Let the Games Begin -- Matt Schaub Edition

Wahoowa!

The Falcons did what we all thought they would yesterday and fired Jim Mora, Jr. It was not a shock and this falls squarely into the PLEASE FIRE ME category of head coaching dismissals. I am sure there was a buyout all pre-negotiated and Jim will not get the full value of the remainder of his contract, nor will he hit the street penniless.

The shit is about to hit the fan big time in Atlanta. Not only do they have to come up with a new coach, they have to deal with two quarterbacks, one of which is likely not to play there next season. A brief chronology:

January 9, 2004: Falcons hire Jim Mora, Jr. as head coach. "Jim is a winner, he's a total coach" is what Falcons owner Arthur Blank said at the time.

April 24, 2004: Falcons draft University of Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub in the third round. He is the 5th QB selected, behind Eli Manning, Matt's conference colleague Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and JP Losman.

July-September 2004: it becomes obvious that Matt Schaub has a flair for Jim Mora, Jr.'s west coast-style offense that is very similar to that which he ran at UVA. All Atlanta Falcons fan polls from preseason give Matt high marks. Over the course of the season, Matt plays sparingly, appearing in two games for extended periods.

September 12, 2004: Michael Vick starts for the Falcons who go 11-5, win the NFC South by three games and get a playoff bye week.

January 23, 2005: I attend the NFC Championship with lifetime Eagles fan and Curly R reader / lurker Wilbert Montgomery. Eagles win 27-10 and it was the coldest day of my life so far.

April 5, 2005: an Atlanta woman sues Michael Vick for giving him herpes in 2003. She claims he knew he had the disease and even sought treatment under the name 'Ron Mexico' to protect his privacy.

April 7, 2005: reacting to a surge in sales, the NFL blocks the Falcons #7/Mexico jersey/name combination from being sold on it's official merchandising site. I just tried it and it's still prohibited.

January 1, 2006: Falcons finish 2005 season 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

November 22, 2006: with the Falcons at 5-5 but riding a three-game losing streak, Jim Mora, Sr., former head coach of the Saints and Colts, agrees with co-host Craig Shemon on his Fox Sports radio show that Michael Vick is a 'coach killer.' Falcons owner Arthur Blank publicly asks Michael Vick not to blame Jim Mora, Jr. for his father's comments though it is becoming very clear to serious NFL fans that Jim, Jr. and most of the fans think Michael is the Falcons' biggest problem.

November 24, 2006: Falcons owner Arthur Blank, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says a second consecutive 8-8 record is unacceptable and refrains from granting a vote of confidence to Jim Mora, Jr.

November 26, 2006: after a disappointing home loss to the Saints, Michael Vick flips the bird to the home fans on his way off the field. Michael was a whopping 9-of-24 for 84 yards in that game, though he did have 166 yards rushing.

December 15, 2006: in an interview with his college University of Washington football teammate and roommate Hugh Millen, Jim Mora, Jr. says there is nothing he'd rather do than coach the Huskies, even if it meant leaving any job he had at the time. Audio of interview. By the end of the day, Jim has been to the owner's office and is in full damage control mode, swearing up and down it was all in jest and that his career focus is on the Falcons. Ty Willingham then is forced to deny any interest in the Falcons job.

December 16, 2006: Arthur Blank voices his, er, support of Jim:

"He used very bad judgment," Blank said after the Falcons' fourth home loss this season. "He made a very bad mistake, a bone-headed mistake I would agree is a good definition. I think he's sincere in his apologies. Obviously I don't feel good about it and he doesn't feel good about it and we shouldn't feel good about it.

"I wouldn't say it's done damage to his future. I also don't think this is something where Jim is going to look back and say that was a really good thing. 'I helped myself in my career with the Atlanta Falcons.' On the other hand, you have to look at all the circumstances and what took place and feel that somebody is sincere in his apology
and sincere in trying to learn from the experience.

Falcons lose their game that day against the Cowboys and close out the season with losses to the Panthers and Eagles (which I attended with lifetime Eagles fan and Curly R reader / lurker Wilbert Montgomery -- look for my game journal later this week).

January 1, 2007: Falcons fire Jim Mora, Jr. after a 7-9 season.

The Altanta Journal-Constitution has a much more detailed outline of Jim Mora, Jr.'s time with the Falcons.

Let us have a look at where this leaves the Falcons right now. Michael Vick signed a ten-year, 130 million dollar contract at the end of the 2004 season. That contract features 37 million in guaranteed money. Have a look here for the details of this contract, but the yada yada is that Michael's cap number in 2007 is 12.4 million and in 2008 it's 13.4 million. If he were to be cut any time before that, the remaining prorated portion of the signing bonus (7.5 million) and roster bonuses (one at 22.5 million and the other at 7 million) he has received would come due in a dead-money cap hit. I don't know exactly how that would impact the Falcons' salary cap, but it can't be good.

Matt Schaub on the other hand is unquestionably this season's top free agent quarterback. He has watched as the four QBs drafted ahead of him have gotten their starting shots, and he's ready. Ironical that he was ready-made for Jim Mora's system. Matt is a restricted free agent now that the season is over so the Falcons get right of first refusal on him. His 2006 salary number of 533 thousand dollars is going to go way up for some team in 2007.

What do the Falcons do? Michael is objectively not improving and they just fired the guy that could use Matt Schaub, who many believe is the best QB on the Falcons roster. The Falcons have so much invested in Michael Vick, and Curly R 5 Questions trading partner The Falcoholic even says that Michael has been a subpar QB and that as long as Arthur Blank cares more about money than winning, Michael will continue to be the starter.

On the other hand, if they manage to sign Matt, it will have to be for starter money, then they'll be carrying two starters making top dollar. Michael's performance/contract index makes him difficult to trade, but I could see a scenario where the Falcons do a sign-and-trade with Matt another team.

It's going to be fun to watch.

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Update 25 March 2007: Matt was traded to the Texans.


Uncredited photo of Matt Schaub from Januuary 2004: thesabre.com