Two underrated free agent signings in the past 24 hours were Jason Campbell and Kyle Orton agreeing to become backup quarterbacks. Campbell signed with the Bears for $3.5 million Tuesday to back up Jay Cutler. Orton signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys Wednesday to back up Tony Romo.
Campbell went 11-7 over the past two seasons as a starter in Oakland and was 4-2 before getting knocked out for the season last year. He’s not a big game-changer, but he doesn’t make too many mistakes and he gives his teams a chance to win.
Orton was 1-4 as a starter for the Broncos before being benched in favor of Tim Tebow. He was claimed by the Chiefs after being waived and went 2-1. He’s capable of putting up bigger stats than Campbell, but he also makes more mistakes.
What’s interesting about these signings is that it shows there are limited opportunities for quarterbacks to compete for starting jobs; most teams feel they have a quarterback or are planning to acquire one through the draft or free agency. Just looking around the league, either QB would be an upgrade for the Vikings, Seahawks, Cardinals, Browns, and Jags. I’m not sure why those teams weren’t interested.
