Finding the right places for Bledsoe, Garcia
Unemployed quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Jeff Garcia shouldn't be free agents for long. If Dallas is smart, it should sign Bledsoe; if Detroit is willing, it should sign Garcia.
Both moves make sense because both fill needs.
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| Ultimately, Drew Bledsoe did not seize his opportunity as a Bill. (AP) |
Improve itself at the most important position on the field.
The Lions, meanwhile, need a veteran backup for the inconsistent Joey Harrington, and Garcia is an ideal choice. He not only played for coach Steve Mariucci when the two were in San Francisco, he went to three Pro Bowls and two playoffs with him. It's a perfect match except for one thing.
Injuries.
Garcia had a strained shoulder that bothered him last year, then finished the season on injured reserve with a torn knee ligament. The Lions understandably are concerned about that, especially with Garcia turning 35 next week, and want to investigate further before making an evaluation. But if he's OK -- and his agent insists he is -- he seems perfect for the club.
Bledsoe and Garcia are two of what could be several veteran quarterbacks to crowd this year's free-agent market. The Giants' Kurt Warner will join them. So should Brad Johnson of Tampa Bay. Then there's Mike McMahon of Detroit, who becomes an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires in March.
And I haven't even mentioned Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, whose contract also expires in March. But the feeling there is the Seahawks will re-sign him before he hits the streets.
When you rank the 30-something veterans with personnel directors and pro scouts, Bledsoe and Garcia are the overwhelming favorites, with Bledsoe first and Garcia second. Bledsoe went to two Super Bowls, had success early in his career and is at his best when he has protection and a decent rushing game -- two things that escaped him in his final few seasons in New England.
In his first season with the Bills, he set 10 franchise passing records but floundered down the stretch, losing five of his final eight. He never seemed to recover until the middle of last year when, with the addition of running back Willis McGahee, the Bills perked up and won eight of their final 10, including six in a row.
Now, look what happened to Bledsoe. Over his final 10 games he completed 57 percent of his passes, with 14 TDs and nine interceptions. Once he threw for four touchdowns; twice he threw for three. And only twice did he produce more than one interception in a game.
But here's the number I like most: Over the final 10 games he was sacked only 14 times; in his first six starts he was sacked 23 times. The results speak for themselves: Buffalo started 1-5 and finished 9-7.
