Beware of Overvaluing Back-up Quarterbacks

The departure of Shaun Hill (#14) leaves the Lions questioning who will backup Matthew Stafford.

     The best job to have in the NFL is the back-up quarterback. You get paid a lot of money to sit the bench, hold a clipboard, and basically be an insurance policy. Like all insurance policies, it is only great to have when you absolutely need it, but it is very easy to overvalue the position.

     Backup quarterback Shaun Hill left the Detroit Lions to backup Sam Bradford with the St. Louis Rams, opening up a spot in Detroit behind Matthew Stafford. Hill was a very valuable member for the Lions and leaves a big question mark should Stafford find himself injured.

     Former undrafted free agent Kellen Moore is the only other quarterback on the roster, and was one of the best collegiate quarterbacks in history at Boise State. However, the questions of whether Moore has enough arm strength to play in the NFL has resurfaced now that there is a chance to move up the depth chart. The only film Moore has in the NFL to prove he can play at this level is from the last two preseasons, and there was plenty of signs of improvement from 2012 to 2013. Having a new coaching staff makes plans a little different with Moore, but it is valuable to find a backup that is cheap both financially and one that doesn't cost a draft pick.

     It may be a better chance the Lions select a quarterback around the fourth round thanks to the acquisition of a pair of compensation picks for that round. Being able to take Georgia's Aaron Murray or perhaps LSU's Zach Mettenberger in the fourth round would be a nice luxury, but the Lions need to evaluate whether or not backup quarterback is more valuable than building the depth at positions that really need it. The Lions let a few players on last year's roster walk, leaving a depth issues that are more valuable to a winning football team than a backup quarterback. The team must ask in the draft room what is more important to win, insurance or players that will actually get on the field and contribute.

     Having a backup quarterback can be best described as a game of chicken. Teams invest on the backup in hopes that the starter never gets injured. The Green Bay Packers showed the country last year what happens when you lose that game, having a revolving door that included Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzein and Matt Flynn relieving injured Aaron Rodgers, and struggling with a 2-6-1 record in Rodgers' absence. It is a tough game of chicken that is scary to think about the consequences, but it is safe to bank on a guy like Kellen Moore with Matthew Stafford being able to start 48 consecutive games and the Lions boasting one of the best young offensive lines in the NFL.

     The best backup quarterbacks are those that can come in if something happens to the starter and not do too much to the position but put the team in a good chance to win, and Moore was a winner with every obstacle he faced at Boise State. The only real answer to questions on Moore's abilities is that there are reasons this is a backup quarterback position rather than being starting quarterbacks.