Carson Palmer and 10 Others Who Won't Be Starting in 2011
The NFL is a merciless league. Aside from the high paid rookies there is little to no room for error. There are players who entered the 2010 season with a lock on the starting positions. Some of those players have managed to play themselves out of those positions.
The more intuitive readers may have already figured out one such player, but keeping reading, because I am about to give you ten more.
1. QB Carson Palmer
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Once upon a time, Carson Palmer made his first playoff start and sat on the verge of becoming the next great NFL QB. Then, minutes into that start, he suffered a brutal knee injury. He has yet to regain the promise he seemed overflowing with on that day.
The Bengals were a surprise playoff team in 2009. However, they made it in spite of their passing game not because of it. This caused them to draft a TE and bring in Terrel Owens, in order to upgrade Palmer's weapons. The results have not followed.
Palmer has a an 82.7 QB rating, 61 percent completion percentage and he has thrown 18 INTs. These numbers are not going to get it done. Palmer is likely going to be one of the fall guys for the Bengals struggles.
2. RB Marion Barber
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Marion Barber has already taken a backseat to Felix Jones. A trend that is only going to increase next season. It appears that the hits have taken a toll on Barber. He lacks the explosiveness and power that once made him a pro-bowler.
Although Barber is only 27, he appears to have hit the running back wall. He is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry and has found the end zone only four times. Barber may not be back in big D and whichever team does pick him up will not be doing so to start.
3. WR Braylon Edwards
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Braylon Edwards currently leads his team in receptions and receiving yards. He also leads them in drops. While Edwards has shown flashes of dominance, he is been plagued by his inconsistency.
This will be an important off-season for the Jets and Edwards. He has not proven to be the kind of guy you can count on to put in the off-season work. The Jets will bring in someone to push Edwards and they'll start him off on the bench to show him they a done with his halfhearted commitment.
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4. DB Cortland Finnegan
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Cortland Finnegan, just like his team, has had a tumultuous season. He shows flashes that he can be a shutdown corner, but he has gotten beat too often this season. The Titans will be looking to rebuild their once proud defense and they may start with the corner whose mouth has been bigger than his game.
The Titans have some young depth at the DB position, led by Alterraun Verner, and Finnegan may soon find himself out of a job.
5. QB Tony Romo
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Romo has been out of the Cowboys lineup since Week 8. He was not horrible when he was playing, but he certainly wasn't leading the Cowboys to any victories. The Cowboys offense is performing at the same level without Romo as it was with him.
It is pretty clear that Jerry Jones is ready to shake things up in big D. They are likely going to bring in a new coach and a QB is sure to follow. Jones is not patient enough to sit and wait for a QB to develop through the draft and he will make a play to bring in a free agent to lead his prized possession back to the promised land.
6. RB Ronnie Brown
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Ronnie Brown is about to hit the 30-year-old running back wall. His 3.4 yards per carry average may actually be a sign that he has already hit it. The Dolphins offense struggled this year. They lacked an identity. They were neither a power running team or a precision passing team.
The Dolphins offensive line is solid and young. I expect they will be looking to bring a RB in through the draft, or maybe even free agency. One thing is for certain though, Brown's starting days are behind him.
7. WR Steve Smith
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Steve Smith has struggled through a forgettable season. The Panthers offense has been pathetic. One week, he had a guy trying to get him the ball, that the previous week was making his kids' lunches as a stay at home dad.
Team struggles aside, Steve Smith has lost a step. He is still a competent WR, but he is past his days of being a team's number one threat. Smith will likely go onto have a solid 2011 season, but he will do it on fewer snaps than he is getting now.
8. SS Bernard Pollard
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Benard Pollard has done an admirable job as a SS in run support. He is, however, on the team that features the league's worst pass defense. The Texans will need to find a Safety that has better instincts and speed to shrink the field for opposing teams offenses.
Pollard may still get some run in the bigger sets, but his days as an every down safety are numbered.
9. Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck's offense has not done him any favors. He is playing behind a patchwork offensive line, he has no running game and young receivers. These are the ingredients for a failure pie for any QB.
Still, all these things considered, Hasselbeck's days as an effective starter have passed him by. His arm strength appears to be diminishing by the day. He leaves too much air under his throws and they become easy targets for the defense.
10. WR Randy Moss
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Remember when everyone was wondering how the Patriots' offense was going to cope with the loss of Randy Moss? Well, they got better. That's how they coped with it.
Moss looks older with every passing play. He no longer is commanding a double team on the deep routes and he doesn't run routes underneath. Moss may have a hard time making a roster next year, let alone being a starter.
11. The Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings are one of the year's most disappointing teams. While they have a few players that are sure to be come back as starters (Adrian Peterson), the majority better get to work on improving themselves in the off-season.
There is not another team in the league that had as many players as the Vikings fail to live up to their preseason expectations. It is going to be a long Spring of change in Viking's land.
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