FanPost

Roster Analysis: Quarterbacks


Quarterback

With Brett Favre long gone and Tarvaris Jackson a free agent the Vikings had to make a move to find a quarterback. Without a defined front office a difference of opinion lead to two new additions. Donovan Mcnabb was traded for and Christian Ponder was drafted with the 12th pick overall. Mcnabb proved to be over the hill and Ponder just not ready for the NFL challenges. Ponders struggles were predictable with plenty of obstacles to overcome. No offseason limited playbook knowledge and a veteran taking the majority of the snaps Ponder did not flourish. Ponder was oft injured which gave Joe Webb a chance to stake his claim. Webb was serviceable in relief duty and will at least be a reliable backup plan.

7 Ponder, Christian QB 6-2 229 24

As a rookie ponder showed that he can be a solid quarterback in the NFL. His season was up and down and he will have to improve for the team to be successful. He is a smart, confident player. He has received some unfair criticism given his circumstances last year. He will no longer have excuses this year. A huge leap is expected. He had a collection of good games where he validated optimism. He will have to improve on his decision making and tendency to leave the pocket too early. With some new weapons and body guards, Ponder will show improvement. The real question with Ponder is even if he is healthy and improves, how high is his ceiling? Can he ever become great? The Vikings have bet the house that he can.

14 Webb, Joe QB 6-4 220 25

Webb may be the best athlete on the team. Tremendous size extraordinary speed and cannon for an arm Webb has a wealth of physical ability. If used right he can be a playmaker for the young Vikings. The problem has and continues to be finding a way to get him on the field. He's returned kicks, thrown passes, caught passes and rushed the ball. He is completely capable of breaking a game open. Webb has steadily improved his footwork and should take another leap forward. If Ponder goes down with an injury Musgraves offense will still be in pretty good hands.

18 Rosenfels, Sage QB 6-4 222 34

Rosenfels is back for his second stint with them team. This time the circumstances are different. He knows that batting an injury he will be the 3rd quarterback. His role is to mentor and provide locker room leadership for one of the youngest rosters in the league. If pressed into emergency action Rosenfels would be more than reliable.

4 Bethel-Thompson, McLeod QB 6-4 230 23

Thompson was a predraft signee that was blessed with an NFL arm and great size. He will be a practice squad candidate that will have to improve to earn his spot. Musgraves has a good track record for developing quarterbacks so it should be interesting to see how this plays out.

The quarterback position is actually one of the most stable assuming Christian Ponder can develop. The starter, back up and third quarterback all have NFL experience. No doubt Ponder holds the key to the franchise's success.


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