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Originally Posted by paulskinsfan
OK, Im just throwing this out for discussion. We gave up a boat load of picks for Jason Campbell. I was all for him sitting his rookie season, but he did sign a 5 year deal. So, we've got 4 years left on the contract and we really have no idea what kind of quarterback he is going to be. Let's say that Brunnell starts again this year (likely), then we've got 3 years. All those picks for a player who doesn't start a game for the first 2 years. If he's the 2nd coming of Elway, then we'd only get the benefit of the rookie contract for 3 years and he hits the free agent market. Seems to me we really need to play this kid this year to gauge where we are.
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Well by this logic, don't we need to justify the $42 million contract we handed Brunell a few years ago?
But this is a strange line of thinking to me. Playing a guy because you drafted him high sends the wrong message to the team. Players need to know that you're going to play the best player, period. No matter where he was drafted. Why would undrafted free agents want to bust their butt here if you just played the highly paid players all the time, without regards to who deserves it more?
Look, I'm all for giving Campbell a chance to beat out Brunell this year to be the starter. And if we were in a total rebuilding mode, I might say OK lets turn the reins over to Campbell and let him learn. But we're not in a rebuilding mode. We have a shot to win the title now, so we can't worry about justifying draft status or contracts. We've got to play the best player. And if that player is Brunell, then he plays.
When you're spending money and draft picks on all your players, you're doing it because you think it gives you a better shot to win. Justifying contracts is not the way to be thinking. Winning games is the way we should be thinking. Would you complain if Campbell sat the bench for the next 3 years, with Brunell taking us to the playoffs 3 times and a super bowl title in one of them? I wouldn't.
Never up, never in. You take your shot when you got it.