Finding the Right Quarterback for Cards is like Running the Boston Marathon
By Scott Allen
That’s right folks! When it comes to finding a starting quarterback for your Arizona Cardinals, it may end up being more of a marathon rather than a sprint. The Boston Marathon is 26.2 miles. It may be another 26 weeks before we know who is the starting quarterback for the Cards. It looks like the Cards may skip choosing a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft and who knows when the lockout will end and free-agency will begin?
All signs point to passing on highly touted quarterback Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri with the number five pick and going after linebacker Von Miller from Texas A&M. So, that leaves the Cards looking towards free agency, whenever that may happen. There are several candidates to fill the void behind center for the Cards.
The best bet is Marc Bulger, a Kurt Warner protege. Bulger spent 2010 backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore after spending his career in St. Louis prior to that. I definitely think there are better options than Bulger at this point, but it could mean the Cards giving up a lot to trade for someone like the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Kevin Kolb or finding a free agent that is a good fit for the Cards system.
Other names that have floated around include the Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck and the Redskins Donovan McNabb (who is still under contract in Washington). Hasselbeck is on record saying he wants to return to Seattle. McNabb himself has said he is not a candidate for the Cards job. Recent rumors have him headed to Minnesota.
So, there is still a lot to be worked out. I would not be surprised in the least if we don’t know who the starting quarterback for the Cards will be until training camp or even later. The Cards may have a great plan we all don’t know about and that is the great hope right now. Although my fear is the Cards still haven’t decided which direction they want to go in and that is probably pretty realistic at this point. As the great Homer Simpson says over and over DOH!