Angus
Active Member
- Messages
- 5,097
- Reaction score
- 20
Rams have no choice but to buck up for Bulger
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
07/05/2007
There aren’t many good quarterbacks in the NFL. Marc Bulger clearly ranks among the great ones.
So, yes, Bulger is going to collect top dollar on his next contract, one way or another.
There is no debate here. Bulger is a rare commodity. So the Rams should just do the right thing and lock him in to a long-term contract extension.
If Bulger plays out the final year of his four-year, $19.1 million contract, his value will only grow. He is comfortable with Scott Linehan’s offense, which exploits his passing accuracy and does a good job protecting him.
He has terrific weapons at his disposal and he plays behind a maturing offensive line. He is almost certain to post large numbers this season.
Pat Kirwan of NFL.com made the Rams front office wince by suggesting "Tom Brady money" -– about $60 million over six years -– wouldn’t be an unreasonable price for Bulger.
“Marc Bulger passed for over 4,300 yards last season to go along with 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions,” Kirwan wrote. “That's the same number of touchdowns as Brady, with four fewer picks. Does he deserve a Tom Brady contract? The market keeps going up, but Tom Brady money?
“Probably, but he might have to go elsewhere to get it in 2008. The Rams love their QB, but I suspect the club and the player reps really can't see eye to eye on contract value right now. If both sides wait to play out the season, one side is sure to be quite disappointed.”
We’re guessing Bulger wouldn’t be the one with a sad face. The Lions have Jon Kitna at quarterback and Mike Martz running their offense.
Don’t you believe Mad Mike would ask the Lions to go “all in” for Bulger if he hit the open market in ‘08? Don’t you believe the Lions would take that plunge?
Jon Kitna will be a solid quarterback in Detroit this season, but he won’t deal the way Bulger can deal week after week after week. If Bulger heads toward free agency, Mad Mike will struggle to control his drooling.
Let’s look at this way: Which NFL quarterbacks are better than Marc?
Brady and Peyton Manning are the top guys, obviously. They post consistent numbers and they win the big games.
Drew Brees and Carson Palmer might be the next two in the pecking order, based on their big playmaking ability and their growth potential.
Donovan McNabb is in the Top Five, too, although he has suffered tremendous wear and tear while trying to will the Eagles to greatness.
Matt Leinart and Philip Rivers might some day have similar value, but both are still in development.
Tony Romo, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman, Jay Cutler and Vince Young may have tremendous futures, too, but they haven’t defined their real value yet.
Ben Roethlisberger? He was on his way to greatness before The Crash. Now we’re not so sure. He got picked off 23 times last season. Twenty-three!
Matt Hasselbeck? He’s pretty good, but he makes more mistakes than Bulger.
Jake Delhomme? If you like gunslingers, you love Jake . . . but he hasn’t been nearly as consistent as Marc.
Byron Leftwich? He has lots of potential, but much of it has gone unrealized.
Brett Favre? Once upon a time, he ranked atop the league. But he hangs too many passes into traffic.
Eli Manning? Please. His career may be heading south instead of north. The Giants may soon wish they had Rivers instead.
Daunte Culpepper? The Dolphins have gone years without a top-flight quarterback, so if they want to dump this young man . . .
Michael Vick? He is sure fun to watch dart around the field, but we’re not even sure he can actually play quarterback at this level.
Steve McNair? Great guy, tremendous leader, borderline Hall of Famer -- but not quite a Bulger-caliber quarterback in the autumn of his career.
Chad Pennington? Smart quarterback, but he lacks the arm to zing the ball into tight places the way Bulger does.
Damon Huard? He did a fine job as a fill-in last season. Now let’s see if he can lead a team for 16 weeks.
David Garrard? See Huard.
Trent Green, Mark Brunell and Jeff Garcia are at the end of their runs. David Carr and Joey Harrington have become rebuilding projects. Jake Plummer retired prematurely after failing in Denver.
Through the process of elimination, Bulger’s value becomes clear. He has very few peers in the NFL.
And consider the intangibles: His rapport with Linehan, his chemistry with Torry Holt and Co., his emerging leadership skills, his toughness, his work ethic and his general reliability.
Many NFL coaches come and go without having this sort of quarterback running the show. What Bulger does can’t be taken for granted -– and it won’t be in ’08, should he hit the market as a free agent.
