2010 NFL Team QB Rankings

The 2010 NFL season is nearly upon us and it is time that teams are trying to figure out who will make that final cut. Each player is working toward a successful season and nobody is more integral to a team's success than the QB. However, sometimes the chosen leader falls in battle and another soldier has to step up. So which teams have the strongest group of quarterbacks? This point can be argued many different ways, but ultimately what I've determined is that your first string QB is weighted 10 times as valuable as the any other QB. The second string is 5 times weighted. The third is not weighted. No team will keep more than 3 active QBs, so we stop there. I compiled a list of the quarterbacks and rated them based on their capabilities and what they have done on the field and assigned them a number 1-10 with 10 being the best and 1 being barely in the league. I derived the following formula where Q1 is the first string QB and Q2 is the second and Q3 is the third, the formula is (10* Q1 + 5 * Q2 + Q3)/16. Please remember this is not a survey of the best individual QBs, but each team as a whole.

Assuming that Brett Favre comes back and plays like last year, the Vikings rank first. Tavaris Jackson could start for some teams and Sage Rosenfels is one of the better third string QBs in the league. Any of these guys could step in and run the team at any time, but Favre is the best option and the step down, while significant, is acceptable with a backup. Tavaris and Sage also have experience as both have started at some point. They both play a little different style than Favre, so the team does have a shift here. Additionally, there are two rookies making a play for playing time who, despite having no NFL experience, may beat out Sage for a roster spot.

After the Vikings, there are five teams that managed to tie based on my formula, but I have them ranked in order based on other factors which I will touch on.

Number 2 on our list is the Chargers. Phillip Rivers is a strong QB who has been getting better each year. Backup Billy Volek is an experienced veteran who can fill in for Rivers in a pinch. He has starting experience and is a close match to Rivers in style. The third string is Curtis Brinkley, who is nothing to speak of and may not be carried on the roster when the season opens.

The Saints are next. They rank high based on starter Drew Brees. Backup Chase Daniels is just getting started and has no real experience. However, the reason he raises them above the others is his style. He is built just like Brees and plays a similar game. Third string Sean Canfield is not something Saints fans want to see after the preseason, but is still better than nothing.

The fourth team is the Patriots. Tom Brady is a great QB who runs a rather simple offense. This was never more evident than two years ago when Brady went down with a knee injury and his backup led the team to 11 wins. Brian Hoyer is a similar style QB to Brady and the simple offense is something he can handle. This is what moves them ahead of the next few. Zac Robinson is an undrafted free agent who has no experience and will likely not be with the team come opening day.

The fifth team is the Colts. Peyton Manning nearly pushed this team to the top by himself, but I docked them a little because the Colts offense is so complex that the step down is almost too much. Curtis Painter is the back up and while he learns from the best, nobody is Peyton and if he goes down, the team runs a different scheme completely. I'm talking going from no huddle with Peyton calling every play to huddles and the OC calling the plays from the side. The third string was Drew Willy, but the addition of Tom Brandstrander may change that. Neither are going to boost them much, but they will provide an emergency option.

The Texans came in 6th. Matt Schaub, when healthy is proving to be one of the top flight QBs in this league. Backup Dan Orlovsky is an experienced starter and would be able to fill in if Schaub is unable to go, but there is a step down. Third stringer John David Booty would be able to fill in, but it would be better to keep the ball away from him.

The Steelers were a tough team to rank. If it weren't for the suspension of Big Ben, he would have been ranked higher. However, if it wasn't for his suspension, they wouldn't have Byron Leftwich. Ben is a strong young QB and has led his team to two titles. Leftwich has had ups and downs in his career, but was actually the backup the last time the Steelers won the Super Bowl filling in when Ben was hurt. He has plenty of experience and his style is somewhat similar to Ben. The competition for third string is tight. Charlie Batch has been around the league for a long time and has some experience. Dennis Dixon is a young player who scrambles well and though he has less experience is the better athlete. One of these will win the backup job while Ben is sidelined. Incidentally, if Big Ben wasn't docked for his suspension, the Steelers would rank first overall as a team, but mistakes can be costly, both on and off the field.

Aaron Rogers rank carries the Packers to number 8. Rogers has come into his own since Brett Favre left town. Matt Flynn has been looking better as a backup and though he has no experience could fill in for Rogers is needed. Graham Harrell was amazing in college, but probably won't amount to much in the NFL. Not a lot of backup experience, though these guys all play a similar style.

The ninth team is the Cowboys. Tony Romo has his ups and downs. Jon Kitna saw his best years about three years ago, but plays a similar style to Romo and has plenty of experience. Stephne McGee plays a different style and has no experience, so he is big step down from Kitna.

