Marc Bulger: Latest Ravens, Steelers and 49ers Rumors
By on August 1, 2011
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As the 2011 free-agent frenzy finally begins to die down, the pickings are beginning to get very slim.
Kevin Kolb has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, Donovan McNabb is now a Minnesota Viking, Vince Young is on the "dream team" Philadelphia Eagles and even Bruce Gradkowski got a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The only big-name QB that remains unsure of his future is Carson Palmer—but that's a different story.
Teams in need of a quality backup are now looking in the direction of Marc Bulger.
The 11-year veteran hasn't shown the greatest competitive spirit over the past few years after becoming a human sack piñata towards the tail end of his career with St. Louis Rams. He admitted to preferring a backup role when he signed with the Baltimore Ravens a season ago. It's hard to tell how serious he is taking football at this stage in his career.
Yet the two-time Pro Bowler still has value, and Bulger would be terrific insurance for teams already sure of their starter.
The 34-year-old has a "strong interest" returning to the Ravens, but it's unclear if they want him back. The Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with Dennis Dixon drama and may be interested. Ditto for a San Francisco 49ers team that has an odd way of judging QBs.
We'll take you through all of the latest news regarding Bulger and predictions on where he finally ends up.
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Former pro bowl quarterback Marc Bulger has fallen off the NFL radar the past year or two, but that doesn't mean his career is over. In fact, given the right situation, Bulger might do his best Kurt Warner impression, ironic considering he is the quarterback who pushed Warner out of St. Louis in the first place.
The 34-year-old Bulger didn't even attempt a pass last year for the Ravens, but he's was an NFL starter for more than half-a-decade so there is value there. And there are a few clubs who would rather turn to a grizzled, worn-down, but steady veteran rather than a young, inexperienced passer who has the knack for both spectacular and spectacularly horrible plays.
Here are three clubs that--given the right salary circumstances--should take a look at Bulger.
#3: San Francisco 49ers:
Alex Smith may have reportedly become Jim Harbaugh's new golden boy, but given how antsy the 49ers fans have been and how much of a disappointment Smith has become, he's got to have an extremely short leash. And althogu the club spent a second round choice on Colin Kaepernick, it's hard to think he's going to be ready to play by midseason if at all in 2011. Bulger can be a nice one-year bridge.
#2: Baltimore Ravens:
A week or two ago, when there were more quarterbacks on the market, I understood the Ravens disinterest in bringing Bulger back. But what exactly is their gameplan for a backup? Rookie Hunter Cantwell? Rookie Tyrod Taylor? Joe Flacco is that franchise, for sure, but he's been increasingly unhappy with the club's decisions and his play was very erratic last season.
#1: Indianapolis Colts:
It's not exactly ideal for Bulger to step in behind a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who just inked a five-year, $90 million contract, but Manning doesn't seem indestructible. He's on the PUP list right now and there are no guarantees about his neck. For a game or two, Bulger is a better option that Curtis Painter, Mike Hartline, or even Dan Orlovsky, who they recently signed but was at the helm of the 0-16 Lions...that wouldn't instill much confidence in already shaky Colts fans.
--Adam Lazarus
Follow me on Twitter at lazarusa57
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Does having a third string QB with inside knowledge of your division worth it?
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the few teams that could be a fit for the two-time Pro Bowl QB Marc Bulger for numerous reasons:
1.) They may have Alex Smith and Colin Kirkpatrick already firmly entrenched at the position...but that doesn't take them out of the QB market. Jim Harbaugh comes to the NFL with a strong understanding of the QB position and will likely want as much competition as possible.
Bulger may not be capable of starting, but he can be a valuable second or third stringer depending on the progression of Kirkpatrick.
2.) Bulger has spent nine years in in the NFC West with the St. Louis Rams and knows the division like the back of his hand.
Sure there's been a decent amount of turnover in the year since leaving St. Louis—but the core players and philosophies are still the same and Bulger can provide some valuable intel on what he has learned during his tenure.
3.) The two sides were strongly linked before the lockout per a report by the NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi.
The big issue would be money. He made $3.8M last year with the Baltimore Ravens to not throw a single regular season pass. No way he gets even half of that in San Fran. He would need to take a huge pay-cut to play in the Bay Area.
Yet it may be the reality of where Bulger's head is at right now. He has been mentally battered by a rough ending to his career in St. Louis and is looking for nothing more than a cushy backup job right now.
