So Delhomme is as good as gone now, right?

[CatMan72]

If Delhomme retires, or quits, is he still entitled to the guaranteed money on his contract?

Let's hope that Hurney was competent enough to include conditions like this in the contract... but a significant amount of what you can and cannot put in a contract is governed by the CBA... we should have waited one more year and we would have probably had allot more flexibility.

[MaineManPanther]

What benifit would there be for having Delhomme leave? We have a guy who knows the system, tons of expierence playing as a starter. He would make a great backup

[Sloth]

What benifit would there be for having Delhomme leave? We have a guy who knows the system, tons of expierence playing as a starter. He would make a great backup

Because if our coaching stays the same there's a decent chance Delhomme starts next year, winning the "open competition" as someone mentioned.

Or replaces the #1 the first bad game he has.

We've got a bunch of money tied up into him, don't think the people who gave it to him don't want to try and make that decision look better/try to force the investment to pay some dividends.

[MaineManPanther]

Because if our coaching stays the same there's a decent chance Delhomme starts next year, winning the "open competition" as someone mentioned.

Or replaces the #1 the first bad game he has.

We've got a bunch of money tied up into him, don't think the people who gave it to him don't want to try and make that decision look better/try to force the investment to pay some dividends.

Theres no chance IMO. Fox isnt as stupid and "loyal" as said on here. They know Jake isnt the same, they know he's done, they know the crap theyll get if that were to happen.

[PuntJake]

What benifit would there be for having Delhomme leave? We have a guy who knows the system, tons of expierence playing as a starter. He would make a great backup

would you guys please stop blowing jake? please?

the reason he should be gone, is because he sucks! even as a backup! because as a backup, sure as chit he'd find his way on the field at some point because fox is blowing him too and we'd be right back in the same place we are now.

:dita:

[Carl Spackler]

would you guys please stop blowing jake? please?

the reason he should be gone, is because he sucks! even as a backup! because as a backup, sure as chit he'd find his way on the field at some point because fox is blowing him too and we'd be right back in the same place we are now.

:dita:

How do we know he sucks as a backup, again?

[MaineManPanther]

would you guys please stop blowing jake? please?

the reason he should be gone, is because he sucks! even as a backup! because as a backup, sure as chit he'd find his way on the field at some point because fox is blowing him too and we'd be right back in the same place we are now.

:dita:

Delhomme cost us games. Fox (if here next year) has a year left on a contract. I highly doubt Fox would put Jake in for any reason but injuries. Fox needs to win. He doesnt value one player over the team, winning, and his future.

[Cat'sGrowl]

Restructure Jake's contract and keep him on the roster as a back-up, if that's what Jake wants to do.

Jake and his experience with the system are better than the losers coming out of the draft this year, and he'll be cheaper too.

[Cat'sGrowl]

In a perfect world, we would keep Delhomme as a #3 roster on the depth chart. But the NFL doesn't work that way. You don't suddenly take your franchise quarterback for much of the decade and relegate him to the #3 spot. He either starts or you cut him. If I was Jake Delhomme and they decided to keep me on the roster as a #3 quarterback, I'd tell them to go F themselves and quit the team. This would be like Jerry Richardson telling Fox that he was firing him from Head Coach but that he could stay on as secondary coach if he really wanted to. What do you think Fox would do in that situation? Quit of course.

Jake Delhomme will almost surely be cut this offseason.

I gave my opinion on the situation in the post above, but this is a great point as well.

[Sloth]

Theres no chance IMO. Fox isnt as stupid and "loyal" as said on here. They know Jake isnt the same, they know he's done, they know the crap theyll get if that were to happen.

I don't think Fox is stupid. He does value game experience overly much sometimes, if that's what you meant by loyal.

They've been getting crap since the playoff debacle/contract extension/week 1 combo. They didn't sit Jake until playoff chances where mostly zero, despite being laughed at by most of the fanbase, media (Pat Kirwan aside), and ex-players. I don't know that getting more crap from the fanbase/media will phase them much.

I do think they want that extension to look less horrible, though. Between that and the trust they have in Jake, it won't surprise me at all to see him rolled out game one to see if he self-corrected during the offseason.

Edit: Or rolled in if/when Moore has an awful game. Best chance to win, baby.

[MaineManPanther]

I don't think Fox is stupid. He does value game experience overly much sometimes, if that's what you meant by loyal.

They've been getting crap since the playoff debacle/contract extension/week 1 combo. They didn't sit Jake until playoff chances where mostly zero, despite being laughed at by most of the fanbase, media (Pat Kirwan aside), and ex-players. I don't know that getting more crap from the fanbase/media will phase them much.

I do think they want that extension to look less horrible, though. Between that and the trust they have in Jake, it won't surprise me at all to see him rolled out game one to see if he self-corrected during the offseason.

Edit: Or rolled in if/when Moore has an awful game. Best chance to win, baby.

When I talk heat, Im talking from the FO. They know how Jake cost us games. They know how dumb it will be. If they get another chance, the extension wont matter. Fox winning will cure that. And he know thers not a good chance that Jake will lead them to winning.