The Redskins improved their situation by trading for Donovan McNabb. Backup Rex Grossman has lots of experience, but a different style and is easily flustered. Colt Brennan will probably never be a starter, but he is a tough kid who will do his best.

The Redskins shipped their former starter to Oakland where he helped the Raiders rank 11th. Jason Campbell did a fair job in Washington. Bruce Gradkowski was also fair in Oakland last year. They play different styles, but both are experienced. Charlie Frye was not great in Cleveland and lost his job a few years ago and finds himself as a third stringer in Oakland now.

The Giants would be higher based on Eli Manning, but their backups have me worried. Jim Sorgi learned under Peyton, but has only seen a handful of snaps over the last few years. Rhett Bomar is currently their number 3, but as a Giant fan you probably won't be excited if he is playing in an important game.

The Eagles traded away McNabb, which actually took them down to the middle of the pack. Kevin Kolb has limited experience, but when he has played, he played well. Michael Vick has lost a step and plays a completely different style than Kolb. Don't count on Joey Elliot being around come September 1st.

The Ravens come in 14th. Joe Flacco is ready for a breakout season. Troy Smith plays a different style but has limited experience. He will probably start somewhere, someday, but probably not in Baltimore, unless Flacco is injured. John Beck is more than serviceable if they ever need him.

The fifteenth rank belongs to the Jaguars. Some people don't like David Garrard, but I like his style. He made the pro bowl (kind of) last year and if he had any kind of line in front of him last year, he would have had much better numbers. If he were unavailable, Luke McCown is a decent backup. They do play a little different style but Luke has some experience to help him out. Third stringer Trevor Harris is the emergency option, but the Jaguars may choose to go into the season with only 2 QBs.

The Dolphins may be looking better at the end of the year, but Chad Henne is still unproven. He does have veteran Chad Pennington to learn from. Chad could fill in for Henne in a pinch and the Dolphins only lose the long ball. Pat White will see time in the Wild Cat and other trick plays, but is not quite ready for the limelight. They all have different styles, but Pennington has lots of experience.

In Denver, the QB situation is still a little shaky. After trading away a pro bowl QB in Jay Cutler, Denver used Kyle Orton to start the season off strong. They made a move earlier this offseason to acquire Brady Quinn, who is similar in style and experience to Orton, lacking a little on the experience. Then they moved again to get Tim Tebow in the draft. Tebow's leadership in college made him great, but it is yet to be seen what he does as a pro. Denver may be ranked higher than most people think they should be, but they have one of the better situations if one or more of their QBs go down.

Matt Ryan has helped turn the Falcons around from the bottom of the bin to a competitor. If he is unable to go, John Parker Wilson and D.J. Shockley will compete for the spot behind him. All three play different styles and Ryan is the only one with any real experience.

The Titans drafted Vince Young hoping his winning ways from college would carry to the pros. His career has been a roller coaster. He is back on his way up now though. Kerry Collins plays a different style. Where Vince rolls out, Kerry is more comfortable at home in the pocket. Both have lots of experience. Chris Simms showed a lot of promise until a spleen injury derailed his carrier. He is now a career backup without a lot of experience.

The Chiefs have come in at 20th. Matt Cassel should be better this year. He cashed in after his big year in New England and has become the Chiefs franchise QB. Brodie Croyle plays a similar style, just at a lower level. He has a few games of experience, but is kind of injury prone. Third stringer Tyler Palko isn't going to win many games on his own, but could fill in if things get that bad.

Matt Stafford is coming off a decent rookie year. If he heals up, things could look brighter for the Lions. The trade for Shaun Hill gives them a similar style QB with a good amount of experience. Drew Stanton is on his way to bust status, but could fill in if there was an emergency.

The Seahawks drop because Matt Hasslebeck is fading. He just can't stay healthy and his career is winding down. That is why the Seahawks traded for Charlie Whitehurst, who was a backup for the Chargers. Whitehurst has little experience, but is a good fit in Seattle's system. Don't be surprised if he is starting by the end of the year. Third string J.P. Losman used to play for the Bills. He was let go - enough said...

The Bengals would be higher, but if something happens to Carson Palmer, J. T. O'Sullivan is the only thing between Carson and his brother Jordan. Carson has almost all the experience, but at least they are all similar in style.

The Bears expected big things out of Jay Cutler, but learning a new system plus having nobody to throw to leads to his slide back to mediocrity. If something happens to Cutler, the Bears are in for a long season. Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez provide no experience and though a similar style, not the same level of performance.

