Tag: Jake Delhomme (Page 5 of 11)

      Is Holmgren done upgrading the Browns’ quarterback situation?

      March 14, 2010 /

      Far be it for me to question Mike Holmgren’s decision making because the man certainly knows what it takes to build a competitive football team. But what is he thinking in regards to the Browns’ quarterback position?

      Holmgren wanted to upgrade Cleveland’s quarterback situation during the offseason because he wasn’t satisfied with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Given Anderson’s play last season, I’m surprised he wasn’t cut the moment Holmgren put his John Hancock on his contract in Cleveland. As for Quinn, it’s debatable whether or not he should still have the opportunity to compete for the Browns’ starting job. I wouldn’t criticize Holmgren if he kept Quinn and I wouldn’t criticize him if he traded him for a box of shot glasses and a bottle of Jameson.

      But is Holmgren really set to enter the 2010 season with Jake Delhomme (whom was recently signed to a two-year deal) and Seneca Wallace (whom was recently acquired in trade with Seattle) at quarterback? Delhomme wanted to be a starter and wouldn’t have signed with Cleveland if he weren’t promised that he’d get at least get the opportunity to compete in training camp. So the question is: What did Holmgren see in Delhomme last year to make him think that the former Panther could still be a starter in this league?

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      NFL

      Panthers’ decision to extend Delhomme last year will cost them

      March 5, 2010 /

      Last April, the Carolina Panthers decided to be loyal to the quarterback that brought them their lone Super Bowl appearance by signing Jake Dehomme to a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension.

      The move was a bit strange seeing as how Delhomme was coming off a horrid performance in a home playoff loss against the Cardinals in which he threw six interceptions. Usually a team locks a player up that is on the rise, not the decline, and Delhomme was definitely on the decline.

      Things didn’t get any better for Delhomme in 2009. He played in just 11 games, throwing eight touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He struggled reading defenses, displayed poor decision making and routinely forced passes into covered receivers. Eventually, Matt Moore took over under center and played well, raising speculation that Delhomme would have to compete for his job in 2010.

      Now he won’t even have the opportunity to do that.

      The Panthers released Delhomme on Thursday, ending his seven-year tenure in Carolina. The team is obviously committed to Moore and wanted to create a clear path to the starting job for the youngster next season.

      Thanks to their horrendous decision to sign him to an extension, the Panthers still owe Delhomme $12.5 million in guaranteed money. With this being an uncapped offseason, $12.5 million could have gone a long way for a team that will needs a solid No. 2 receiver opposite Steve Smith and a pass rusher to replace Julius Peppers for when he signs elsewhere this month.

      Why the Panthers signed Delhomme for that much money is anyone’s guess. One would have thought that John Fox and his coaching staff would have seen that Delhomme’s skills were deteriorating and convinced the front office not to offer him such a lucrative extension. The Panthers’ inability to see what others saw will cost them financially this offseason.


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      NFL

      Steve Smith 1.0 should have a nice 2010

      January 21, 2010 /

      All in all, it was kind of a disappointing year for Steve Smith. In PPR leagues, he finished WR19, and considering he was typically being taken WR5 to WR10 in fantasy drafts, owners didn’t really get what they expected out of him.

      But from a QB standpoint, he just couldn’t get any consistency out of Jake Delhomme, who threw just eight TD (versus 18 interceptions) in 11 games, and generally couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. During that span, Smith averaged 4.2 catches for 55 yards and 0.4 TD per game. This was a far cry from his four-year average of 5.9 catches for 87 yards and 0.6 TD per game from 2005 to 2008.

      Is Smith slowing down? While he is on the wrong side of 30 — he’ll turn 31 this May — his yards per catch in 2009 (15.1) was his third-highest in the last five years, and looked every bit as quick as he did three years ago. His 130 targets weren’t far off his four-year average (141.5), so he’s still a huge part of the Carolina offense even though the Panthers are more of a running team. Those 130 targets were the 14th-most amongst wide receivers, so barring something unforeseen, Smith should have plenty of opportunities to make plays in 2010.

      But what about Matt Moore? Even though he started the final five games of the season, he’s still going to be a question mark for fantasy owners heading into drafts this summer. He averaged 198 yards, 1.6 TD and just 0.2 INT per game over that five-game span. From 2005 to 2008, Delhomme averaged 211 yards, 1.3 TD and 0.8 INT per game, so Moore’s 2009 numbers already compare favorably in terms of Smith getting good play at QB. (If you’re wondering about his competition, the first four games were against defenses ranked in the top 20 in pass yards allowed and he threw seven of his eight TD in those games.)

      To gain a better understanding of Moore’s prospects, I asked our NFL guru, Anthony Stalter to chime in. Here’s what he had to say:

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      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Has Fox saved his job or is Cowher destined for Carolina?

      December 28, 2009 /

      The Carolina Panthers have been the model for inconsistency under head coach John Fox for the better part of a decade. One year they’re up, the next they’re down.

      But much like previous down years, the Panthers are finishing strong in 2009. They’ve won three of their last four games and have the opportunity to finish .500, which is quite an accomplishment for a team that had Jake Delhomme under center for most of their year.

      Their strong finish begs the question: Has Fox saved his job?

      Rumors are circulating that Bill Cowher wants to return to the sidelines in 2010 and Carolina might be a fit because his daughter attends N.C. State. If Cowher is interested, will the Panthers jump at the opportunity to bring him on board or will they stay loyal to Fox, a man that led the team to their only Super Bowl appearance?

      Much like in previous down years, the Panthers struggled with injuries and inconsistency this season. Delhomme was a train wreck and should no longer be viewed as a starter, especially given that Matt Moore is gaining confidence with each passing week. The defense has gelled nicely under new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks and the running game is sound with the two-headed monster of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The team could use a No. 2 receiver opposite Steve Smith but other than that, they don’t have a ton of holes.

      With that in mind, is Fox the right person to get the Panthers back to the playoffs or should the front office go in another direction? Personally, if Cowher is interested I don’t know how the Panthers don’t entertain the thought of hiring him. But if he turns them down or isn’t interested, then Fox should be retained.


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      NFL

      Stafford, Delhomme’s seasons over

      December 24, 2009 /

      The Lions will place quarterback Matthew Stafford on injured reserve, effectively ending his rookie season. In similar news, the Panthers will place Jake Delhomme on injured reserve, ending his season.

      Stafford showed promise in his rookie year and demonstrated toughness as a rookie. He’ll finish his first year with 13 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, which are common numbers for rookie quarterbacks. If Detroit could ever build him on offensive line, then he could do some damage as a pro quarterback.

      As for Delhomme, one has to think that Carolina would cut ties with him in the offseason. The problem is that he’s set to make $13 million in guaranteed money, so he’ll probably be back to challenge Matt Moore (who has made strides in the past couple weeks) for the starting job next season.

      Delhomme turned the ball over 27 times in 12 games this season, making the Panthers look incredibly foolish for extending his contract in the offseason.


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      NFL

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