Sean B. Fitzgerald It doesn’t go something like this, it goes exactly like this.

Sounds familiar…

Last August, when Brett Favre decided to be traded to the Jets, I could not have been more for it. I'll be the first to admit that. Finally something to be excited about. Up until that point, I had never walked into an NFL season thinking that the Jets had the slightest chance to go deep into the playoffs. Especially with Vinny "Lead Feet" Testaverde or Chad "Ow! My shoulder!" Pennington. But with Favre under center for the 2008 Season, they were bound to make the playoffs.

Fast forward to now. The Jets lose four out of their last five games and miss the playoffs. In those games, Favre throws two touchdowns and nine interceptions. On February 11th, in a conference call, he announced his retirement (again) from the NFL and I could not be happier. If Favre were to stay another year, it would set the Jets back another five. Prior to the 2008 season, New York had signed free agent veterans such as Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca, and Damien Woody in an attempt to compete immediately. And with the trade for Favre, they has firmly established themselves as a "Win Now or Else" team.

Well, "Else" is upon them. Without Favre last season, they could have groomed "Insert Young QB" for a year and have him primed and ready to lead for the 2009 season. Now, it's time to start over. Currently, the Jets have three quarterbacks (Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, Eric Ainge) on their roster who will fight for the starting position come this summer. And with the 17th pick in the 2009 Draft coming up, they have a chance to draft a quarterback like Mark Sanchez out of USC if he were to drop to them.

Kellen Clemens:
The early favorite to win the spot is Clemens. After Pennington went down early in 2007, Kellen stepped in as a third year player and took a majority of the snaps for the rest of the season. He may have struggled (5 TDs, 10 INTs), but he still has the experience over the other two potential quarterbacks.

Brett Ratliff:
Many people haven't even heard of Brett Ratliff. Two reasons: He went to a non-BCS school (Utah) and he was undrafted and signed as a rookie free agent in 2007. But if you take one look at him, you can tell that he can be an NFL quarterback. At 6'4 235 lbs, he clearly has the size advantage over the other potential suitors. In scouting reports he is described as a typical pocket passer (a Jet staple) with a very good arm, with the main concern being his lack of accuracy and mobility.

Eric Ainge:
And finally, Mr. Ainge. At the University of Tennessee he amassed terrific numbers with a strong and accurate arm. However, scouts and teams saw him at best as a backup. Which seems to be his fate come September. Not only is he an average quarterback, he also tested positive for steroids in November 2008 and was subsequently suspended for four games (but no one seemed to notice). So remember kids, you can try steroids all you want, they won't always make you better.

My prediction is that the Jets will go with Kellen Clemens to start the season. He has the tools and the experience to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Not to mention the fact that new coach Rex Ryan doesn't necessarily even need a competent quarterback to win in this league. Hell, as the defensive line coach for the Ravens, he helped them win the Super Bowl in 2000 with Trent Dilfer as quarterback. You remember him, right? No? Anyway.