Which Vets Have Been Put On Notice?

Okay, so yesterday we took a look at the rookies most ready to impact the league. That list included guys like Dee Milliner, who could possibly be the only non-horrificly terrible factor on the Jets’ roster, as was his predecessor. Unfortunately, no rookie begins making his legacy without ending that of a veteran. That being said, these are a few vets who have been pushed out or put on notice by the rookie additions to their teams. Honorable mention here is Brian Urlacher, who would have been put on notice by the drafting of Gator playmaker Jon Bostic had he still been on the Chicago roster.

First up, you guessed it, Mark Sanchez! The man who brought us classics like The Buttfumble may soon be trading in his starting job for a clipboard. Geno Smith from West Virginia was one of two quarterbacks selected in the first round of the draft, and a strong case can be made for why he should be starting. Here’s three quick reasons: 1) His name is not Mark Sanchez 2) He did not attend USC 3) He has never fumbled the ball off of anyone’s butt. To back up this assessment, Panthers receiver Steve Smith recently commented that Sanchez “sucks” and that he “wouldn’t let [Sanchez] throw him a paper-bag sandwich”. Last year alone, Geno Smith threw for 4,205 yards, 42 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. In comparison, Sanchez threw for 2,883 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. Hm. Now usually I’m not afraid to pile it on ol’ Marky Mark, but for the sake of compassion I’ll let statistics and common sense do the talking here.

Our next pair is also a couple of quarterbacks, but not one with a veteran that I could heap quite so much criticism on. While Geno Smith was the second of two quarterbacks drafted in the first round, E.J. Manuel was the first, selected 16^th overall by the Buffalo Bills. This came as a shock to many a football observer, who were already shocked that a quarterback wasn’t drafted until the 16^th pick, while I was shocked that I managed to have well wishes for the guy even though he went to florida state (#GatorNation). Needless to say, few were left with their reality intact. The most shocked, however, was probably newly acquired Bills signal-caller Kevin Kolb, added after the team decided to (FINALLY!) release Ryan Fitzpatrick. Kolb has played sparingly for the Eagles and most recently Cardinals, mostly due to his injury problems and general lack of talent. In contrast, Manuel led the Seminoles to an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl win over Northern Illinois. Also, Manuel is in no way hurting for talent. Early advantage goes to the rookie, but hey, Kolb managed to start over Michael Vick for a few games, right? So he has that going for him.

Friends, let us not neglect the NFC. There’s definitely enough bad news to go around. Over in Minnesota, quarterback Joe Webb has experienced a Series of Unfortunate Events. Anybody? C’mon, those books were great! Anyway, Joe Webb has been told time and time again that he just doesn’t have what it takes to be The Guy for the Vikings. He got a few starts and it seemed like he was moving up with Favre on his way out, but we know how that movie ended. Recently, the Vikings coaches decided that Webb  is just too talented to be kept on the sideline, so he has been switched permanently to wide receiver. Great! This is Joe’s chance! He’s finally going to start and really contribute to the team, I knew it! What’s that? Oh yes, of course. The Patriots traded their first-round draft pick (every time!!) to the Vikings for three later picks. And who did Minnesota select with said pick? Why, none other than Cordarelle Patterson, playmaker from Tennessee. Patterson’s size, speed, and great hands made him a very hot commodity in the draft, and he’s a great guy for the Vikings to have opposite Greg Jennings. So you know who probably won’t be opposite Greg Jennings? Correct! Joe Webb! Sorry, Joe, you’ll get your chance one of these days.

Last but not least, and the closest to my heart, is Rob Ninkovich. The linebacker-slash-defensive end-slash-jet-killer had been searching for a solid role with my, I mean the, Patriots for a few seasons. In 2012 he found it, with 58 tackles, eight sacks, and five forced fumbles. Enter: Jamie Collins, a beast from Southern Mississippi who played safety, linebacker, and defensive end while in college. Belicheck has revealed that Collins will begin his NFL career at linebacker, which is where things get sticky for Ninkovich. New England has made big defensive changes in the offseason, with D-linemen Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick gone and Armond Armstead and Tommy Kelly added to the mix. That line is anchored by Chandler Jones in the “elephant” role on the end. As far as the linebackers go, the Patriots are set with Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Dont’a Hightower, and now Jamie Collins. This means that despite Ninkovich’s talent, he will probably end up between these two groups…on the bench. Collins has the early advantage here, but I have a feeling Rob will find his way onto the field this season, we’ll just have to wait and see.

The NFL is a crazy business, and any of the situations could dramatically change at a moment’s notice. However, under current circumstances, I believe this is what we’ll see in 2013. And you can even quote me! On one of them. Your choice. That way you still get blamed for being wrong, see what I did? As always, comments are welcome, positive comments double welcome, non-confrontational debate comments triple welcome. Til next time.