Matt Moore/QB's/Field Position/etc.

Read a blurb yesterday that the CBA/Lockout will help him catch up, in that no other players can formally practice at this point either. I agree with it. Don't know if it means he's quality enough to be our starter again, but I agree that it gives him extra time to rehab on his own.

I guess I'm one of the few that still feel he can be very solid as a starter. Forget what he was able to do, on short notice, in 2007 and 2009, winning quality games by playing quality football.

He's a savvy guy, moves well in the pocket, has good size and knows how to get the ball downfield with accuracy. Also, can throw well on the move.

He crapped himself last year, but I truly believe the concussion he took after halftime in the season opener killed his entire year. Moore had to go through an entire camp and 4 preseason games without Smith. Tough situation.

I don't think Moore is "lost", or is a "deer in the headlights". I think he's pretty fearless, actually, considering he's gone up against Hasslebeck, Favre, E. Manning, Freeman--and has outplayed each QB in those four wins--with very little lead time.

I also don't buy into "well, maybe he's like a relief pitcher". Bullshit. He may not be a starter, but the baseball analogies are dogshit. He is what he is--decent, perhaps even decent enough to manage the current offense to 8 wins.

Couple it with Fox's lame duck season, injuries at RT and RB, and Davidson's unbelievable ineptitude, Moore did well to fucking win any games (SFO).

He was the only QB in 2010 that showed any ability to make big plays, move the ball downfield and lead his team.

Beginning to hope that he comes back, rehabbed, with new coaching and a fresh mindset, knowing that Clausen is no longer the imminent threat to replace him that he was a year ago.

The entire key is going to be running the ball effectively (2008/2009), playing better on ST, and creating turnovers on defense. Want to know why the 2005 Panthers were so efficient in the passing game: it wasn't a magical awakening by Delhomme. Go back and look up our defensive stats that year, particularly takeaways, and where they occured. Also, compare starting field position then to, say, 2010, and see the gap.

Point is: only 2-3 QB's could have played a full season with Carolina last year, and won more than 7 games.

To quote John Fox: "It's not just one guy"

 

I was never high on Moore, but I'm perfectly fine with bringing him back and giving him first crack at the starting job because I don't think we would be any better off by taking Newton or Gabbert.

 

I'm less high on Moore than I was at the end of 2009. Those wins were legitimate, particularly NY on the road, and Minnesota (with a lot to play for) on SNF.

To your point (forget the rookies), are any vets to be available, post-lockout, going to offer you a substantial upgrade to a healthy Moore? And at what cost? Is Orton (tradeable, not an FA) really that much better than MM? Or did he have one exceptional 3/4 of a season in a pass-happy offense? I was never fond of Orton in Chicago. Bulger/Hasselbeck? Bulger fits this offense like a glove, so there's one guy I would consider. Still fear that Hasselbeck is fine china, particularly for his asking price, and I see him as a perpetual WCO QB.

 

I've been touting this for a while. Just don't see putting the #1 overall into what's there at QB, or anything really, but failing a trade down at least use it on a player who will be able to help us on the field quickly.

We may be able to get more QB help this year and if so, fine, get it and put Clausen at #3, let Moore and whoever fight it out. At least we'll likely end up with a capable #2 to turn to if needed. Added benefit is Clausen gets a chance to develop without the clusterfuck we pushed his green ass into last year, and us a chance to evaluate him.

Maybe Moore or another vet shows enough that we can draft a QB to groom for a year, with Clausen maybe developed enough to be a valid #2 by his 3rd year.

 

I would prefer to see us pick up a proven veteran who can step in and play at a competent level right away. It goes back to my feelings that this team is really not that bad and a decent QB could make them a wild card team quickly. The defense is still good for the most part and the running game still has the pieces to be very good. A solid game manager type QB could ride that a long way.

Barring that though I would not be heart broken to see Moore come back as our starter next year. I think that is better than sinking the #1 pick into any QB currently available.

 

I got interested in Shaun Hill when I saw him on someone's free agent list, but he's actually not a free agent, so there goes that. Caleb Hanie showed enough in the playoffs for me to be interested, but that's obviously an absurdly small sample and he's RFA. If the new CBA makes Kellen Clemens UFA, then I'd be interested in him. Trent Edwards and Tarvaris Jackson would also be worth a look, but they don't excite me by any stretch of the imagination. Meanwhile I want no part of Gradkowski, Quinn, Boller, or Stanton. I've also let go of my love affair with Troy Smith.

 

Just mentioned him in the other thread. I, too, would have interest here. Childress shit the bed on this guy. The Favre experiment was neat and all, but Jackson led the 08 Vikings to the Playoffs, had a very solid TD/INT Ratio, and also possessed the athleticism to extend plays and create things out of the pocket.

 

I'd be fine with bringing Moore back actually. End of '09 he played really nicely for us. In his limited time last year his accuracy and decision making were significantly worse. Hard to say why that was happening, but my guess was the combination of Oline, WR's and play calling. I'm not sure if I buy into the fact that defenses were able to "figure him out" after his early success. He had good pocket presence even when he was playing poorly so it doesn't seem like he was rattled by pressure. He simply didn't play well.

 

I think the concussion in week one fucked him up all year. I also think the entire offense was fucked from the start. Richardson + Fox + 2010 = a very predictable fucking mess, pre-2010. Props to Meeks (and Fox) for--amazingly--finishing near the top of the league in least yds allowed per play, considering the situation.

 

I would not have a problem with us trying to sign Jackson. He showed some promise. I would not pay him like he is elite but a short term deal for reasonable money with the understanding that he will get paid if he becomes a star seems reasonable. I actually prefer that to drafting a QB.