This article was first published on October 23, 2013
First, let me state that my prayers, and any fan of
football, mourns the loss of Adrian Peterson’s son at the hands of a twisted
human being. The taking of innocent life is inexcusable and cowardly. The
sporting world is with you Adrian and your family.
No posturing here, but Americans love drama, not the drama
stated above. It dominates television, reality TV, and now, sports. Minnesota
has certainly been a hot spot for drama lately. The 2013 season was one of hope
for Vikings fans; hope of another playoff run, but three weeks in cracks began
to fissure the organization and rumblings by fans grew louder.
In my last article, I pointed out several scenarios
regarding the Vikings quarterback situation. As it now stands, Cassel will
start his second consecutive game. Ponder is listed as questionable, but most
people believe, questionable as in, remaining a Viking.
So, given the Vikings current situation, the question is,
“What to do with Christian Ponder?”
I have been and will continue to be a fan of Christian
Ponder. Never have I seen more vitriol from Vikings fans as I have seen toward
Ponder. Fans weren’t this vicious about Brad Childress, and he nearly brought
the franchise to its knees. But we are where we are, so the Vikings have a
dilemma.
For all intent and purpose, Ponder seems more like a goner
than to remain a member of the Vikings organization. If the Vikings were to
hold on to Ponder, and if Cassel were to get injured or fail, and if Freeman
was significantly delayed in picking up the offense, it would be hard to go
back to a guy so disliked by the fan base. You can look over every franchise in
the last 15 or 20 years and ask, “Has any team gone back to a former starter,
who was benched?”
The Vikings are not alone in this. The Jets face that same dilemma
with Mark Sanchez.
So, if Ponder is to be dealt, where are some likely places
he could wind up, and what could the Vikings get in value for him? Well, let’s
find out!
Ponder’s Value
Depending on whom the Vikings can trade with and that team’s
situation, I believe the Vikings should be able to get a third or fourth round
pick for Ponder. That’s a far cry for a former No. 12 selection, but something
is better than nothing.
Worst case scenario is that you get no takers and the
Vikings release him at season’s end, or sooner. But, Ponder does have trade
value, and I am sure Rick Spielman will be working the phones pretty heavily
once that decision is made.
Remember, the Vikings are most likely still in a holding
pattern because one, Cassel could get hurt and Freeman isn’t ready, or two,
Freeman is probably two weeks from possibly being handed the reins for the
remainder of the season, and who knows how he will play, so there will not be a
quick decision on Ponder’s fate.
My guess is Freeman makes his first start against the
Packers. Advantage Vikings because the Packers would not have any current game
film as a Viking, only tape from Buccaneers games and Freeman’s tendencies.
As it goes, time will tell how this all plays out, but in
all likelihood, Ponder will be dealt before season’s end, or at the very least
once the season is over and other teams can evaluate their quarterback situations.
Another factor is whether teams are looking at Ponder as a
possible starter or as a backup who has significant playing time. The following
slides are possible landing places for Christian Ponder.
Arizona Cardinals
This would be an ideal place for Ponder. One, Carson Palmer
is 33. He has had a pretty good career, but he is a lot closer to the end now,
and the possibility of injury increases. His backup is Drew Stanton, who has
four starts in his 7-yr career. The other quarterback on the roster is Ryan
Lindley. Lindley is only in his second season, but his four starts last year
were pretty ugly. Zero touchdowns and seven INTs and a 46.1 QBR.
Bruce Arians has a history with quarterbacks. He was Peyton
Manning’s first QB coach. Then he had Big Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. He
had rookie Andrew Luck last year, posting a 9-3 record in Chuck Pagano’s
absence. Now, he has Carson Palmer, and could be a great coach for young
Ponder.
This makes sense because the Cardinals have a pretty
competitive team. Are they in the Seahawks or 49ers class right now, no, but
they have a solid defense, strong receiving corps, and just need to have that
steady reliable back. Ponder could sit and learn, and based on Palmer’s career
nearing its sunset, could slide in after Palmer hangs them up. Plus, they
wouldn’t have to change the initials for any references out there in the desert
from Carson Palmer to Christian Ponder. Just sayin’.
Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid is no dummy. He has to have an insurance policy
behind Alex Smith. Smith is 29, but has had a stressful career. Although he is
enjoying recent success, having Ponder as his backup would be a pretty good
insurance should Smith get injured or lose his recent pension for being a
strong game manager.
Why it makes sense? Reid runs a west coast style offense
that Ponder could easily adapt to. And, in some ways, Ponder is most likely a
late bloomer, just as Smith appears to be. Also, Ponder brings an athleticism
that Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray do not. Andy likes athletic quarterbacks for
the most part.