The Cardinals were toward the top of the league last year. Then Kurt Warner retired. Barring Warner getting "Favre Syndrome", Matt Leinart will be the starter. Derek Anderson is the backup, but he was released by Cleveland, if that says anything. Anderson has more experience, but less talent. Third string is rookie John Skelton. He may actually end up the best of the bunch, if not later this year, then next.

The 49ers drafted Alex Smith hoping that he would be the next Steve Young or Joe Montana. However, things appeared to be completely opposite and it looked as though Smith would be released. Then Smith turned things around. Two years in the same system and healing up his shoulder allowed him to look decent last year. Backup David Carr was another former number 1 pick. Unfortunately, after being pummeled for a few years he was ruined as a quarterback. He still could come in if Smith is injured, but 49er's fans will pray he doesn't. Nate Davis had a successful college career, but small hands and a so-called learning disability (dyslexia) may keep him from being a star in the NFL.

The Jets made big moves to get Mark Sanchez in last year's draft. Many people think the move payed off as the Jets narrowly missed the Super Bowl. However, a look at his stats and some of the film from last year shows that Sanchez wasn't an elite QB by any stretch. Not that he was horrible, he just wasn't among the best. Backup Kellen Clemens is a good man, but his on field skills are limited. Sanchez has a full season of experience under his belt. Clemens has a handful of games. They along with third string Erik Ainge have similar styles of play, but there isn't a defined veteran among the group. The step from Sanchez to Clemens isn't huge, but Clemens to Ainge is a good drop.

The Buccaneers grabbed a first round QB last year as well. They didn't want to start him and tried for a while to avoid it. However, when things were looking dim in Tampa, they threw Freeman to the dogs. He did a fair job, but wasn't jaw-dropping. Backup Josh Johnson looked to take over prior to the drafting of Freeman, but is now a backup with a completely different style. Third string Rudy Carpenter wraps up this group of young, inexperienced guys who don't even combine to a full season of games started.

The final 4 teams in these rankings could go in just about any order, and all of them have QB competitions going on right now so the order is not set.

The Rams have the most variable situation of any of these teams. They are currently calling Jay Feeley their starter. Feeley is well past his prime and he wasn't great when he was in his prime. The Rams spent the first overall pick in the draft this year on Sam Bradford. Shoulder injuries kept him out of action last year at Oklahoma, but prior to that he won the Heisman Trophy. This is really a two man race, but third string Keith Null will be a big step down from either of these other guys. They do all have similar styles, so a transition should be fairly easy, but besides Feeley, there is not much experience to speak of.

The Bills theme this year is two year ago... Two years ago, the Bills had Trent Edwards take over for J.P. Losman when he was injured and look like a future stud. They parted ways with J.P., but Edwards hasn't panned out like they hoped. Ryan Fitzpatrick filled in for Carson Palmer with a fair amount of success when he was out with injury two years ago. Brian Brohm was drafted by the Packers two years ago to backup Aaron Rogers after Brett Favre "retired". The three are in an open competition, which I believe Edwards will ultimately win, but after last year's lackluster season, the Bills have plenty of problems at QB.

To start last season, the Browns had a QB competition. Brady Quinn was supposed to be the future of the franchise. Derek Anderson had shown glimmers of stardom. They were pitted head to head and ultimately, the Browns were terrible. Enter Mike Holmgren as GM of the Browns and exit Derek Anderson (cut) and Brady Quinn (trade). Holmgren brought in Jake Helhomme (whom the Panthers cut) and traded for Senneca Wallace (whom played under Holmgren in Seattle). Brett Ratliff was received as part of the compensation from the Jets for the pick which became Mark Sanchez. Long story short is Delhomme will probably start, Wallace will run their version of the Wildcat, and Ratliff will probably fall behind 4th stringer Colt McCoy on the depth chart and will be looking for a job. The Browns squad looks like it will struggle this season.

The 32nd ranked team is the Panthers. I'm sorry Carolina fans but Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen have little experience. They don't exactly spark fear into anyone. Moore has very little experience. Clausen is a rookie who fell in the draft. He could be the next big thing, but he wasn't exactly Joe Montana at Notre Dame. Hunter Cantwell is the number three guy and is a step down from either of the others. They all have a similar style, but the biggest question is who will be handing off the ball come the start of the season as the Panthers prepare for a season the could be really rough.

Ultimately, there are a number of teams that will be set at quarterback for the next few years. Others will be hoping to land the next great rookie. In the end though, NFL teams know that they have to have a leader in the backfield to have success.