Baltimore Ravens: The case for Josh McCown
Nov 24, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Josh McCown (12) talks with head coach Marc Trestman during the second half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Chicago 42-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
After four years of Tyrod Taylor, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Baltimore Ravens don’t value the backup quarterback position. Think back to Troy Smith, and one would think the Ravens only want an athletic change-of-pace backup quarterback. There is one guy, though, that throws a monkey wrench into those assumptions – Marc Bulger.
A Raven for just one year in 2010, Bulger turns all these assumptions on their head. His $3.8 million contract was among the biggest for a backup in the league that year, and he is hardly the fleet of foot backup the Ravens have typically used in the John Harbaugh era.
With Taylor a free agent this year, what does Bulger teach us?
More from The Baltimore Wire
- What other Baltimore Orioles Offseason Storylines will you be interested in seeing?
- Baltimore Orioles to Face Numerous Playoff Contenders Down the Stretch
- Baltimore Orioles Showing Encouraging Signs During Recent Wins
- The Baltimore Orioles and the Expanded September Roster
- Maryland Football: Terps honor Jordan McNair, beat Longhorns 34-29
Well first of all, it shows that Ozzie Newsome‘s “right player, right price” mantra does in fact apply to the backup quarterback position. So if the right player becomes available for the right price, even if that price is above the veteran’s minimum, Ozzie will go for it.
That’s important, as a variety of really good backup options are on the market this offseason. Mark Sanchez, Matt Moore, Shaun Hill, Tarvaris Jackson and Brian Hoyer are all perfectly acceptable backups, but one guy stands out most of all – Josh McCown.
Think about all the value the recently released McCown would bring to the Ravens. There would be no better backup in the league considering how successful McCown was under Marc Trestman in 2013. Perhaps more importantly, though, is the fact that McCown would be a huge help in getting Trestman and the rest of the offense in sync, and thus on track.
Remember for a moment what happened when the Ravens brought in Gary Kubiak. They immediately filled out the coaching staff with Kubiak disciples like Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani, then they brought in free agents familiar with Kubiak like Justin Forsett and Owen Daniels. Without all those extra coaches and players to help the transition, the Ravens would not have been the same successful offense that they were in 2014.
Having been released after a horrendous season in Tampa Bay, McCown should not be particularly expensive. This isn’t Marc Bulger we’re talking about here. Bulger was a highly established starter who just happened to be on the downside of his career, while McCown is a career backup. McCown will not make $3.8 million this year.
Any one of the guys I mentioned in this article would be an upgrade over Tyrod Taylor. Some of them should go for the veteran’s minimum, so there is no excuse not to upgrade the backup quarterback position. And hopefully, Trestman is in Ozzie’s office right now lobbying for McCown.