Three notable quarterbacks have found themselves wearing different uniforms for the first time in years. Through trades, these quarterbacks have been shown the door by their teams.

While one wanted to say goodbye (Trent Green), another had his starting role eliminated and he’ll be starting back at square one, fighting for a starting spot with his new team (David Carr, featured in picture). But the latter’s departure opened the door for a third quarterback, Matt Schaub, who will, for the first time, be in a starting role that is his to lose.

Two of those players have been given a starting spot; the third has the potential to start at some point in the season, whether or not injury befalls the starter.

The question to ask at this point is, which, if any, do you I draft? Where do they fall among other starters?

With those two questions in mind, let’s see which of the three you should draft and which you should pass on.

Trent Green — The Trent Green trade to Miami became the most talked about quarterback trade of the offseason — and it almost didn’t happen. Because the Chiefs wanted a high draft choice in exchange for Green and the Dolphins were only willing to part with a late-rounder, tension grew and a stalemate between the two teams developed.

A frustrated and hurt Trent Green pleaded with the Chiefs to trade him. But Kansas City was stubborn, despite having no leverage in the deal. With two quarterbacks already on board for 2007, a contract dispute developing with Larry Johnson, and Herm Edwards being quoted saying the team needed to get “younger,” a 37 year old Green was the odd man out. It would either be through a trade or free agency.

Finally, an relieved Green was traded in exchange for a conditional mid-late round draft choice in 2008. Miami hopes he can bring a spark to the offense, a spark that has been absent since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season.

And a spark Green brings. Despite having a receiving corps limited in talent, he has managed to consistently be among the most prolific passers in the NFL.

Prior to his injury last season — a concussion that brought the future of his career in question — Green had thrown for more than 4000 yards the three prior seasons, and at least 3600 yards the two seasons prior to that.

Contrary to the Chiefs, the Dolphins bring to the table a set of weapons at wide receiver. Newly acquired Ted Ginn Jr. has the potential to be a standout in the league while Chris Chambers is a dynamic threat. Longtime veterans Marty Booker and Az-Zahir Hakim bring a certain degree of wisdom to the offense as well, something Ginn Jr. can learn from.

And Green isn’t necessarily leaving a great run offense behind him. Though Ronnie Brown is hardly another Larry Johnson, he holds his own as a running back. No doubt he’ll benefit from the passing threat green brings to the offense.

All things considered, Green is walking into an offense that has great potential in 2007, mostly thanks to his presence. He also feels confident he is fully recovered the the concussion last season and he doesn’t expect any severe long term effects. News like that allows fantasy owners to breathe a sigh of relief while preparing to draft Green.

Draft or Pass? Draft as a starting quarterback, depending on the depth of your draft.

Matt Schaub — Contrary to the other two quarterbacks featured in this article, there is very little we know about Schaub. We know he made for a good backup while behind Vick on the depth chart in Atlanta. But how much do we know about his actual quarterbacking skills? He started only two games in the three years he spent with the Falcons; a fairly strong two starts, but hardly anything to write home about.

And he enters a different environment in Houston. Though the Falcons don’t have the NFL’s best offense, the Texans pale in comparison. Only at wide receiver does Houston trump Atlanta, though the addition of Joe Horn to the latter makes even that argument iffy.

Make no mistake; Schaub will pull a good number of divots from his facemask before the season is over. Former starting quarterback David Carr was sacked more than 40 times in all but one of his seasons with the Texans and in two of those he was sacked a combined average of 72 times.

How he handles that pressure will be either a testament to his strength or a revealing of his weakness.

And forget not that the running game he has inherited is not of the same quality as that in Atlanta. Though Ahman Green had been a solid running back in Green Bay for a few seasons, his career has quickly declined. He hasn’t carried the ball more than 300 times since 2003, and he couldn’t manage to score a touchdown last season before his injury, despite having carried 77 times.

Though Matt Schaub enters Houston as the team’s starting quarterback with virtually no competition, there is no reason to suspect he will outperform David Carr in his first season with the team.

Draft or Pass? Draft as a backup late in your draft if no veteran starters are available.

David Carr — Unlike the above candidates, David Carr does not inherit the starting spot on the offense. He will need to fight for it and even then it seems unlikely he will be able to take it away from Jake Delhomme, the team’s starter for the past four seasons.

Fortunately, another season like the last from Delhomme could give John Fox the incentive to take Carr for a spin. After all, spending $6.3 million on a quarterback is a waste of cash if there is no intent of giving him the opportunity to start. And because he has started his entire career (5 seasons) and is only 27 years old, he’s one of the most interesting backup quarterbacks in the NFL.

When he finally does play, expect good results. He’ll be entering a great environment with the NFL’s most dynamic receiver, Steve Smith, and recent draftee Dwayne Jarrett. Both players figure to be great targets, though there is some question as to how solid the team’s running game is.

That said, Carr will be a worthy backup or potential starter (depending on your current situation at the time) if he does get the starting spot at any time during the season.

Draft or Pass? Pass on drafting him, but he could be a good starter or backup if he does get the starting gig.

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