climb the draft latter as April’s draft approaches, and with Sanchez likely off the board at #17, the Jets may be in the perfect position to draft Freeman, who is physically comparable to the 2006 top overall pick JaMarcus Russell. Freeman could be the sleeper of the 2009 NFL draft, and the Jets would be wise to snatch him
These next few names might scare some fans away, but they may win up being the best options for the Jets.
JP Losman
Losman was the 22nd overall pick of the 2004 draft out of Tulane, and has had one full season as a starter for the Buffalo Bills, in 2006 when he threw for 3051 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. For his career Losman has completed almost 60% of his passes and has a mediocre QB rating of 75.6. The strong-armed Losman has had an up and down career in Buffalo and was recently supplanted as the team’s starting QB by Trent Edwards. The six-foot two inch tall Losman is just 27 years old and a career resurgence is a definite possibility for the former first round pick.
Rex Grossman
After an up and down career in Chicago, when Grossman was habitually benched for poor play – yet started in a Super Bowl – the former Florida Gators star and first round pick is an unrestricted free agent. His “gunslinger” attitude and inconsistency is reminiscent of a younger, far less impressive Brett Favre, so Grossman to the Jets seems unlikely. In 2006, for example, Grossman excelled at throwing passes for 20+ yards, but was pitiful in completing shorter passes, an indication of his less-than-average accuracy. With a defensive minded coach like Rex Ryan now in New York, it is unlikely that the Jets will start a QB who is prone to throwing interceptions. Grossman could resurrect his career somewhere, but it probably won’t be in New York.
Chris Simms
The son of legendary NY Giants QB Phil Simms had a bright beginning to his career after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs in just his second season. He played in 11 games that season and completed 61% of his passes with 2035 yards and ten touchdowns. Unfortunately, in week three of the 2006 season Simms suffered a season-ending injury to his spleen that has derailed his young career. He was signed to back-up Tennessee Titans QB Kerry Collins after Vince Young got injured in week one of the 2008 season. As an unrestricted free agent, Simms is on the open market, and the Jets would be wise to take a close look at the former Texas star.
Other Possible Free-Agents: Jeff Garcia, Kurt Warner, Kerry Collins, Kyle Boller, Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich
Via Trade
Matt Cassel, New England Patriots
Cassel received the franchise tag from the Patriots after an impressive 2008 season filling in for superstar Tom Brady. A career backup in both college (at USC) and in the pros, Cassel excelled in his first season as a starter, throwing for 3693 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. With the relative uncertainty of Brady’s right knee the Patriots were wise to hold on to Cassel. If Brady is 100%, you can be sure that New England will look to trade Cassel and the $14.65 million that he is owed in 2009. While a trade to the hated Jets is unlikely, I think that any New York fan would love to have the 26 year-old Cassel.
Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson
The Browns’ new head coach Eric Mangini ’93 faces a similar QB dilemma that he encountered last season in New York. Derek Anderson made the pro bowl in 2007 after throwing for 3787 yards and 29 touchdowns. He signed a lucrative three-year deal to remain with the Browns after the season, despite the presence of former first round pick and Notre Dame star Brady Quinn.* Anderson got injured early in 2008 and Quinn stepped in; a QB controversy resulted. The quarterbacks both have the ability to start, and both are making a lot of money – a trade seems possible.
* At the 2007 NFL Draft, Browns fans salivated at the thought of drafting the Ohio-native – an image of Brady Quinn wearing a Bernie Kosar jersey as a kid was shown on the big screen.
There are probably dozens of other possibilities for the Jets, and it’s possible that none of the names that I listed will start in week one. Let me know what you think (dlatzman@wesleyan.edu).