The problem with this is his ability to scramble is surely going to be hampered by those two blown knees of his. The guy is one injury from retirement with those legs of his. Shockley is not the future, but he still holds some value as depth, although I can’t see the Falcons agreeing to a one-year million dollar deal with Harrington if they were planning on cutting him over Shockley. And as such, we might be the only team carrying four QB’s to start the season.

Personally, if he was smart, he would cut his loses and go tryout for an AFL team so he can be a star and get paid versus sitting behind three QB’s and never seeing the light of day in the NFL.

Dude would be an instant star and hometown fave for the Georgia Force. Not a bad idea Jesse28.

Screw Joey Harrington! How dare he get on Petrino’s bad side! Bring back Petrino!

Sorry for the sarcasm. Totally kidding. It’s a new regime so I think that bodes well for the Harrington/Shockley battle royale of training camp 2008. Sure Harrington has the experience but Shockley is a hometown hero, blown knees and all.

In this case I have to go with the the principle of Occams Razor that states if all other things being equal, the simplest solution works best. Harrington has way to much experience to be passed over for Shockley. I still think that Joe Joe has an outside shot at being the starter come week 1.

There is something that needs to be added to this Shockley discussion and Kevin71 hit on it in a way. Shockley was a scrambling QB. Sure, he has an arm, can probably fit in nicely with a stable line as a pocket QB, but his strength was the fact that if the pressure got to him, he could have used his legs to make things happen. Does that remind you guys of anyone else? Sure it does, so don’t you think it will remind other people as well, especially Blank?

I know and understand that he is not Vick and he never will be Vick, and a certain level he shouldn’t even be compared to Vick. But yet, on this very small island, he has to be compared to Vick if for no other reason than his style of play. Let’s remember everything that has been said from Blank and upper management about the drafting of Ryan and what he represents to this team and franchise. He’s the beginning of a new chapter, the new face of the franchise, the person who will deliver us from the ghosts of our past and into a future of pocket QB bliss. Blank in no way want to trot out another scrambling QB to remind the players, the fans, or the media of what once was. He clearly wants to cut off that fractured limb of Falcons history because it burned his so.

Does that mean he won’t make the cut? Not exactly, but if I was a betting man, my money would be on Shockley never seeing the field in a Falcons uniform. Throw in his not one, but two blown knees and he loses that scrambling trait that made him a value to begin with. Maybe that makes him more pocket QB like and therefore increases his chances of making the cut, but I still say it’s doubtful. And obviously I am not saying he shouldn’t get his chances, I’m just saying his chance is slim.

The AFL thing was an idea brought by memories of my boy Joe Hamilton from GaTech. Shockley seems to be following the same path Hamilton took, with the exception that NFL Europa no longer exists for Shockley to take advantage of. Hamilton had the unfortunate disadvantage of being behind Peyton Manning and was sent over seas where he lead his team to I believe two straight championships before blowing his knee a second time. He then eventually made his way to Orlando in the AFL and led them to the championships a few times before he blew his knee a third time and finally called it quits.

The thing is, he made the most of his ability at lower levels where he could actually start and I think Shockley needs to seriously start thinking about that. There are many things that combined are conspiring against him and will more than likely keep him from ever seeing the field in the NFL. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.