Thread: Fitzpatrick, Campbell, Cassell

Originally Posted by MPBears68

IMHO the only "vet backup QBs" worth much consideration this year were Moore (retained for $4/yr), Daniels (FA signee for $3/yr), and MAYBE Cassel (if cheap only, and that's a stretch). Fitz blows. Everyone else is trash. Unsurprisingly, JCam hasn't attracted any interest I know of even from QB hungry teams like Arizona & Buffalo. No surprise there. Wherever he ends up going, Bears or elsewhere, a substantial pay cut is in order. When you aren't young anymore and you play like ass the prior season, you take a pay cut or take a hike. That's the way it goes.

We all know that Blanchard will be the #3 unless (unlikely both ways) he lights it up in PS or is supplanted by a draft pick. He may spend another year on the practice squad too since there seems little danger that another team would sign him away to their regular roster. So who's #2. I'll take Campbell back for $2 mill tops. O/w McCown/Blanchard for < $1 million.

No it isn't a surprise and the reason it isn't is because Campbell is no longer thought of as a front line starter or a QB of the future for those teams. If they're gonna build around a QB it's gonna be someone younger and with an upside no one seems to see Campbell as having.

But none of that makes him worthless or not as an NFL caliber QB as Ric insists. Not of starting caliber? Yeah I'd agree with that assessment but isn't that the reason why nobody is pursuing him as one including us? Jeezus that sure seems obvious enough to me. But to say he isn't NFL caliber as an experienced backup is just plain ridiculous. His career stats say otherwise and my guess is that's what Emery and Trestman are looking at not just his performance last year in that fucked up offense of Tice's.

All I've been doing all along is interpreting what Emery and Trestman are feeling about the guy because what I feel or any of the rest of you do means squat. Trestman has worked with him before and Emery is familiar with him from his time in the AFC West so if they're comfortable with him and the price is right there's a good chance he'll be back. That's the way I see it based on what they're doing not on what I believe they should do and that's what my comments have been based on. Everybody else seems bent on saying what they think should be done and not what most likely will be done and that's where we disagree.

He made $3.5 mil last year and I'd say it's pretty obvious they don't want to pay him that this year so just as they're doing with a few others they're letting the market set his value. Based on what Moore and Daniels just got it would be foolish to rush it and let those deals set the rest of the market which is sure as hell what his agent wants and the agents of every other QB looking for a job. No, you wait just like we did with Forte and let the market come around to closer to what you're willing to pay whatever that is and if he gets an offer for more then you have to let him go and go with plan B and that's where I believe they're at right now.

They're keeping a lot options open and re-signing Campbell is just one of them.

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

I don't know. my feeling is that with Campbell we can get mediocre for less.

Not to be a dickhead houston but feeling don't matter in this case facts do. If they can find better for less they will but until I see that guy pop up on their radar screen or Cambell takes another offer to play somewhere else my guess is he's still on the Bears list as a possibility. So far nothing is saying otherwise.

He's a far better QB than he showed last year and you can count on the fact that whoever they finally decide on to backup Cutler won't be anywhere near as unprepared to run that offense as Campbell was last year. It wasn't just the line blocking or anything else it was a total lack of preparation far more than it was a lack of talent and it was pretty obvious just based on how hesitant Campbell was to even throw down field much. He had little or no connection with his receivers.

Campbell can play well enough to win games but just like Cutler he needs to understand what he and the rest of the offense are doing out there and I don't think he got that. Cutler struggled with it at times and he got most all of the practice reps and when he got hurt Tice scrambled to reassemble something for Campbell and it didn't fit so we got our asses whipped.

Whether it's Campbell or someone else I'm certain that Emery wants some assurances that won't ever happen again because I do believe we wasted money on Campbell last year based on what we got for the money. But I also don't believe that was all his fault and that he can't and won't do better under a guy who knows how to coach QBs and design an offense they can operate efficiently. Mike Tice was a bonehead rookie OC working with QBs who were both far better players then his scheme allowed them to be.

That's my belief but all that's important is what Emery and Trestman believe. Emery can say what he wants about Cutler but the fact that he hasn't offered him and extension yet tells me he's not ready to commit to that until he's sure he's the guy both he and Trestman want. Like I've been saying all along. With Emery it's all about the "right guy" not just "a guy" so we'll see what he does. If they bring back Campbell it will be because they feel he's the "right guy" and that's the way I see him working it so far.

Even Soul admitted that he's not good enough to start, well if Cutler goes down who's starting? Campbell who .

Again I see the idea at least he's not got deer in the headlight eyes, he's been there. But fact is he's been there and failed, which is why he's on his 3rd team, looking potentially his 4th team.

Keep your backup qb's young and cheap, they can do worse then a vet backup, but they can also do better...and they are always cheaper.