FanHouse Brad Johnson

A week ago, the Patriots had four quarterbacks on their roster -- Tom Brady found himself backed by Kevin O'Connell, Andrew Walter and rookie Brian Hoyer.

But then the Patriots cut ties with O'Connell and did the same with Walter on Friday -- leaving just Brady and Hoyer on the current depth chart. One need look no further than the 2008 Patriots season to know that a reliable backup quarterback is needed in the NFL. And no offense to Hoyer, who was 18 for 25 in the Patriots' final preseason game while taking every snap, but it's doubtful New England would feel too confident turning to him should the unthinkable happen to Brady again.

Jeff George and Brett Favre came into the NFL in the early '90s, but that's where the similarities end. George, the first-overall pick in 1990, was known more for his mercurial disposition and unfulfilled potential; Favre, a 1991 second-rounder was, until last year, one of the league's most popular players and a Super Bowl champion.

Both players are currently out of the NFL, although Favre's return is imminent (because, well, that's how he rolls). The 41-year-old George, who last saw the field in '01, would gladly welcome a chance to play again. I suspect Jason Whitlock fully supports this.

Via IlliniHQ.com:

A year ago, the Cowboys used their two first-round picks on running back Felix Jones and cornerback Mike Jenkins. Neither contributed much as a rookie; Jenkins played in 14 games (starting three) and had 19 tackles, but the one he didn't make sticks out most in my mind (of course it does).

Jones, who was something of a surprise pick with Rashard Mendenhall still available, played in just six games before landing on injured reserve with a big toe and hamstring injury.

The NFL's oldest active quarterback could very well be inactive this football season. Possible retirement doesn't scare Brad Johnson.

He has actually been too busy to even think about it.

"This is the first spring I've had off since college, but I am going every which way," Johnson told FanHouse Monday afternoon as he drove to Ashville, N.C., for a golf fundraiser. "I know it could be over. That's the nature of it."

While the Brett Favre saga seems to be the story that won't end, even if nearly everyone wants it to. Now he's sending shoulder MRIs to the Vikings, and if everything goes well, maybe he'll still consider un-retiring for the second time.

But whether his shoulder is fine or not, the Vikings need to be aware of how unlikely it is that Favre will be the answer to the team's quarterback problems. The reality is that 40-year-old quarterbacks are very lucky if they make it through the season healthy, asking them to lead a team to the playoffs is too much. The Hall of Fame is filled with quarterbacks who retired as 38 and 39-year-olds, but there are very few 40-year-olds who ever suited up.

In the entire history of the NFL, I was unable to find one quarterback 40 years old or older who led his team to the playoffs as the team's primary quarterback. The only one who came close was Warren Moon in 1996. The Vikings were 4-4 in their first eight games, but he missed the second half of the season with a broken collarbone as Brad Johnson led the team to a first-round playoff loss.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Heading into this year's draft, Josh Freeman was considered to have the highest upside of any quarterback entering the NFL in 2009, while also possessing the biggest downside. The Buccaneers, in need of a true franchise quarterback for the first time since ... well, they've never really had one, were not only willing to take the chance on Freeman, but they were also willing to move up two spots to get him.

The goal of every NFL team is to win the Super Bowl. Even if, through front-office hires and player acquisitions, that doesn't always appear to be the case. But of the last 15 teams to hoist the Lombardi trophy, only two featured quarterbacks not classified as "franchise caliber."

In 2000, the Ravens won it all with a kick-ass defense. Trent Dilfer's job was to give the ball to Jamal Lewis and get out of the way. Two years later: same story, different team. The Buccaneers' defense did the heavy lifting; Brad Johnson was in charge of game-managing Jon Gruden's version of the West Coast offense with short passes and handoffs.

We're a month into the Broncos-Cutler standoff, and here's what we know: Jay Cutler is a sensitive sort, and new head coach Josh McDaniels might be in over his head, at least when it comes to dealing with moody Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Yet through it all, public opinion seems to be firmly behind the organization.

I have no idea how this turns out, and at this point, I don't care; I just want it to end so we can get back to the important stuff: Terrell Owens, Michael Vick and Brett Favre's impending return to the sport he loves so much. But before moving on, I just want to point out that Jeff George, perpetually on the comeback trail, has weighed in on the situation and, shockingly, supports Cutler:

Addition by subtraction -- that's the unofficial offseason mantra for the Cowboys, at least when it comes to Terrell Owens, who was released earlier this week. He has since taken his game to Canada*, and Dallas is already looking forward to next season, at least to hear Jerry Jones tell it.

Another day, another former Buccaneers player sounds off on Jon Gruden. Following the criticisms from MIchael Clayton and Jeff Garcia, not to mention the report that fans also played a role in the Buccaneers coaching change, former defensive end Simeon Rice sounded off on Sirius NFL radio (via Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk) and tossed Gruden under the proverbial bus. And then ran him over with it. Repeatedly.

Rice started off easy: "You get what you deserve," Rice said. "That's what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve."

Honestly, that was probably the nicest thing he had to say regarding his former head coach.