MERGED: Shouldn't we take a look at Cleo Lemon?

[LemonPepper]

Cleo is a third string for a reason. Joey is 1st string for what reaosn: If Saban thiinks Joey is 1st string material, then I can see how he would not give Cleo a shot. I'lm sure Cleo does not play like Harrington, who may be the gold standard.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

you see the thing is, with all the mistakes Joey makes, he does do some good things. Our offense does move the ball with him. I don't really understand the point in putting in backups just because we are out of the race. Say Cleo plays the last couple games and does decent, then what? Do we give him a shot in camp next summer? I don't think so. I think you need to realize he's 3rd string for a reason. Coaches see things everyday that none of us get to see.

 

[FinFan_Est.1984]

We still ahve a play-off chance. The season isn't over.

Agreed!! If we become mathematically eliminated, then I say give Cleo a shot.

 

[LemonPepper]

Are you suggesting that all coaches are 100% accurate in their evaluation based on practice only? Some players are better real-time players; while some are better practice players. It would be hard for Lemon to be given a fair chance when you have two 1st round picks. It only happens with coaches who are experienced and have built a reputation; i.e. Billichick and Parcells. Rookies coaches like Saban just don't have enough experience to draw on. They simply must depend on the draft gurus to tell them who is good and who is not.

 

[Desides]

Cleo is a third string for a reason. Joey is 1st string for what reaosn: If Saban thiinks Joey is 1st string material, then I can see how he would not give Cleo a shot. I'lm sure Cleo does not play like Harrington, who may be the gold standard.

Cleo is third string because he's a project, one that by all indications is coming along very well. Don't forget that Lemon looked impressive enough on tape that he was considered worth trading for without evaluating anything else, and Schottenheimer was PISSED when he found out the trade had gone through.

As for Harrington being first string material... he's not. He's a second string player filling in for an injured first string player.

 

[Aussiefinfan54]

No ****en Way!!!!

 

[Syra39]

What makes anybody think any quarterback is going to play good behind our offensive line?

 

[BLITZKRIEG]

Lemon is merely a project at this stage. I don't think we'll be seeing him start anytime soon either.....

PHINZ RULE!!!!

 

[DolFan Dan]

You don't stop playing your best players AT LEAST until you are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. If they were going to give up when the chances were slim, they should have put Lemon in when we were 1-6. And no, I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I did not think so four weeks ago either and no realist did. I did however hope we could pull it off and I still hope a miracle occurs and we get in.

Exactly. It is EXTREMELY unlikely that we make the playoffs. But imagine if by some miracle everything that we needed the other teams to do actually happened, but now we miss the playoffs because we've been starting Cleo. These same fans would be calling for Saban's head.

 

[ckparrothead]

This is a startling trend. I agree with Trekbiz. If Daunte is capable of playing, he should be inserted ASAP because it would give him an opportunity to have some success that could build confidence for next year...confidence in himself, confidence from his teammates, confidence from his coaches, and confidence from the fans (which have mostly abandoned him after 4 games).

On the flip side, if he looks more explosive in practice, our OL performs well, and he still sucks, then that tells us a lot of what we need to know as far as whether we need to be looking at the QB position next year.

I may not like Troy Smith off the field, but on the field he is a fantastic QB prospect and should be considered by most first round teams that need a QB. He is like the second coming of Drew Brees, with a slightly stronger arm and way faster feet.

I think we'd all love to see what Cleo Lemon has to offer, but most of us seem to acknowledge that you can't just throw him out there to throw him out there. He has to wait for a legitimate chance just like everyone else.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

This is a startling trend. I agree with Trekbiz. If Daunte is capable of playing, he should be inserted ASAP because it would give him an opportunity to have some success that could build confidence for next year...confidence in himself, confidence from his teammates, confidence from his coaches, and confidence from the fans (which have mostly abandoned him after 4 games).

On the flip side, if he looks more explosive in practice, our OL performs well, and he still sucks, then that tells us a lot of what we need to know as far as whether we need to be looking at the QB position next year.

I may not like Troy Smith off the field, but on the field he is a fantastic QB prospect and should be considered by most first round teams that need a QB. He is like the second coming of Drew Brees, with a slightly stronger arm and way faster feet.

I think we'd all love to see what Cleo Lemon has to offer, but most of us seem to acknowledge that you can't just throw him out there to throw him out there. He has to wait for a legitimate chance just like everyone else.

I just don't think we draft a QB this year. IMO Culpepper and Harrington will have every oppurtunity to prove to themsleves, their teammates, and the critics they can get the job done in the summer. And if they can't, I think we look for a QB in the 2008 draft.

