We have our QB of the future on the roster, his name is Brett Ratliff. Don't waste money on this Belichek success story, like so many before him who went on to fail at their new jobs. Does Eric Mangini ring a bell?
Everyone who loves Brett Ratliff is crazy. Didn't everyone go nuts for Russell Thomas, the cartwheeling defensive tackle? Where's he now? Ratliff is the same way. All evidence dictates that he is a back-up in this league. People on this board have the tendency to overrate the unknown and underrate the tangible (probably because their expectations were so high when the player/coach was unknown).
When did Brett Ratliff ever do a cartwheel? I don't know who the answer is, but I don't think it is Cassel. Cassel is going to get severely overpaid and overpaying a former New England success is a very risky gamble, since Belicheat is able to make any of his players look like stars.
We will never be able to sign Cassell or Brady. NE will franchise Cassell just so they can trade him. That will make sure he goes anywhere but the AFC East. Same would be true if they decide to trade Brady instead. Of course the risk there is that every other GM knows they can't afford to be paying two QBs 15 million each every year so they may just wait.
Thomas was a big defensive tackle who was supposedly athletic enough to do cartwheels, and everyone fell in love with him as a 7th round draft pick. He went undrafted and got cut by the Saints I believe after like one day. I was merely comparing the unproven and unfounded potential of Thomas to that of Ratliff, if that was unclear to anyone.
I LOVED what I saw out of Ratliff this preseason. He looked like a ballsy aggressive gunslinger who picked his target and delivered perfect strikes to the target. I felt that Ratliff's preseason was more impressive than the most impressive that we have seen out of Clemens to date. I also felt that with Ratliff getting to play behind Pennington for a while in the beginning of the preseason, and behind Favre this entire season, that there was potential for him to pickup some very strong lessons in being a great QB. Other than one stupid preseason, I have no other reason to think Ratliff will ever pan out to be anything. What I do want however is to see someone actually give him an opportunity to become something. I think if Mangini sticks around, then pencil in Clemens as our starter next year, no matter the circumstances. Bring in someone like Cowher, who is open minded and aggressive and wants to actually win football games, I think Ratliff will get a fair shot to show his stuff and take the reigns.
No Derek Anderson, and no Matt Cassel. Cassel reaks of a system QB who will fail when put into another system. And we have a coaching staff who has no idea how to properly use players, which won't help.
The thing that makes New England so great is that Belichek and his coordinators can take just about any player and find a way to make them successful. We have a coaching staff that has its system set, and if the player is not suited well to fit that system then they will drive that players career into the ground before adjusting to make it work for them.
If you are still going the veteran route. Hasselbeck and McNabb may both be available as well. But damn, eventually you have to find a franchise QB. We are not Joe Gibbs and the Redskins of the eighties.
Ya know, I think that sums up our coaching woes pretty well. I am beginning to suspect that's been the plan all along, as far as installing the system anyway.
You neglected to mention the complete insignificance of the game, as well as his level of competition. He wasn't drafted to be the QB of the future, no talent evaluator in the NFL believes he has that potential, yet some guys on a message board find themselves enamored with a 3rd string QB because of some garbage time throws.
Well aren't you the beacon of hope? It's bad enough having what is, you have to dash the people who have hope for a brighter future. I bet you're the guy who loves telling kids that Santa isn't real.
Hey, I'm all for hope. I was one of the last to turn against Mangini, and I'm like one of 5 people on this board who will root for the Jets to make the playoffs next week (come on, there's a decent chance just one of the Ravens/Pats loses...right?). I just don't think a 3rd string QB is the right reason to have hope, that's all I'm saying. The book isn't out on Clemens yet, and it appears this off-season could have a bunch of interesting QBs available, either via the draft, trade, or free agency. I just don't want to overpay for Cassel (as I said, he screams Derek Anderson) or put any faith in Ratliff.
bwahahahahaha!!! well executed! this Matt Cassel thread is a bigger farce than Sutton's coaching skillset.
