Which Former Backup is Most Likely to Succeed as an NFL Starting Quarterback?
This upcoming 2007 NFL season is going to debut a trio of longtime backups who are going to try to prove they belong as a starting quarterback. Unfortunately, for all three of these players, none have ever played a complete season nor have they ever won a playoff game. However, all three have the expectations from fans, management and coaches that they can deliver just the opposite.
Damon Huard (Kansas City Chiefs), Matt Shuab (Houston Texans) and Damon Gerrard (Jacksonville Jaguars) each possess a ton of potential and a high probability of succeeding however, for one of these players I predict will have a sustained career as a starter while the others will return to what they do best and that is sitting the pine….
Damon Huard – I believe he is by far the weaker of all three quarterbacks and most likely to lose his starting position by week 9 or 10 of the season. Much of this reasoning lies in the fact that through all of the 2007 training camp Herm Edwards and Carl Petersen did everything they could to give the starting job to Brody Croyle. They let Croyle play a majority of the snaps during practice and games, and tried to do everything they could to put Croyle in the position to take that job throughout. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, Croyle is a completely over rated talent who couldn’t even capitalize on the opportunity even when Damon got a calf injury. Clearly the Chiefs are realizing that the 11-year veteran, Huard, is in his last throws and there is a high likelihood he will be more detrimental to the teams success rather than a key attribute.
Matt Shuab – Shuab has to be the biggest gamble any NFL team made in the off-season. Not only did the Texans sign him to be their starting quarterback for a large amonth of money but also they did it without any historical data to ensure their investment was the right choice. Shuab clearly has a lot of talent and ability but it is completely unproven. While being the back up for the Falcons Shuab’s only experience came in preseason games and non-consequential matchups in the regular season. When he did play his statistics were marginal and not more impressive than any other free agent on the market this past off-season. I believe with the lack of offensive talent along with a tough NFL schedule, Shuab is the most likely of the three to be booed by his own fans and return to a back up role in the next three seasons.
David Gerrard – Unlike Damon and Matt, Gerrard has the most upside, experience and talent of the three former backups. As a result I believe he will be the most likely to have a solid future as an NFL starter. First, Gerrard has the game experience unlike the others. While being Brian Leftwitch’s backup for 5 years, Gerrard had a lot of opportunity to prove his worth. It seems like each year that Leftwitch would get injured, he would step in there and put a solid performance together. Second, Gerrard is a smart player. When he had to step in and start, Gerrard would rarely make any mental mistakes. In fact, Gerrard has the highest Passer Rating than the other 2 quarterbacks. And finally, the stat that proves that Gerrard is most likely to succeed as a starter is the fact the he has won more games as a starter than Huard and Shuab combined.