The Rams have no choice but to pay up.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...CC269E08E19BAE988625730F0061D1A8?OpenDocument
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
07/05/2007
There aren’t many good quarterbacks in the NFL. Marc Bulger clearly ranks among the great ones.
So, yes, Bulger is going to collect top dollar on his next contract, one way or another.
There is no debate here. Bulger is a rare commodity. So the Rams should just do the right thing and lock him in to a long-term contract extension.
If Bulger plays out the final year of his four-year, $19.1 million contract, his value will only grow. He is comfortable with Scott Linehan’s offense, which exploits his passing accuracy and does a good job protecting him.
He has terrific weapons at his disposal and he plays behind a maturing offensive line. He is almost certain to post large numbers this season.
Pat Kirwan of NFL.com made the Rams front office wince by suggesting "Tom Brady money" -– about $60 million over six years -– wouldn’t be an unreasonable price for Bulger.
“Marc Bulger passed for over 4,300 yards last season to go along with 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions,” Kirwan wrote. “That's the same number of touchdowns as Brady, with four fewer picks. Does he deserve a Tom Brady contract? The market keeps going up, but Tom Brady money?
“Probably, but he might have to go elsewhere to get it in 2008. The Rams love their QB, but I suspect the club and the player reps really can't see eye to eye on contract value right now. If both sides wait to play out the season, one side is sure to be quite disappointed.”
We’re guessing Bulger wouldn’t be the one with a sad face. The Lions have Jon Kitna at quarterback and Mike Martz running their offense.
Don’t you believe Mad Mike would ask the Lions to go “all in” for Bulger if he hit the open market in ‘08? Don’t you believe the Lions would take that plunge?
Jon Kitna will be a solid quarterback in Detroit this season, but he won’t deal the way Bulger can deal week after week after week. If Bulger heads toward free agency, Mad Mike will struggle to control his drooling.
Let’s look at this way: Which NFL quarterbacks are better than Marc?
Brady and Peyton Manning are the top guys, obviously. They post consistent numbers and they win the big games.
Drew Brees and Carson Palmer might be the next two in the pecking order, based on their big playmaking ability and their growth potential.
Donovan McNabb is in the Top Five, too, although he has suffered tremendous wear and tear while trying to will the Eagles to greatness.
Matt Leinart and Philip Rivers might some day have similar value, but both are still in development.
Tony Romo, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman, Jay Cutler and Vince Young may have tremendous futures, too, but they haven’t defined their real value yet.
Ben Roethlisberger? He was on his way to greatness before The Crash. Now we’re not so sure. He got picked off 23 times last season. Twenty-three!
Matt Hasselbeck? He’s pretty good, but he makes more mistakes than Bulger.
Jake Delhomme? If you like gunslingers, you love Jake . . . but he hasn’t been nearly as consistent as Marc.
Byron Leftwich? He has lots of potential, but much of it has gone unrealized.
Brett Favre? Once upon a time, he ranked atop the league. But he hangs too many passes into traffic.
Eli Manning? Please. His career may be heading south instead of north. The Giants may soon wish they had Rivers instead.
Daunte Culpepper? The Dolphins have gone years without a top-flight quarterback, so if they want to dump this young man . . .
Michael Vick? He is sure fun to watch dart around the field, but we’re not even sure he can actually play quarterback at this level.
Steve McNair? Great guy, tremendous leader, borderline Hall of Famer -- but not quite a Bulger-caliber quarterback in the autumn of his career.
Chad Pennington? Smart quarterback, but he lacks the arm to zing the ball into tight places the way Bulger does.
Damon Huard? He did a fine job as a fill-in last season. Now let’s see if he can lead a team for 16 weeks.
David Garrard? See Huard.
Trent Green, Mark Brunell and Jeff Garcia are at the end of their runs. David Carr and Joey Harrington have become rebuilding projects. Jake Plummer retired prematurely after failing in Denver.
Through the process of elimination, Bulger’s value becomes clear. He has very few peers in the NFL.
And consider the intangibles: His rapport with Linehan, his chemistry with Torry Holt and Co., his emerging leadership skills, his toughness, his work ethic and his general reliability.
Many NFL coaches come and go without having this sort of quarterback running the show. What Bulger does can’t be taken for granted -– and it won’t be in ’08, should he hit the market as a free agent.
The Rams have no choice but to pay up.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...CC269E08E19BAE988625730F0061D1A8?OpenDocument
:laugh2:
