With Warner Signed, Teams Should Go After Leinart

Before you call me crazy, or you tell me that I have no idea what I'm talking about, let me remind you that I've proven I'm crazy for the last three months on this site. Now I present my new outrageous thought that maybe isn't so outrageous after all.

Every team that needs a quarterback should get the Arizona Cardinals on the phone. Now that Kurt Warner has signed on for the next two years, Matt Leinart is useless in Glendale. All he's going to do is hold a clipboard, barring an injury to Warner. That's why Matt Leinart could be available, and why teams without a clear solution at QB should be starting their next call with area code 623.

I'm talking to you, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears.

I know what you're thinking.

Jordan, are you nuts? This has already been established. But Leinart stinks! His career passer rating is 71.7. He's appeared in just nine games over the last two seasons. And when he started 12 games in 2006, he threw more picks than touchdowns (12 INT, 11TD) and completed just under 57% of his passes. Not to mention the fact that his arm strength is suspect, his mobility is in question, and he has never proven over a full season he can get the job done.

I hear you. But here's my thinking. Matt Leinart was a great quarterback in college. A phenomenal quarterback in college. And if given the chance, he could be a serviceable option for a team without a quarterback. He's only had one full season to prove himself in the NFL, and that was his rookie year. How many quarterbacks are actually good their first year? I know, I know. Matt Ryan. But he's the exception not the norm.

Think about it. How could Leinart be worse than Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton, or Drew Henson? According to Yahoo sports, those are the three quarterbacks listend on the Lions depth chart. The answer is, it's highly unlikely Leinart would be worse.

Same thing with the Vikings. You're telling me Leinart couldn't be better than Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson? If you're the Bears, he couldn't compete with Kyle Orton for the starting job? And couldn't he compete with Luke McCown or Brian Griese in Tampa?

Leinart might be the best option in any of these four situations. In fact, if the Broncos are forced to trade Jay Cutler, maybe Leinart would be a good option in Denver.

He's not great. No one is saying he is. But he hasn't had the chance yet to truly prove whether he can be great. Knowing his track record in college, and the fact that he's had the chance to learn under Kurt Warner, conventional wisdom would suggest that he's probably a viable option for an NFL team with a quarterback in need.

Just a thought. Still think it's so crazy?