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Well, it is officially time to start some fun debate. We are going to, over the next several days, go position group by position group and rank the teams in the NFC West. If anything else, this might start some fires from opposing fan bases.
But with the offseason, we welcome it.
Today we start with the quarterback position.
We will look at just the top 2 QBs on the roster. Anybody having to think about their third QB is dead anyway, as Arizona Cardinals fans learned last season.
Let's take a look at our NFC West QB team rankings.
1. Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson
This is closer than you might believe. Wilson is a great young talent and he has been the leader of a team to win a Super Bowl and come within one play of winning another. However, because he has not yet been asked to show what he can do in a passing offense. In three seasons, he has attempted 30 or more passes in a game only 14 times. He hasn't had to with the running game and defense Seattle has had, but there are still questions as to how good a passer he would be in a different offense. Jackson? He is a very able backup. He has starting experience and even led Seattle to the playoffs once and won a game. He is also similar enough a quarterback that the Seahawks don't have to change a whole lot.
Seattle is at the top, but not by as much as you would think.
2. Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton
Palmer has had a very solid career, but has very little winning to show. His winning has happened in Arizona. He is, though, coming off a major knee surgery and he is old, so there is plenty of uncertainty. You can argue, based on his last 15 games, that he might be the best quarterback in the division. Yes, Wilson is the younger player, but Palmer has been winning football games (13-2 in those 15 games), throwing for a lot of yards and TDs, and has not been turning the ball over. There is a lot of belief around the league that, with a healthy Palmer, the Cards could be the best in the best division.
Drew Stanton is a very able backup and could start on many teams in the league. He is injury prone though. I put him just a tick below Jackson, but he is also perfect for Bruce Arians and his offense, as he is not afraid of throwing the ball down the field.
Arizona comes in second, but a healthy Palmer all season might put them over the Seahawks.
3. San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert
Kaepernick has so much talent and looking at his stats, he hasn't been bad. However, his film last year is messy. It was like he wasn't sure what he was doing. He, like Wilson, has not been asked much to throw the ball a ton to make the offense run (although he has had some absolutely thrilling passing games in his career), and there are really big questions about whether he can be a pocket passer in the league.
Blaine...Gabbert...must...keep...from...laughing...can't...do...it. If Kaepernick ever had to sit, does anyone think Gabbert would even be okay?
4. St. Louis Rams: Nick Foles, Austin Davis (though the backup position isn't as clear-cut as with the rest of the division)
Nick Foles is an interesting case. His 2013 season was magical, but seemingly anomalous. His 2014 season, though cut in half with injuries, was not so exciting. Is he the product of Chip Kelly? We will see this year. I just think Kaepernick, with all the questions, has more talent. Foles had the 20013 season, but he still has questions.
Who is the backup going to be? Davis? Case Keenum? Sean Mannion? Who knows? None of them seem as laughable as Gabbert, but Gabbert was also a first round pick.
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There you go. Let the debate begin.
How would you rank the teams at QB? Let us know in the comments and make sure to vote in the poll.