Ask the expert: Jerry Angelo

Jerry Angelo is a former personnel director for the Bucs and former general manager of the Bears. Each week, Angelo answers your questions regarding the NFL. Send your questions to GarySheltonsports@gmail.com with "ask the expert'' in the subject line. The most interesting questions will be selected.

Saturday, 3 a.m.

In the NFL, the role of backup quarterback is an important one. But where would you look if you were the Bucs? E.J. Manuel? Josh McCown? Colin Kaepernick?

I would go with Kaepernick, assuming he is committed to being the best back-up in the league and has nothing on his mind other than football. He can still do some things that can’t be coached and is still young with experience. He’s limited mentality in terms of his football smarts, but he’s no bust. He can make plays with his arm and feet. Manuel can’t play and Josh is done.

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What does it say to you that Seattle had its choice of running backs, and it picked chunky Eddie Lacy over Adrian Peterson?

I can’t answer that one. My guess would be Lacy reminds them more of Lynch and that’s the flavor they wanted. I wouldn’t have done that, because Lacy has lost a step and now he’s just a big slow back who is more prone to take more hits and durability is already a big question mark. I think they took the wrong guy. We’ll see.

Supposedly, the Browns are interested in New York’s Geno Smith. Wouldn’t that just add to the team’s long line of disappointments?

Absolutely! But if they do sign him, they will stay consistent with all the poor choices they’ve made at the position. Sometimes to get out of a hole, you have to stop digging and the way the Browns have been digging they can almost see China now.

Jon Gruden thinks Mitch Trubisky could handle the pressure in Cleveland. Could he?

I don’t see why not. He’s from the area. He knows the mentality other fan base. He’s a bright, mature kid who comes from a great family and says the right things.

The only pressure he'll have is living up to his own expectations, because the Browns have lowered the bar so much at the position, all he really needs to do at this point is show up, because he can’t do any worse.

Whose free agency deals did you like: New England’s? Tampa Bay’s? Jacksonville? Miami?

I like what the Patriots did. Trading for a special player with two years left on his contract and really giving up only  a late one was as a very good deal on their part. Brady has about two more good years, so getting Cook couldn’t have worked out better for them timing-wise.

They get a speed receiver who can lengthen the field and open things up more for their already talented pass receiving corp. Picking up the pass rusher from the Panthers was another good move, because they gave up very little to acquire him. The other teams did well with their dealings, but they haven’t shown they can win on a consistent basis, so we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s just not about acquiring talent. It’s about acquiring players that help you win; that’s the bottom line.

A lot of analysts think the Redskins erred when they fired Scot McClouhan. Do you?

I can’t answer that one. I wasn’t in the building. There are always two sides of a story.

DeMarcus Ware retired this week. Do you have some respect for a guy who doesn’t hang on just to get paid?
Absolutely! It’s hard for players to accept the end. Most feel they can go on forever, until it’s painfully obvious to everyone, including them, that it is really over, i.e. Manning, Favre...the list goes on and on.

New Dolphins’ defensive end William Hayes doesn’t believe we landed in the moon or in dinosaurs. He does, however, believe in mermaids. Would any of those things concern you if you signed his check?

Only if he wanted to marry one and decided to buy  a boat in search of his new bride!

I saw Steve Spurrier tweaked Nick Saban this week, suggesting his coach of the year award must have been decided before the final game. In all seriousness, did you think Spurrier would have had a better chance at coaching success if he had wound up somewhere besides Washington?

No, not really. He was totally unprepared for the NFL;  because he went  to  a bad organization his destiny just happened sooner. Remember, it was the money, not the opportunity, that drove him there.

Tom Brady has been to seven Super Bowls. But Joe Montana is unbeaten in his four. So which quarterback has the best Super Bowl resume?
Brady, it’s getting there and winning. He did both. No contest.

Which old quarterback would have the best chance of competing in today’s game: Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr or Joe Namath?

Namath, he had a special swagger and an equally talented arm in terms of accuracy. Players believed in him because he oozed confidence.