Mentioning Daniel and Bray, both have zero starts between
them. Yes, Bray is a rookie, and he could easily remain the third quarterback,
but the Chiefs are competitive right now, and in to the foreseeable future, so
a bonafide backup with plenty of starts under his belt should not be a
significant drop off.
If you’re a Chiefs fan who would you rather see come in
should Smith go down, Chase Daniel or Christian Ponder?
New Orleans Saints
Oh, here it comes. Oh when the Saints, oh when the Saints,
oh when the Saints come marching in. This is probably the most unlikely of the
trades posited at this point, but hang on and keep reading, you may agree.
Drew Brees has been phenomenal. In fact, I always felt that
given time and the right coaching, Ponder could be a slightly flawed replica of
Brees. This could be his chance.
There are a few quarterbacks who have memorable careers, put
up gaudy numbers, and come away as champions. Drew Brees one, San Diego
Chargers, zero. Who has the last laugh on that deal?
I don’t expect Ponder to wind up in that rarified air. He
could, but at this point, the realistic observant says that Ponder could have a
pretty nice career when it’s all said and done. New Orleans would be a nice
destination for Ponder.
Drew Brees is 34 and is in his 13th season. He
looks good enough to play for another five or six years, but as in most QB
cases, when the skills go south, they go south in a hurry. Brees would be a
phenomenal mentor for Christian, and again, God forbid Brees goes down, but
Ponder is a better option than Luke McCown, who is in his 10th year
and has a total of nine starts and is now with his 5th team.
St. Louis Rams
Yes, the Rams have Sam Bradford, but how much longer do they
maintain patience with him? Yes, from a pocket perspective and scouting report,
Bradford is a more solid pocket passer than Ponder, but the mobility factor is
something that may intrigue Fisher, who resides in a division of two pretty
mobile quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick. Plus, other than that
weird 2010 season where the Rams made the playoffs, Bradford’s record as a
starter is 18-34-1.
Sam Bradford was the No. 8 pick in 2010, but has yet to play
up to that billing. He has never had more than a QBR of 83. He throws TDs, 55
thus far, but also has his fair share of INTs, 37. He is having a decent start
to this year, but nothing spurs the battle more than a quarterback competition,
and with Kellen Clemons as Bradford’s backup, that’s not a lot of competition
for him.
Other Possible
Destinations
This is the NFL, and much like politics, can sometimes make
for strange bedfellows.
Some may speculate teams like the Browns, Jaguars, heck,
maybe even Houston, could be interested in Ponder. Don’t be surprised to hear
rumors of the Packers. Who does Rodgers have to back him up? That search is
still under way. If Matt Flynn can throw six touchdowns in one game for the
Packers, surely it’s a quarterback friendly system where Ponder may serve as a
capable backup. Oh, the irony is not lost on me, I assure you.
This is purely a speculation piece, and no one other than
the Vikings front office really knows what the situation is and what their plans
are for moving forward, whether that includes Christian Ponder or not.
One thing is for sure, three starting caliber quarterbacks
means you have no starting quarterback. The Vikings will have to do something
soon, whether it is to keep Ponder, start Freeman, Cassel, or one of a dozen
possible scenarios, the conversation from the front office down to the coaches
and on down to the players will have to be one where everyone is on the same
page, and that no one is leaking information, or saying something to the public
contrary to what the organization wants.
As a fan of Ponder, I wish him well. I still feel strongly
that he will have a decent NFL career. I usually reserve judgment on players
for the first five years. After all, Newton was a world beater his first year,
yet now seems to struggle, and he has some pretty stout players around him as
well. Colin Kaepernick, every magazine’s cover “bad” boy is now seeing that the
NFL is a pretty astute place and that you’re blind luck is only going to get
you so far.
Bottom line, players deserve a full evaluation. Apparently,
the Vikings saw an opportunity to get a first round caliber player in Josh
Freeman. Only time will tell if that pays off. I am in the corner that says
Ponder deserved to at least have this full season as the starter in order to
have a full two-year evaluation for the staff to go on. That is not going to be
the case. And, I don’t think you would have gotten much of an argument from
Freeman to stay as a backup given all the drama surrounding him. Plus, it would
give him plenty of time to learn the offense and make the off-season a season
of competition. Instead, it has accelerated the organizations hand in making a
decision.
A good kid, stand up guy, and probably late bloomer, is most
likely being shown the door. Good luck Christian, wherever you go or wind up.
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