Palmer was where Philip Rivers is now about 4 years ago. Then he got hurt and declined a bit and then he got hurt again last year and is probably on the way out in a couple of years now. If you look at his career progression you begin to understand how fragile a star's career really is. For every hall of famer there's a Don Majkowski who gets cut down early and never recovers or a Bert Jones who has a series of injuries that take an established star level career and drive it into the ground. I wouldn't take Carson Palmer on right now as the QB if I was an NFL franchise. The position is too important and problems there are too crippling to a franchise when they crop up. BTW, I would have dumped Joe Namath in 1972 also when it became clear that his best days were in the rearview mirror. Not doing so cost the Jets a good 3 years in the rebuilding process and lengthened the period when they were just bad.
Jeaux objects to the 4th tier status you gave Jam Russell. My rankings: 1st: Manning, Brady, Brees, Rivers 2nd: Warner, Cutler, Big Ben, McNabb, Eli, Palmer, Romo 3rd: Hasselbeck, Rodgers, Pennington, Bulger, Ryan, Cassell, Garcia 4th: Flacco, Delhomme, Schaub, Campbell, Garrard, Anderson 5th: Thigpen(although I like him and think he'll get better) Collins, Jam Russell, Edwards, Orton, Jackson, Frerrote,
I like your list. I have only a couple things to say: Derek Anderson is vastly overrated on it. He's JAG and backup material. shoddy footwork and innacuracy hurt him badly when he's having an off game. NOt consistant enough to lead a franchise. Big Ben needs moved up to the body of first tier if not right with Brees. Its time for people to realize that while he may not be the most fluid QB around, he's playing behind one of t he worst pass protection lines in the NFL and still making plays and getting the job done in Pittsburgh. Two rings at the age of 26. Keeping the Steelers in the hunt with Willy Parker down for big ammounts of time this season. Big Ben was thier offense. He's a true play maker in this league.
He's got a chance to come back and be something but at the moment that's just a chance. And he needs to get away from the Bengals fast for that chance to be worth anything. I'd rather be looking at Clemens, Ratliff and Ainge right now as an organization than at Palmer.