Going to a team that can't guarantee him any sort of playing time is not a problem...even if there are two guys ahead of him.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had issues with the backup QB position—but free agent Marc Bulger isn't going to be the answer.
Dennis Dixon refused to sign a contract and was a no-show for the first few days of camp. He finally decided to sign a one-year deal on Monday to remain a member of the Steelers.
Now the likelihood of Bulger following suit has expired. Ben Roethlisberger is firmly entrenched in the starting position and Byron Leftwich is currently No. 2 on the depth chart.
Throw in that Charlie Batch has been participating in camp and the Steelers don't need a QB.
The Steelers were one of the top teams in the running for Bulger a season ago when he had parted ways with the St. Louis Rams. This yer the rumor mill had begun spinning once again when Dixon decided to hold off on signing the deal.
But as the QB market continues to shrink by the day—Dixon decided to sign the contract that was already on the table.
Bulger can now cross another name off the list. As time goes on it seems as if the options for Bulger are down to just a team or two.
He would have been a good fit in Pittsburgh considering they don't need a guy that is looking to compete for a starting position. Having a vet like Leftwich in there that knows his limitations is perfect for backing up a QB in Roethlisberger that isn't afraid to take the big hit.
It could be argued that he's willing to take the skull rattling hit to gain the extra three-yards more than any other QB in the league. He is always one play away from a serious injury.
Having an experienced backup and a third-stringer in Dixon that has the same playing style of the first two on the depth chart is brilliant.
So as the hunt to find a new home for Bulger continues—you can cross the black and gold off the list.
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Who knew Marc Bulger is still needed.
The Baltimore Ravens are currently in the market for a free agent QB to backup starter Joe Flacco and aren't looking to start a competition. They need a guy that knows the game and can provide some sort of stability in case of an emergency.
That's why Bulger is the perfect fit.
He severed the same role last year and is already familiar with the playbook, receivers and style of offensive the team implements.
An even better trait of Bulger that makes him the man for this job—he has no desire to ever play in a game again. He doesn't want to compete for a starting position, being a backup is perfectly ok with him. It goes against the grain of most NFL player's mentalities, but not everybody has endured the sort of pain and suffering of Bulger.
The two-time Pro Bowler with the St. Louis Rams got beat to a bloody pulp by the end of his tenure. He was dealing with some sort of injury for the last two years with the team behind an offensive line that was widely considered to be one of the worst in the league.
It really effected him mentally and now Bulger is more than happy to carry the clipboard and watch Flacco get his faced smashed into the turf while still collecting a sizable check.
If the Ravens don't get a deal done with Bulger, it's not like they have incredible options. Here is the current list of QBs available on the free agent market:
Chris Sims, Trent Edwards, Jake Delhomme, J.P. Losman, Brodie Croyle, Rex Grossman, Jim Sorgi, Troy Smith and Shaun Hill.
Yikes.
There aren't any better options on the market and going with a 11-year vet with plenty of experience trumps bringing in a younger guy with a chip on his shoulder looking to get back in a starting lineup. The Ravens are best served to bring back Bulger.
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The Miami Dolphins are in need of another QB and Marc Bulger is not the answer.
In fact, the 'Fins should come out and tell everyone to stop putting the idea out there at all.
The Dolphins have already been active in the QB market, picking up both Matt Moore and rookie Pat Devlin. It appears they are willing to go into the 2011 season with Chad Henne still under center, but are looking to give him some strong competition.
Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentential reports that the team is looking at three more potential options:
The Dolphins are still doing their homework on players who play the game’s most important position, and that might lead to a few acorns – like Derek Anderson, Marc Bulger and Jake Delhomme – being picked up later in the exhibition season.
Anderson and Delhomme have plenty of baggage at this point in their respective careers—but both are still hoping to get NFL snaps. They want to be out there. They think they are still capable of winning games in the NFL.
The same can't be said for Bulger.
After years as the No. 1 guy in St. Louis, it seems that he is mentally beat down. The two-time Pro Bowler signed with the Baltimore Ravens a year ago knowing he didn't want to have any part of starting. Joe Flacco is firmly entrenched atop the depth chart and Bulger's job was to help him develop.
The Dolphins are looking for guys to compete for a starting spot. Bulger would not bring the intensity to push Henne. A vet like Delhomme that has always displayed a strong competitive spirit is a much better fit to keep the QB race interesting.
Bulger is strictly a backup at this point and that's not what Miami is looking for.
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