[Pimpdaddy]

Theres no chance IMO. Fox isnt as stupid and "loyal" as said on here. They know Jake isnt the same, they know he's done, they know the crap theyll get if that were to happen.

He'll be back and Fox knows he sucks, but he and Hurney lobbied to JR to give Jake the extension and tons of guarantied money. Now hes fcked and has to make Jake work because that is the politics of football. Hes not George Blanda but would be a decent backup, if he can reinvent himself. Just curious what i'd really cost to get rid of him....

[AKPantherFan]

Okay, I know most of us are thrilled with the win against the Vikings and are discussing Matt Moore or whether we should keep Fox or not. But, I think it is very clear that Delhomme WILL be cut no matter what in the offseason.

There is no way we will pay 10 mil to a #3 QB. Here is my prediction...I think JR will have another "talk" with Fox and Hurney. Sadly, I think Matt Moore will save Fox's ass along with some key endorsements from players such as Kalil, Gross, etc even though I personally think Fox needs to go down with Delhomme. Delhomme and Peppers will both be the two scapegoats for the 2009 season. Also, JR will basically force a rookie QB on John Fox.

It doesn't make sense for Delhomme to stay on the roster next year. Our Depth chart will look like this with him on it.

#1 Matt Moore

#2 Rookie/Free Agent QB

#3 Rookie/Delhomme

#4 Delhomme/Rookie

Delhomme is going to be a #3 QB at best next year. In addition, no one will be thrilled with the idea of another year with Delhomme and Fox on the same team. He is as good as gone!

Thoughts?

sorry to bust your bubble... Delhomme will get a chance to compete for the #1 spot, and at worse he will be #2.

[chbright]

keeping jake as #3 when we are still looking at finding a franchise qb is rediculous. if he isnt the starter, and we have no set long term starter on the team, we need to use the #3 spot as a developement spot. this is what we did with moore originally. we need to do it again. mccown, jake or a FA will likely be the #2, and a draft pick or FA being the #3 (if we carry 3 qbs). keeping jake at this point is stupid. we arnt a contender at this point so keeping him would just be saving face if we get down to the #3 qb. also he serves it serves no purpose to keep him keep him when we need to develop/find a starter, its a waist of a spot.

personally i would cut jake, let mccown walk and search the FA market, or trade for a backup or start that could be on the way out. backups of intrest: dixon, josh johnson, jackson, todd collins, trent edwards, and senica wallace. of the current starts that teams might be willing to move, i would target bulger (if you can just keep him up right he can be great), campbell (scary to yet again ask him to change OC), garrard (solid QB comes from a run oriented team, better than anyone we got), and hasselbeck (keep him up right and give him wrs he was great). getting a starter is much riskier and more expensive than going after a FA or current backup, but if you believe that you are a qb away from not just the playoffs, but a SB appearence, then that may be the route to go.

personally i dont think we are a qb away so the older established starters should be ruled out. the defense with a pissed off motivated peppers is close, but we still need a NT/DT even if kemo comes back. even with kemo back, i would love to see a young DT brought in early in the draft (arther jones, austin, odrich, williams, or cody if he somehow fell that far). imo our defense under meeks is much improved this year considering we are missing kemo, but we could use a true force in the middle to make it great (kemo is a 2 down lineman, jenks pre injury is what i would love to see here). we have the back 7 to have a great D, and even the ends (esp deep at DE) are good, but in the middle we are still soft. we need to resign anderson, and look at locking up marshal and TD too.

on offense we have too many holes to fill to get to the SB: qb, wr, complete te. we have the line and a rb stable to be a sb champ, but we need 2 wrs imo to take pressure off them and steve. we also need a qb that can effectively get them the ball and thats posible with teams like willing to move their starter as they bring in a younger draft pick. it would be nice to also have one that can read the defense pre-snap and make the line and route changes nessisary to adjust (aka manning, big ben, brady), but thats asking alot out of moore and whats avalible via FA. i just cant see the offense being good enough to get to the SB with just a good qb. we have a #1b wr (steve isnt the same folks), a #3 in moose and a bunch of potential guys after that. we need wrs. king is good blocking te that is a very limited recieving option. we do have 2 TE with alot of potential in the passing game that have showed flashes of being good, but arnt the type of blockers that the running game needs in a guy like king. if we could find a more complete TE, it would help a ton.

i say blow up the offense other than the line and RB position. that includes steve if you can get value out of him (at the qb position specificly). why? we need alot of help on offense, this is not just davidson, but a personel issue when it comes to the passing game. this draft is a good one for wr, its full of tallented guys. at QB i say look at the FA market this year and inquire about campbell, garrard and josh johnson. if we can find a QB and have a producive draft we could get close. we would have to hit a home run in hte draft at WR, TE and DT though to complement any moves we make in FA (and that includes resigning pep and him playing like a man on fire). even if we had the perfect draft, found a starter via FA, jake shouldnt be here as a backup. we have 1 in moore, he has proven that this year and in 2007. what we need out of that 3rd spot is a future starter, not just another backup like moore is now, or mccown is at this point. eat the contract and move on, and hope that hurney hits a home run at WR and DTs via the draft.