if schaub plays bad in 3 games in a row, and we're out of it in the 4th again i see no harm in putting in sage.

the time to trade sage has passed though...for now.

what would it take to get brady quinn here? :D

I agree.

I'm a lot closer to the Sage bandwagon than I was 3 days ago. But, I'd still like to wait and see how Schaub does over several weeks and not rush to any conclusions after 2 bad performances against two of the best defenses in the league.

I still think Sage is terribly overrated and that many fans are setting themselves up for a disappointment painting him as this team's savior. I think he can come in and suffice against the Oaklands of the league like he did last season, but I don't think there's any chance he does better against the Pittsburghs of the league than did Matt.

I think it's becoming obvious that Matt is not the long term solution, so I think something definitely needs to be done there. But, right now, I'd still trade Sage if I could get a good draft pick or a starting player for him.

Right now I couldn't care less who it is, I just want a QB who can read a defense and get the ball to the WRs in a timely manner.

A lot since Anderson one crappy quarter away from returning to back-up status. Crennel said that Quinn would be getting more reps with the first team this week....in other words he will be starting sooner rather than later.

This got me thinking about what would possibly have happened if we never pulled the trade for Schaub. First off, I think it is very possible that Quinn would have been the first round pick that year instead of Okoye. In looking at the 2nd round picks, Tony Ugoh was picked right after our pick. With a new rookie QB and a constant need for a LT, he stood a pretty good chance of being the pick.

Moving to 2008, with Ugoh at LT, we wouldn't have drafted Brown. I'm guessing CB or RB would have been most likely. I'll pencil in either Mike Jenkins or Mendenhall. Finally, with the 2nd rounder, I think we probably would have went DE since two were taken right around our pick (Calais Campbell or Quentin Groves).

Let's total it up. While I know it's hindsight, which would you rather have -

Schaub
Okoye
Brown

Quinn
Ugoh
Jenkins/Mendenhall
Campbell/Groves

I was never high on Quinn, I may end up being wrong, but I don't think he is going to be a stud.

If we're playing the "if" game you probably have to include Slaton in the mix (Baltimore trade). When it comes down to Ugoh he may not be the best for the ZBS system that they're trying to run now. But who knows.

At this point though, I would rather have Schaub than Quinn. Quinn would have been playing to this point, good or bad, being a 1st round pick. Furthermore, it would also not surprise me to see him behind center quivering like a dog trying to pass a peach pick.....a la Carr. Schaub's doing a petty good job of quivering but at least through his time in Atlanta and now in Houston he has shown periods to the contrary....so there is hope for a change of posture. Known vs. Unknown.

You can play the what if game all day, but right now you have to play with what brung ya!

There may be no one more firmly entrenched in Schaub's camp right now than me.

http://www.inthebullseye.com/archive/2008/20080925.html

nice report keith, but i think the biggest difference between schaub and cutler is that schaub learned the system (or at least a pretty similar one) in atlanta for 3 years and in college before that. he should be ruining the 3 year learning curve a little early...like sometime this year. even last year he showed flashes of a dominant qb but i'm really doubting after the carr debacle schaub would get his 8 mil extension for a season that so far has shown schaub flashing nothing but david carr-esque play.

While Schaub clearly hasn't been great running the offense, I agree that this is something that can be learned and he may still need more time to do this. Let's remember that he has only started about 1 full season of games. Unfortunately, this is not my biggest concern with him. I'm really starting to worry about his toughness, both mentally and physically. He just doesn't carry himself the way you would like to see your QB carry himself. Every sack seems to leave him dazed and affects his play.

....You mean he seems to be gunshy?

Cutler = Strong arm, mobile, tough.

Shaub = Weak arm, not mobile, fragile.

The thing that Shaub had going for him last year (before he was injured) was pocket presence. I have not seen that at all this year.

I agree. Schuab has extensive experience in the system, which was supposed to be one of the pluses of bringing him in. In addition to that, Cutler is one of the best QB in the league outside of the pocket - which is an essential function of this offense. Schaub, on the other hand, is relativel immobile and struggles outside of the pocket.

I think Schaub can suffice in this offense with a few tweaks here and there, but if he doesn't figure it out this season I don't think he ever will. That's not to say I'm against giving him another chance next season, but if he struggles the rest of this season I want to draft/sign someone to be waiting in the wings for the inevitable.

well, i agree schaub is a bit flat-footed trying to escape from d-lineman in and around the pocket but whenever he runs out for a bootleg he's always had just enough speed to pull it off. hell, some of the best throws i've seen him make were even an option because of his feet but he's no cutler in this system, certainly.

another thing about cutler is he's had diabetes without treatment, and diabetes with treatment. i'm just saying...it probably affected his play a little bit in the past.
agreed and agreed again.