Three QB Camp Battles You Have to Watch

There isn’t much better in NFL Camps than the good old quarterback battle. Who will be the team leader?  It’s kind of funny when you think about it.  We wait until the coaching staff says…”Okay, your a leader…” to who they decide is going to throw the ball for them.  We have seen it many times in the past where the QB is not really the best leader on the team, but it comes with the position title.

Anyway, here are three camp battles that you have to keep an eye on.  Why do you want to watch these guys you won’t draft anyway?  Everyone wants to be the guy who got their hands on the sleeper of the year.  More important, it effects the rest of the fantasy ballers on the team.

49′ers

This has to be the most intriguing QB camp battle.  As you may have heard, Mike Martz is in town and the winner here has the best chance to be a late round fantasy pick out of all the competitors in the unknown QB situations.  He did it with Jon Kitna, right?  One of the things the 49′ers are going to be forced to do is admit they have made a mistake if Alex Smith is not the one that comes out on top.  An expensive mistake that was a #1 draft pick.  Shaun Hill impressed last season when given the chance and has the shot here as well…or it would not be a battle. A dark horse, but J.T. O’Sullivan’s name is even in the mix.

Who is impacted?  Frank Gore has the most to lose or gain with the QB play.  He is hands down the fantasy stud of the team.  Vernon Davis’s draft stock rides on this as well.  Not one of the elite fantasy TE’s yet, he could be a hell of a sleeper pick if they get him the ball.  Martz has said he likes him and if they can get consistency out of the QB position he could blow up.

Falcons

Nobody is expecting the Falcons to compete this year in the NFL.  There are however some fantasy names that will be effected by having or not having some solid QB play.  Matt Ryan is the guy of the future, we know that.  Will they throw him to the lions so to speak or ease him in?  Unless your really desperate, drafting a Falcons QB is not in your best interest because there will likely be some switching around and you don’t know who is going to be under center come your starters bye week.  It could be Joey Harrington for all we know.  It looks like Chris Redman is going to take the starters snaps…in the beginning anyway.

Who is impacted?  The Falcons have already come out and said they want to pound the ball.  That’s great.  They are going to need someone to throw the ball though eventually and give opponents some reason not to play the run every down.  We know Michael Turner is going to get his, how about the rest of the offense?  Roddy White impressed last season with inconsistent QB play, imagine if someone gets in there that can keep it together?  Outside of Turner he is the highest ranked Falcon fantasy player.  Could be a gem if they get this thing figured out.

Bears

Nobody rushes out to grab any of the Bears early on draft day.  Matt Forte is the highest name you see on draft boards and he took a little hit with the Kevin Jones signing.  The Bears have a little history as of late with admitting their mistakes.  Cedric Benson made it a little easier for them.  Now they are taking the step with Rex Grossman by making the QB position open for battle in camp.  Neither Grossman or Kyle Orton are likely to hear their names called on your fantasy football draft day, but here again you could see some sleeper potential with other players on the team.

Who’s impacted?  The player with the most sleeper potential is Greg Olsen.  If they can get consistent play from one of the QB’s he can step up and seperate himself from Desmond Clark and move up the TE ranks.  He will be there in later rounds and it could turn up that you draft him as a #2 TE and end up starting him.

How do you think these will come out?  Throw down some comments and please vote over there in the polls on the right sidebar.

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