Jimmy Clausen Will Not Be Back For a Senior Year At Notre Dame: EXHIBIT A
__________________________________________________________________________College Football, NFL |
All of a sudden, the term ‘Fighting Irish’ is an even touchier subject.
Notre Dame Junior Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was punched in the face outside of a bar just hours after yet another heartbreaking and baffling Notre Dame loss.
After Notre Dame was punched in the stomach by UConn, losing 33-30 to The Huskies and giving The Notre Dame Football Human Resources staff something to do for next couple of weeks, Jimmy Clausen was a victim in what is being described as a sucker punch by an incensed fan.
Jimmy Clausen should not return for a senior season at Norte Dame and we've already found some NFL Suitors for him.
Clausen did nothing to instigate the sucker punch according to The Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“[Jimmy Clausen] was not engaged in a fight. He didn’t throw any punches. He didn’t directly engage the individual.”
Jimmy Clausen was not behaving like a Fighting Irish despite being sucker punched, and with Notre Dame’s ongoing week-to-week 3 ring circus likely to get blown up before your very eyes, he would be a fool to return to Notre Dame for a senior season and risk getting Sam Bradforded. It’s time for young James to move on, so allow us to cut his losses right now and look at which NFL teams could use his services should he reach his potential as a pro.
Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are practically married to that great big contract they gave QB Jamarcus Russell so it is highly unlikely that they will sever ties with Russell and eat the $30 million+ in guaranteed cash. However Oakland will be in a familiar position of being able to choose a coveted QB prospect in an NFL draft come 2010. Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Jimmy Clausen will be the third quarterback taken in the draft at this point, behind Sam Bradford and Jake Locker, but we see Clausen as having a real shot at being the first or second quarterback selected in The 2010 NFL Draft. Translation? Come 2010 it could be Jimmy Clausen who is doing everything in his power to avoid becoming a Raider.
Washington Redskins. Here’s where Clausen is most likely to end up with The Jason Campbell Experiment deemed an abject failure after four starting seasons (whether fair or not). Notre Dame quarterbacks already have good will in Washington after The Joe Theismann days, and Dan Snyder has never been afraid to make a hire based purely on nostalgia (see Joe Gibbs). If Snyder could stick to one coaching staff, one system, and stop reading the Washington Post so frequently after a loss, Jimmy Clausen could truly thrive in Landover. But don’t hold your breath.
The NFC West. This division is perennially the worst division in The NFL. With all 4 teams within the division unsure as to who their quarterback of the future is (yes, even The Arizona Cardinals), it’s time to start thinking about life after Marc (Bulger), Matt (Hasselbeck), Kurt (Warner) and whoever the Niners decide to stick behind center to take sacks snaps. It’s unlikely that The Cardinals will be in this discussion as they are once again running away with this divsion, but the other three teams in The NFC West (all of whom have losing records and are in need of a quarterback of the future) should be about as far apart from each other in the pick order for the first round of the draft as they currently are in the NFC West Standings. In other words, The Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers should all be within striking distance of The Artist Formerly Known as The Kid With the Golden Arm.
Carolina Panthers. They need to decide whether they want to continue fighting an uphill battle to give themselves a(n outside) chance of getting into The Playoffs, or whether it may be time to set up shop and prepare to replace The Agin’ Cajun Jake Delhomme (keep in mind we never recommend ‘setting up shop’ no matter how bad you are). The Panthers haven’t made a play for a franchise-type quarterback for years and they’ve managed to get by with the glorified stop gap otherwise known as Jake Delhomme. If the Panthers don’t do their quarterback homework come The 2010 NFL Draft, they’ll be battling The Raiders, Lions, and Browns in the race for NFL Futility for the next 10 seasons.
Cleveland Browns. We don’t care what Eric Mangini says, every media outlet we’ve talked to in Cleveland tells us that if Eric Mangini stays with Cleveland he wants to move forward with his own quarterback. Jimmy Clausen isn’t quite the ‘system’ quarterback who fits into offenses run by coaches from The Bill Parcell’s Coaching Tree. But Charlie Weis (who coached with Mangini in New England) and the pro-style offense he runs (or ran) at Notre Dame will benefit Jimmy Clausen in his transition to The NFL especially if he winds up playing for Eric Mangini and The Browns.
The Buffalo Bills. If The Bills have their way, Mike Shannahan will be in the war room, front and center, for The Buffalo Bills as he hand picks the right quarterback for his next coaching stint. Trent Edwards is walking on thin ice in Orchard Park, and if Mike Shanahan gets the control he wants should he be chosen as the next head coach of The Buffalo Bills, he will blow that roster up and Trent Edwards will be but a casualty.
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Tags: BCS, Bill Parcells Coaching Tree, College Football, Jamarcus Russell Contract, Jimmy Clausen, Jimmy Clausen Punched, Mel Kiper's Big Board, NFL, NFL Draft 2010, Notre Dame Football
