Keep or Cut: QB Josh McCown

by Jaxon on Feb 3, 2010 10:51 PM EST

This week's edition of Keep or Cut shines it's critical light on back-up QB Josh McCown. McCown came to the Panthers before the 2008 season in a trade with the Dolphins for a 7th round pick. McCown has seen little game time action in two seasons. He appeared in only one game for the Panthers in 2009, the season opening blowout to the Eagles where McCown was 1 for 6 in relief of starter Jake Delhomme until he injured his knee, sending him to IR.

The emergence of QB Matt Moore casts McCown's role in 2010 in doubt. If the starters job is truly Moore's to lose then Jake Delhomme easily becomes one of the better back-up QB's in the league. So should the Panthers consider using a 30 year old journeyman QB in the 3rd QB slot? It makes more sense, both strategically and fiscally to use the 3rd spot for a rookie QB draft pick to groom for the future. McCown's cap hit in 2009 was $1.7M, a pretty steep price for a #3 QB.

On the other hand neither of the two guys in front of McCown are sure-fire 2010 stars. Moore is in many peoples eyes still an unproven commodity. Delhomme on the other hand has raised serious doubts about whether he can regain his previous form. At age 30 McCown brings a good mixture of maturity and experience that may be needed if the Panthers QB depth chart should become suddenly thin, something a mid-round rookie would be hard pressed to fill.

So let the debate begin...keep or cut?

Poll

Should the Panthers keep or cut QB Josh McCown?

Keep

70 votes

Cut

438 votes

508 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I voted CUT.

Rather than list all of the reasons why I believe it is time for the Panthers and McCown to part ways, I’ll just say that I cannot think of one single reason why he should stay.

The only way I’d keep McCown is if a QB-starved team was looking to invest in an experienced, though cheap, QB. I’d then be shipping him off asap via trade.

Helpful reminder for James at seasons end: 2nd Rnd CSR Fan Draft Pick.

by D-Ranged1 on Feb 3, 2010 10:59 PM EST reply actions

I'm with D-Ranged1 on this...

I say cut for the simple fact that I cannot think of one good reason to keep him, unless he’s willing to be the water boy or something.

by BW Smith on Feb 3, 2010 11:14 PM EST reply actions

McCown is still a servicable backup in this league

It would be unfair to keep him at the 3 spot.

Let him go.

Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.

by James Dator on Feb 3, 2010 11:31 PM EST reply actions

+1

by pantherpride on Feb 4, 2010 11:12 AM EST up reply actions

No debate -- no doubt -- cut him

Moore has proven himself already. He’s the starter unless he fails miserably, and he gave absolutely NO sign of that happening in the last 5 games. McCown never played as well as Moore has, in his career. For a #3, we’ve got Cantwell, and/or we can draft someone to groom.

No need for us to keep a 30 year old journeyman. He can easily find a job elsewhere.

by bigdavis on Feb 4, 2010 12:06 AM EST reply actions

Definately Cut

The poll is about at 85% in favor of cutting at the time of this posting. I tend to agree. We already have Jake Delhomme as a backup, as much comfort as that’ll give Panther fans. Let’s just get someone we can develop through the draft and rebuild from there.

"Once again the trousers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn

by Revshawn on Feb 4, 2010 8:15 AM EST reply actions

Cut and Groom

Cut him and continue to develop Moore and Cantwell.

by Tater596 on Feb 4, 2010 10:26 AM EST reply actions

Ok, so we’ve got a somewhat proven QB but we don’t know whether he’s starter material yet. I think he’s able to start… Moore starts.

We’ve got a Tommy-John juryrigged QB as a backup… he’s proven himself to be an interception machine and there’s serious doubt that he’ll recover his form prior to surgery… Delhomme… I think he’ll be kept to have a QB controversy in camp and wind up as the backup… he should be used as trade bait. Experience or not… leadership or not… we can’t trust him to do anything other than fumble and throw to the wrong team.

3rd string QB is unknown… some experience… probably career backup better or worse than Moore? Unknown… better or worse than Delhomme? Does he fumble and is he an interception machine?… I say he should be trade bait…

Either Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn will be available… either one of them should be an OK backup… Panthers should draft a mid range QB… 3-5 round… somewhere in there I think. (Remember, Brady was a 6th round pick)…

by scorpion12 on Feb 4, 2010 12:27 PM EST reply actions

I would imagine Delhomme contract makes him untradeable

unless mid-season a team loses its QB and has no capable back-up

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Feb 4, 2010 12:35 PM EST up reply actions

cantwell

I think Cantwell’s price and experience are just right for a 3rd stringer.

by usana_gaines on Feb 5, 2010 8:42 AM EST up reply actions

If the Panthers don't draft a QB then Cantwell would be an option

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Feb 5, 2010 5:50 PM EST up reply actions

Cut = not resign

was 2009 his last year under contract. We would have to resign him to keep him. As others have said, he makes a decent 2nd stringer, so I wouldn’t want to keep him on as 3rd.

by LittleKing on Feb 4, 2010 3:55 PM EST reply actions

Cut=No new contract unless something terrible happens

It is very unlikely that McCown will not find a new team when free agency starts in 2010 season but I would not give him a new contract. The fact of the matter is that I consider him as ineffective as Weinke was. Fox was high on McCown so who knows but I seriously doubt he returns in 2010 for the Panthers.

M. Moore – J. Delhomme – and Cantwell are going to be our QB’s going into the 2010 season . Cantwell I believe with edge any rookie out and and really the rookie will have to spend the season of 2010 on the PS Squad unless we trade up and grab a Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy which seems really unlikely to me.

Go Panther.

by Holty_Panthers_Fan on Feb 4, 2010 4:23 PM EST reply actions

Let him walk and I wish him luck.

We already have too much money tied up in a non starting QB this season. Also, if we ever got to our 3rd string QB, then we would be in serious trouble no matter who it is (see Panthers 2007).

Will Parker

by WillParker81 on Feb 6, 2010 1:16 PM EST reply actions