 

[darrensls1]

I just don't think we draft a QB this year. IMO Culpepper and Harrington will have every oppurtunity to prove to themsleves, their teammates, and the critics they can get the job done in the summer. And if they can't, I think we look for a QB in the 2008 draft.

I agree, it's too soon to pull the plug. I say we work on the O-line in the draft or FA and then see what Culpepper and Harrington are all about with a little protection. If one or both bomb out again next season then I think we really have to look for a good promising QB in the first round of the 2008 draft.

And forget starting Lemon. I say we stick with Harrington for the rest of this season and then give Daunte one more shot next year.

 

[Ekinger]

Cleo is third string because he's a project, one that by all indications is coming along very well. Don't forget that Lemon looked impressive enough on tape that he was considered worth trading for without evaluating anything else, and Schottenheimer was PISSED when he found out the trade had gone through.

As for Harrington being first string material... he's not. He's a second string player filling in for an injured first string player.

Harrington flat out isn't as good as MOST second stringers. I'd be absolutely shocked if Cleo did worse than Harrington. Stop equating the win streak with anything Joey or even the offense did. The only team our offense was good against was arguably the worst team in the league and certainly the worst franchise in all NFL history.

Joey has been as poor a critical situation player as we've ever seen on this team or in the league in general. The fact that our defense can be so strong and he still has more int's than td's is a huge, glaring factor in and of itself.

The bottom line is, unless you are Rex Grossman, it's hard to play as poorly as Joey has most of the season, especially on a team that is so dynamic on Defense.

When called upon to put us in position to win games, Joey Harrington has failed miserably. I for one, would love to see Cleo and I don't care if it's the Bills, Pats, Jets or Indy. There is no reason to think Cleo would be any worse, in fact there is a lot of reason to think he'd be better. Having 95 yards passing and scoring 2 tds on 7 of 12 passing is far, far, far better than a td and 2 ints on 25 for 40 passing with 240 yards. David Garrard is clear proof of that and it was Garrards elusiveness in the pocket that gave them the significant offensive edge over us. Elusiveness that Cleo has and Joey doesn't!

 

[ckparrothead]

I just don't think we draft a QB this year. IMO Culpepper and Harrington will have every oppurtunity to prove to themsleves, their teammates, and the critics they can get the job done in the summer. And if they can't, I think we look for a QB in the 2008 draft.

I see reasons why Culpepper deserves that opportunity, given the success he has established in this league for a long time couple with his knee recovery, but I see no reason to continue giving Harrington opportunities that he has had and blown time and time again.

And again, this is why I say you need to put Daunte back in the game at some point this year. You need to know.

The reason I brought up the issue of drafting a QB is because we may have a rare opportunity. This draft holds two, potentially up to four quarterbacks that could grade out somewhere between mid-first round and second round levels.

I keep hearing that Jamarcus Russell is surpassing Brian Brohm on draft boards...and the chatter is too consistent to ignore. Brohm himself may stay or may come out, and if he does come out what I am hearing is that he's no guaranteed top 10 guy because scouts think he's not ready yet (for whatever reason). I also know that Troy Smith will have a tough time cracking the top 10 or 15 because of height and off-field character questions...yet on the field he's a phenomenal QUARTERBACK (not a runner). Also, we don't know where Drew Stanton is going to end up when all is said and done...and the draft does always seem to give you one guy that becomes a fast riser. This year it could be anyone from Kevin Kolb to Lester Ricard to John Beck.

The only certainty at this point is that Brady Quinn will go top 5, if not #1 overall.

You have to look at both sides of these things, the best talents available as well as your team needs. In an NFL where it is considered acceptable to have a young QB sit your bench for two full seasons, that gives Culpepper a lot of time to get out there and do his damage before the team is faced with a "one stays, one goes" dilemma.

And let me tell you, the Chargers' dilemma with Drew Brees and Phil Rivers, that's one dilemma I'd love to be dealing with.

 

[LemonPepper]

After this week, if we are out of the playoff picture, I guess Saban may give Cleo a chance. He seems to like Harrington. But I don't see a 1st round draft pick needing 5 years of turtoring. I thought the idea of drafting a QB in the 1st round was that he would be most NfL ready; after all why is he making the BIG bucks? Regardless to what team you play for there should be some qualities that the player possess that makes you say he is good, OK, or terrible. Joey, after 5 years, still is playing terrible overall. Maybe another 5 years of teaching and paying him big bucks, he will be able to consistenly play like an NFL starter. I know a lot of QBs like Akili Smith, etc. wish they had gotten that opportunilty.