New York Jets
This one is a mystery to me. You'd think by the third year of Clemens' tour with the Jets the club would have a conviction about him. But it doesn't. Instead, it's thrown the quarterback position wide open to him and Pennington, with Pennington confident he can win the position as he did in 2006.
Unlike the Dolphins, the Jets went into the draft content with what they have, spending only a fifth-round pick on Erik Ainge -- destined to be the third-stringer. So this one comes down to Clemens, whom outsiders believe the coaching staff would like to see win, and the veteran Pennington -- who believes he will prevail, who has taken the club to the playoffs and who won a slew of games.
Yes, Pennington has a history of injuries, but he also has a history of success. "I believe when I play quarterback our team has an excellent chance to win," he said this week. "That's not me making it up. That's proven. That's on the record."
Clemens is younger, has a stronger arm and more of a future than Pennington, but the Jets seem to be built to win now -- which they must if coach Eric Mangini is to stick around. It's a veteran cast which would seem to favor Pennington, but, remember, this is a coaching staff that had such little confidence in the guy it spent a high draft pick on Clemens and started him eight games last year. Stay tuned.
Baltimore
The Ravens need a starting quarterback like Federal Hill needs air conditioning in August. When you think back to an outstanding quarterback in Baltimore you go back ... um ... you go back ... OK, you go back to Bert Jones, and he wasn't with the Ravens. He was with the Colts, and that's 30 years ago. In fact, in the 12 seasons the Ravens have been in existence their quarterbacks have nearly as many interceptions (203) as touchdowns (234), with the club failing to top 21 passing TDs in each of its last 10 seasons.
That's not good, and it's one reason Baltimore reached for Joe Flacco in this year's draft. Flacco has the strong arm the Ravens believe they need to win in a division that features wind, rain and snow in November and December, and he's unquestionably their quarterback of the future.
The question is: When is that future? Nobody will say, with the club content to let him battle it out with Troy Smith and Kyle Boller, but my guess is that Smith or Boller opens the season Sept. 7, with Flacco third on the depth chart. Oh, you'll see him at some point this season, but the Ravens will be careful not to rush him. They can't afford to have him fail like Boller, who was pushed on to the field as a rookie. He suffered because Baltimore didn't have a veteran to school the guy. Which brings me to my next question: Who serves as Flacco's mentor?
Arizona
There really isn't a controversy here. Coach Ken Whisenhunt has made it clear Matt Leinart is his starter. Only Leinart is coming off a broken collarbone, and veteran Kurt Warner was lights-out last season when he took over for Leinart. Warner threw 27 touchdowns, led the Cardinals to their first non-losing season since 1998 and set the league's season high when he shredded San Francisco for 484 passing yards. He runs the Cardinals' no-huddle offense adroitly, so there's always the possibility Whisenhunt goes with a two-quarterback approach again.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Leinart flops, too. The guy has all the talent in the world. That never was a question. Maturity was. And it still is. He must demonstrate to the Cardinals he's committed to the game and to doing everything he can to become the quarterback Warner was in 2007. The Cardinals know they can win with Warner, but he's not the future; Leinart is. There are all sorts of weapons here for him to succeed, but Leinart's problem is not finding receivers; it's finding himself. If he can't, Whisenhunt won't hesitate to make a move.
Honorable mention
San Francisco
There hasn't been a quarterback controversy here for years, but there could be now. OK, I admit it: I'll believe Alex Smith sits when I see it. I know Shaun Hill played well last year, but the club didn't make a gazillion-dollar investment in him; it did in Smith. And it did because this coaching staff determined he had the talent to serve as the foundation of the franchise.
Sure, the 49ers think enough of Hill that they signed him to a three-year deal. And, no question about it, some of the confidence the 49ers had in Smith seemed shaken last year when coach Mike Nolan sparred with his quarterback over Smith's shoulder injury. But then the 49ers picked up a bonus on Smith in the offseason, meaning someone believes in him and virtually guaranteeing he starts again
But Hill sure looks like someone who, given time, could win over offensive coordinator Mike Martz -- especially if Smith is bothered by injuries again. Considering how much Martz likes to operate with four-and-five-wide-receiver sets, that's always possible. This one bears watching, especially after last year's Nolan-Smith debate. Smith has the inside track here, but by re-signing Hill the 49ers made it clear they won't fly without a safety net.
