Got Jake? Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers do. Nine – the number of interceptions he has over touchdown completions this year. We could talk about Delhomme’s stats for an eternity, or we could talk about his commercials, or maybe even his personable demeanor on and off the field.
Let’s throw a few more stats your way; Jake Delhomme does lead the NFL in a few prominent categories; he has a league-leading 13 interceptions, and he has thrown more touchdowns than the past two number one overall quarterbacks selected in the draft: JaMarcus Russell and Matthew Stafford.
Okay, we all know stats don’t tell the entire story. He is a positive influence in the Charlotte community. I personally love Bojangle’s cajun chicken biscuits, they’re quite delicious, and I doubt I’d ever have eaten one without Jake’s influence leading me in the right direction. The city seems to really rally around him; I’ve gotten closer with many of my Charlottonians -- booing in unison at Panthers’ games, or even in the pre-game jargon about how many turnovers he’ll provide for us today.
Looking back at it, his epic failures have made me happier, and I realize now what’s important in life. I no longer feel the urge to sit in front of the TV for three-plus hours knowing what lies ahead. I’ve become more productive with my Sundays, and who am I kidding, I owe it all to Jake. Thanks Jake!
What about the future? Unless things turn around rather quickly for the Louisiana-native, I suspect there won’t be too much value for a rather inconsistent 34-year-old who handles adversity like my 9-year old sister. It’s rather similar, quite scary actually. They both flail their arms in the air and scream in high-pitched, annoying confusion. So inevitably, Jake Delhomme and his $42 million contract over the next 4 ½ years (ESPN) will probably retire a Carolina Panther. That was actually a good business decision though, saving Carolina many millions of dollars due to Delhomme scheduled to make over $10 million in the final year of his previous contract.
With Julius Peppers’ ludicrous $1 million per game contract expiring this year, the Panthers will have some options. Unfortunately, even with their poor performance up to this point, they won’t be selecting their 1st Round draft pick, as they traded it away for the 43rd and 111th overall picks in last year’s draft in which they selected Everette Brown; who is currently averaging just over 1 tackle per game, and Mike Goodson who appears to be a promising 3rd string running back.
Unless Carolina trades up in the 2010 draft, don’t expect them to take a quarterback at all. There are only a couple college quarterbacks who could have a chance at being successful right away in the NFL, and anything less will be detrimental to their success and confidence in Carolina, as they would face unreasonably high expectations. Of all the possibilities, I like Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame. He has incredible arm-strength and he seems to only get better as the heat turns up; an attribute that Delhomme doesn’t seem to posses. I expect them to resign QB Matt Moore as he will be a restricted-free agent this off-season and will be relatively cheap to keep. He’ll hopefully make for an excellent 3rd stringer behind Delhomme.
Who will be starting? The list of possible quality free agents is petite, but Carolina will have the cap space to make some moves. Their first choice should be Kyle Orton if he doesn’t re-sign with Denver. At 6’4, Orton posses the qualities of a traditional, smart, and winning quarterback. In a conservative run-first offense, Carolina doesn’t need an ostentatious or glamorous quarterback. They just need a man who goes out, plays hard and smart, and gets the job done. Orton is really proving himself this season, and his confidence is only increasing with each win every week.
The future for Carolina remains unclear, in multiple categories, not just at the starting quarterback position. If I was Carolina’s General Manager, I would place WR Steve Smith on the trading block. At 30 years of age now, his “Smith-like” years of pure quickness, acceleration, and excitement are dwindling. His value is still very high, as he is unquestionably an elite receiver in the NFL. In Carolina today though, he is unhappy (with reason), and he isn’t as successful as he could be elsewhere. Quality wide receivers are more available in the draft, and we need fill other concerns if we want to become an elite team once again.
Unfortunately, there is a decent chance Jake Delhomme will be the starting quarterback next year. But as all Panther fans know, he is reliable for one thing: having good seasons every other year. Ultimately, Delhomme will more than likely remain a Panther. Unfortunately for John Fox, the same cannot be said.
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