FanHouse Brian Griese

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.

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 second half of the NFL offseason is here. Rookies and second-year players are coming in, trying to prove themselves in minicamps. But there are a few veterans who either want out, could be cut, or not re-signed by NFL teams. Here's a look at 10 who probably need a new address.

Kyle Orton doesn't have Jay Cutler's franchise quarterback pedigree. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, two years after the Bears had invested a first-round pick in Rex Grossman. And, from the beginning, his role was clear: a raw, strong-armed talent, who would spend the first few seasons on the bench learning the nuances of what it means to be an NFL quarterback.

That lasted up till the moment Grossman broke his ankle in a 2005 preseason game. At the time, head coach Lovie Smith told the AP that "I don't know exactly who there is out there but we like the guys we have right now ... Chad Hutchinson is a good player, we feel comfortable starting him, and Kyle Orton continues to shine as far as we're concerned."

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Following a disastrous end to the 2009 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone through some pretty significant changes. Gone are head coach Jon Gruden, general manager Bruce Allen and starting quarterback Jeff Garcia.

That's what happens when you haven't won a playoff game since 2002 and closed out your season on a four-game losing streak.

With Jeff Garcia out of the picture in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers' quarterback position is a bit of a question mark. If the season opened right now, the team's starting quarterback would likely be Luke McCown, whom the team recently signed to a two-year contract extension. They also have veteran Brian Griese and 2008 draft pick Josh Johnson on the roster.

According to some of the local scribes in Tampa Bay, there's some chatter around the NFL combine that Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson could be a target in a potential trade.

The signing of Luke McCown earlier this week likely signaled the end of the Jeff Garcia era in Tampa Bay, leaving the team's quarterback situation in the hands of McCown, Brian Griese and Josh Johnson. Not exactly an ideal situation for rookie head coach Raheem Morris.

McCown and Johnson are relatively unknown, while Griese isn't likely to lead his team to the promised land. How should the Bucs address this in the offseason? If you ask Mel Kiper, by taking a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered this offseason with 13 unrestricted free agents. As of Monday afternoon, that number is down to 12 thanks to a two-year contract signed by quarterback Luke McCown.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, McCown's contract is worth $7.5 million and contains a signing bonus and various other incentives that could make the deal worth as much as $14 million.

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.

Jon Gruden's firing as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke late on Friday, a seemingly shocking announcement, given not only the lack of rumors surrounding his job security, but the fact that the Bucs had been contending in the NFC South for almost his entire watch.

But he's gone now, and it turns out that he really, really never saw the firing squad lining up in front of him, according to Jay Glazer.