Clearing Out the Vikings' Impending Quarterback Logjam

With a glut of out-of-work veterans flooding the job market, it's tough for the unproven young guns out there to impress employers.

Just ask Tarvaris Jackson.

Six months ago, T-Jack was starting under center for the Vikings in a home playoff game.

Today, he's sitting around wondering when his graybeard replacement will roll into town.

If there's someone in Minnesota who isn't going ga-ga over Brett Favre this summer, odds are it's Jackson.

Rumor has it that Jackson will ask for a trade when the Favre signing becomes official. At this point, we don't know if that's true—and certainly don't know if it's prudent, given that Jackson still enjoys a "pet project" status in Minnesota under Brad Childress that wouldn't travel with him if he sought greener pastures.

But we do know that by July 30, when Favre tells the world he's suiting up in purple (or July 31, when he decides for real, or Aug. 1, when he really decides for real, or Aug. 2, when he really for sure decides for real), the Vikings will be carrying an overload of passers in Jackson, Favre, and Sage Rosenfels (we'll get to John David Booty later).

The latter two expected a shot at a starting job that assuredly will belong to the former come training camp. Unless the Vikes are keen on stockpiling bruised egos under center, something's gotta give.

What exactly is that someting going to be? Here's a look at a few scenarios that could shape the Vikings' quarterback depth chart this season.


Jackson Gets Moved If...

...the Vikings have already decided they prefer Rosenfels and want to get some value out of a deal.

From my vantage point, Jackson's experience in Minnesota's offense and support from the coaching staff gave him the edge over Rosenfels before Favre came into the picture, so I'm not sold on the idea that the team is eager to ship Jackson out.

But some forces in the football universe—including fantasy wonks, who, in their drive to seek out the best information on a team's projected starters as early as possible, are not unlike gamblers—gave the nod to Rosenfels.

After all, the Vikes didn't bring Sage into the mix because they thought he was cute. Jackson's lackluster playoff outing inspired enough doubts that the team grabbed a second quarterback to compete for the job, and spent the offseason chasing a third one.

If either Jackson or Rosenfels has the inside track on what should now be the No. 2 job behind Favre, the front office has been quiet about it. But if the team has had Rosenfels penciled in ahead of Jackson all along, they might see if Jackson—who is still just 26 and boasts plenty of physical tools—can fetch a mid-round pick or a role player in return.

If he's moved in time, Jackson likely could compete for a No. 1 or No. 2 position on a club with needs at quarterback.

Of course, any such move would leave Minnesota without a long-term plan at the position, but at this point, it's not clear that Jackson still fits that description.


Rosenfels Gets Moved If...

...the team doesn't think it can get him the preseason action he needs to back up Favre effectively.

Before the Favre courtship began, there were plenty of training camp snaps available to get Rosenfels acclimated in the offense and to hold a quarterback derby with Jackson if necessary.

But Favre will have plenty of work to do in camp himself. As often as we've heard him say he knows the offense he'll be stepping into, Childress' West Coast variant is two generations removed from the system Mike Holmgren ran in Green Bay.

Favre also needs to develop timing with a first-team offense that includes two new linemen (John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt) and a rookie receiver in Percy Harvin.

Rosenfels and Jackson need that work, too, and with Favre around, both of them aren't going to get it. If Favre gets hurt or runs out of gas midseason, the Vikings need a backup who is ready to step in and contribute right away. That might be enough to tip the scales in Jackson's favor.

The trouble with shipping out Rosenfels before he gets a close-up is that a Favre injury would put the team right back where it started: Relying on Jackson to come through.

The team also is unlikely to get equal value on the fourth-round pick it paid to get Rosenfels, so this move would be of the cut-your-losses variety.


Both Stay Put If...

...Favre drags his feet getting to camp, or needs more time to recover from surgery.

This scenario would say as much about the team's assessment of Favre's health as it would about Jackson and Rosenfels. If the Vikings are confident that they'll get 16-plus games from Favre, they should feel fine about moving one of the other two and taking their chances.

But the longer it takes Favre to get rolling in Mankato—or the longer it takes for his surgically repaired bicep to return to full strength—the better the odds that Minnesota will give both Jackson and Rosenfels a long look during camp, in case one of them ends up under center midway through the season.

If Favre limits his action during the first few weeks of camp while his arm rounds back into shape, the team could find the time it needs to hold an earnest Jackson-Rosenfels showdown (and to get Rosenfels up to speed in the offense, as mentioned earlier).

The real value in carrying both Jackson and Rosenfels into the season, however, is that the team would have the chance to see both in action against real opponents before choosing one or the other. Keeping both quarterbacks would let the Vikings put those all four of those otherwise tedious preseason outings to good use.

Together, Jackson and Rosenfels will make around $2 million this season, so keeping both isn't cost-prohibitive.

After Favre crashed and burned two-thirds of the way through last season, one has to imagine that the Vikes have a keen interest in slotting a quality backup behind him on the depth chart. This scenario would allow them to take their time in doing so.

The casualty here would be 2008 fifth-round pick John David Booty, the former USC passer (and current owner of Favre's No. 4) who has yet to see the field for the Vikings.

Booty, the presumed third-stringer if Jackson or Rosenfels departed, would be cut or stashed on the practice squad (and free to depart as a free agent) if the team kept both.