How Tight is the QB Leash? Or is Schaub Just Too Conservative?

[Keith]

Well, something to keep in mind is these guys are human beings. After Kubiak left Denver, the Broncos were getting tired of annual playoff appearances going nowhere with Jake Plummer. So Shanahan used a first round pick on Jay Cutler with Plummer still on the roster. Plummer was then benched with a 7-4 record, grew a beard and retired from football that offseason. Oh, and the Broncos began to really suck from that point and once Shanahan was gone, they hired someone else who really accelerated the downward spiral.

So asking the Texans to jumpstart Phase One of the "Replace Schaub" operation isn't going to help the team win more games in 2013 or go any deeper in the playoffs in 2013. And I am specific to 2013 because this team's window to win a Super Bowl is RIGHT NOW.

They have the other key pieces in place. Short of getting lightning to strike like it did in 2012 with all these rookie QBs, only bringing in someone like very experienced like the Broncos did with Manning would seem to enhance the team's chances in 2013. And there isn't another Manning available this offseason (no, it's not Alex Smith).

I think the 49ers are incredibly lucky that their midseason QB switch has gone as well as it had. Usually a team with 2 QBs is said to be a team that doesn't have one at all. Bringing in Schaub's 2014 or 2015 replacement in 2013 will only divide the locker room and drive us all nuts. They'd have to do like what the Oilers did with Steve McNair and just flat out be committed to Schaub in 2013, keeping an early draft pick like that on the bench. Nobody does that anymore for good reason... it's expensive for one thing. Oh, and apparently there isn't a strong QB prospect in this draft anyway.