Jon Kitna

Kitna did not throw a pass as Tony Romo's backup last season, and the Cowboys would be very happy if he didn't throw one again this season. If Romo were to get hurt Kitna would become rosterable, but in most leagues don't waste a spot on him even on spec.

A back injury limited Kitna to just four games in 2008, and he left Detroit to try and keep his career going as Tony Romo's backup.

The party's over. No more Mike Martz, which absolutely means less downfield passing and less passing overall. Note that new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto is the team’s former offensive line coach and that the team drafted a run blocking right tackle (Gosder Cherilus) and then traded up to take a running back (Kevin Smith) in the third round. Old School football is back in Detroit so take those 2007 passing stats and toss them into the circular file. The Lions are going to want Kitna to manage games, and he's just a terrible fit for that. Kitna plays on the edge, usually giving away more than he takes. Expect him to be benched by midseason when those mistakes pile up. We'd usually compliment a QB like Kitna coming off a 7.3 YPA season. But that's sub-par in a Martz offense. Remember, Kitna's 112 FAS attempts (11-20 yards from scrimmage) were the most in the NFL. And he was pretty good there, sporting an 82.3 rating. The Lions won't completely junk the passing game given the superior ability of receivers Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. But it's clearly going to be dialed way down. Then, you need efficiency to generate points. But Kitna's a quantity guy, not a quality one.

Kitna finished fourth in passing yards and threw more than 20-TD passes last year, but let’s be real. He was not a guy who you ever started comfortably, and it’s far from guaranteed that this will change. We can easily foresee a situation where the Lions are 1-5 and breaking in Michigan State rookie Drew Stanton (a second-round pick). But it’s just as likely that the Lions are explosive offensively with Tatum Bell and maybe even Kevin Jones complementing the supremely gifted Roy Williams and the even more talented rookie Calvin Johnson. The third receiver, Mike Furrey, can be very effective in the slot. And you have the greatest passing game genius of this era, Mike Martz, calling plays and trying to go pedal-to-the-metal for another head coaching gig. It’s easy to get stars in your eyes with this kind of upside. But you value players on the halfway point between their risk and reward. Kitna is one of the most mistake-prone QBs in the league, and it’s never a surprise when guys like this get canned in midseason, or, even worse from a fantasy perspective, in mid-game. As for the stats, you can get excited about Kitna’s barely plus-7.0 YPA if you want. But that’s about as bad as a QB worthy of being rostered can do in a Mike Martz offense. The 63 sacks are rooted in Martz’s inattention to maximum protection in favor of flooding the secondary with receiving threats. This is a reasonable strategy with the right QB. Kitna isn’t that.

There are major questions about who will be at the helm of the Mike Martz-led attack heading into training camp. At this point in the draft, though, you’re looking for a home run, and the starter among this duo offers your best hope. If he wins the job, doesn't expect much of a leash for Kitna should he begin to struggle. Martz’s presence is a big consideration when you take the Lions QB. But make sure your expectation is Martz Lite, as former defensive coordinator and current head coach Rod Marinelli will surely rein him in somewhat. This could be very good for the Lions’ QB, as it will help keep him in one piece. But there is no denying Martz’s offensive genius and ability to develop QBs. Add Detroit’s exciting receivers, especially the potentially dynamic Roy Williams, and a nice back in Kevin Jones to the offensive mix, and you have the makings of an explosive attack. We have to go back to 2003 to get a decent sample size on Kitna. Then, he had just a 66 QB rating on 97 11-to-20-yard passes, which shows very questionable arm strength. More impressive was Kitna’s 83 QB rating on 88 close/late attempts. Kitna’s accuracy was slightly below average with 16 percent poor throws. Better news from ’03 was Kitna converting 25 percent of red-zone attempts into TDs, above average. Unfortunately, we don’t have info on Kitna’s Wonderlic test score (a very important score in Martz's mind), but it’s unlikely to be 30 or better. If Kitna gets the job, any owner would be wise to grab McCown as an end-game pocket pick.

Kitna will backup Carson Palmer at quarterback. Kitna is one of the better backups in the NFL, and if Palmer gets injured Kitna is worthy of fantasy consideration.

He reverted to his mistake-prone ways down the stretch, costing the Bengals a playoff spot. But Kitna was top-10 fantasy scorer last year and deserves consideration as an upside play in the late rounds of deep leagues.

Although Kitna made strides in his sixth NFL season and was a top-10 fantasy quarterback in the second half of the year, the Bengals couldn't have been that impressed, as they took Southern Cal QB Carson Palmer with the first pick in the draft. New coach Marvin Lewis nonetheless insists that Kitna will start for 2003, and the signing of journeyman Shane Matthews as his backup – the Bengals want to take their time developing Palmer – confirms that.