Worst QB decision by NFL franchise.

[Batman]

Also look at quarterback play at the end of the 1980s: a bunch of Hall of Famers and then floatsam like Bubby Bristler and Tony Eason and

I didn't watch him closely enough in real time, but wasn't Lomax a little bit better than that? He had decent career numbers and his Cardinals teams were around .500. He led the league in passing yardage once (albeit the 1987 strike-shortened season) and made a couple of Pro Bowls. He also threw for 4,614 yards in 1984, which was fourth all-time at the time. Not a Hall of Famer by any means, but perhaps at the top of the late 80s second tier.

Reading up on him just now, he's another good "what if?" case. Lomax was one of the first college QBs to play in the run and shoot, which was finally making its way to the NFL right as he was forced to retire because of injuries. Makes you wonder what could have been had he stayed healthy and latched on with the early 90s Lions or Falcons that were using it.

 

[outofplace]

I didn't watch him closely enough in real time, but wasn't Lomax a little bit better than that? He had decent career numbers and his Cardinals teams were around .500. He led the league in passing yardage once (albeit the 1987 strike-shortened season) and made a couple of Pro Bowls. He also threw for 4,614 yards in 1984, which was fourth all-time at the time. Not a Hall of Famer by any means, but perhaps at the top of the late 80s second tier.

Reading up on him just now, he's another good "what if?" case. Lomax was one of the first college QBs to play in the run and shoot, which was finally making its way to the NFL right as he was forced to retire because of injuries. Makes you wonder what could have been had he stayed healthy and latched on with the early 90s Lions or Falcons that were using it.

Lomax was a lot better than Brister and Eason.

 

[outofplace]

At least Ponder has a smokin' hot wife and never was on trial for sexual assault.

Flutie needed the time in the CFL to grow. Like Warren Moon. No NFL coach was going to give Flutie time to mature.

Also look at quarterback play at the end of the 1980s: a bunch of Hall of Famers and then floatsam like Bubby Bristler and Tony Eason and Marc Wilson and Neil Lomax. There wasn't a ton in that second tier.

Patriots managed to screw up things so much in the early years that it was a miracle Parcells didn't draft Mirer. Bledsoe was considered the better quarterback, but still.

Moon didn't need to go to the CFL to mature. He needed NFL GM's to be less racist.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Eason had one half a good season (1984) and one real good one (1986). But by 1987, he was too beat up to be effective. Just too frail for the pro game.

 

[BTExpress]

Don't forget the Colts originally drafted Elway, after being told - numerous times - that if they drafted him, he's wasn't going to sign with them.

A few years later, they traded six-time All-Pro OL Chris Hinton, second-year WR Andre Rison AND their first-round pick in 1991 for the rights to draft . . . Jeff George.

And the year before the Elway debacle, the Colts used the fourth overall pick to take a, er, gamble on Art Schlichter, who has far more years in prison (20?) than he does NFL TD passes (3).

 

[Regan MacNeil]

The Bears broke him in Super Bowl XX.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

I know Jake Locker got mentioned, but I have to say the Oilers thinking that Cody Carlson was ready to replace Warren Moon in 1994 was a worse decision.

And since no one has really mentioned Tampa (that I can tell), what is their worst? Culverhouse forking over Williams (which then helped lead to Bo Jackson not signing), or trading away Steve Young after one year to focus on Vinny Testaverde, or the signing of Jack Thompson, or slow rolling Chandler or Dilfer for nothing, the Winston years?

 

[wicked]

Moon didn't need to go to the CFL to mature. He needed NFL GM's to be less racist.

Thank you for reminding me.

I do think he benefited footballwise from playing for those years instead of rotting on an NFL bench.

 

[outofplace]

Thank you for reminding me.

I do think he benefited footballwise from playing for those years instead of rotting on an NFL bench.

Maybe, but if he got the shot he deserved, he wouldn't have been on an NFL bench for long.

 

[goalmouth]

Bubby Brister's play was above flotsam. He won a playoff game for PIT, threw more TDs than INTs 81-78, and threw for 14,000+ yards in a 13-year career. He also got 2 SB rings with DEN. And, like Radar O'Reilly, his given first name is Walter. Plus, my Nanna thought he was Jewish until I explained how his first name was pronounced.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I know Jake Locker got mentioned, but I have to say the Oilers thinking that Cody Carlson was ready to replace Warren Moon in 1994 was a worse decision.

And since no one has really mentioned Tampa (that I can tell), what is their worst? Culverhouse forking over Williams (which then helped lead to Bo Jackson not signing), or trading away Steve Young after one year to focus on Vinny Testaverde, or the signing of Jack Thompson, or slow rolling Chandler or Dilfer for nothing, the Winston years?

I seem to recall Carlson wasn't that bad as Moon's backup. He had some pretty good games.

Bucs also had Testaverde and never put much of a team around him.

 

[da man]

I didn't watch him closely enough in real time, but wasn't Lomax a little bit better than that? He had decent career numbers and his Cardinals teams were around .500. He led the league in passing yardage once (albeit the 1987 strike-shortened season) and made a couple of Pro Bowls. He also threw for 4,614 yards in 1984, which was fourth all-time at the time. Not a Hall of Famer by any means, but perhaps at the top of the late 80s second tier.

Reading up on him just now, he's another good "what if?" case. Lomax was one of the first college QBs to play in the run and shoot, which was finally making its way to the NFL right as he was forced to retire because of injuries. Makes you wonder what could have been had he stayed healthy and latched on with the early 90s Lions or Falcons that were using it.

My first season playing fantasy football was 1984, and I had Marino and Lomax on my team. The league's rules counted every player's points (the starters' points counted double). I don't remember anyone else on my team, but it didn't matter. I won the championship easily.