30. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward, Titans were on a bye in Week 10
We didn’t get to see Cam Ward and the Titans in Week 10, but we’ve seen enough this season to know that any harsh judgment made about Ward’s rookie season is unfounded. The Titans officially have the worst record in the NFL after what all went down in Week 10, and getting the #1 pick would be huge for this team. Because of the presence of Ward, the Titans could mortgage that selection for a king’s ransom of picks, and load up a roster that desperately needs reloading.
General manager Mike Borgonzi has to get the next head coaching hire right, but also this next offseason. These are Ward’s formative years in the NFL and having him out there throwing passes to the current Jimmys and Joes isn’t helpful. We’ve seen flashes from Ward, but he’s also looked like a rookie out there.
29. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Any hope the Las Vegas Raiders had of competing for a Wild Card seemed to disappear against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. And any hope the Raiders had of Geno Smith truly being a franchise player for this team?
Those are dead and gone as well.
Smith has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this season, and it looks like Pete Carroll got hoodwinked by his old pal John Schneider with the Seahawks. Not only did the Raiders give up a decent draft pick for Smith, but they also paid him a lot of money to come to Las Vegas.
For a while, Smith was a clear floor raiser at the quarterback position. This season, however, he’s looked like a high-end backup making extensive starts out there. The Raiders need a youth movement at the QB position, but is that really what Pete Carroll signed up for?