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Not very long ago, Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich were upper-echelon NFL quarterbacks. Today, both are unemployed after lackluster 2007 seasons in Oakland (Culpepper) and Atlanta (Leftwich).

What has gone wrong for the pair of former first-round picks? In this installment of Third and Short, our experts ponder the plights of both quarterbacks.

Kevin Seifert: In a league that always seems to lack quality QBs, why are these guys still jobless?

At this point in their careers, Culpepper and Leftwich are pocket passers whose strong arms sometimes get in the way of good decision-making. Although the Green Bay Packers reportedly had interest in Culpepper, it's hard to imagine either quarterback developing the discipline necessary to succeed in a West Coast style, which favors structure over improvisation.

Most teams value some level of mobility at the position, but Leftwich's long history of leg injuries in essence makes him a sitting duck in the pocket. He can take a hit, but that is never the preferred option.

Culpepper's success with the Minnesota Vikings was based in part on his ability to break the pocket and find the open receiver. Although he has regained some mobility since suffering a devastating knee injury in October 2005, Culpepper can no longer rely on his legs to make plays.

Finally, several acrimonious departures have given teams reason to pause when evaluating character and leadership ability. Culpepper clashed with Minnesota and Miami officials while rehabilitating his knee, and his decision to serve as his own agent remains puzzling.

Leftwich, meanwhile, was at odds with members of Jacksonville's organization for months before his release last fall.

Both players could find a job this summer, but their baggage has left them an afterthought on most teams' personnel boards.

Mike Sando: What are some possible landing spots for both?

The Green Bay Packers have reportedly spoken to Culpepper about a backup job. He wasn't immediately interested. Like Leftwich, Culpepper can maximize his value by waiting to see which teams lose quarterbacks during the exhibition and regular seasons. It's impossible to know at this point which teams will become desperate for a veteran.

We can probably cross off teams with experienced backups. The Arizona Cardinals have Kurt Warner. The St. Louis Rams have Trent Green. The New Orleans Saints have Mark Brunell. The Washington Redskins have Todd Collins. The Dallas Cowboys have Brad Johnson. The Pittsburgh Steelers have Charlie Batch. The Tennessee Titans have Kerry Collins. The San Diego Chargers have Billy Volek. And so on.

The market has already established Leftwich and Culpepper as backups or injury replacements. There is no advantage in rushing into a deal.

NFL teams are carrying 128 quarterbacks, or four per team. Those numbers aren't likely to swell before training camp because teams continue to make room for the draft picks they sign.

Three teams -- the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots -- have backup quarterbacks averaging younger than 25 years old. That doesn't mean much as long as their starters are healthy.

Jeffri Chadiha: Is a backup job the best either can hope for -- both in the near and distant future?

Yes. Both Culpepper and Leftwich are now facing extremely painful realities in the NFL: They've been in the league long enough for teams to be more discouraged by their flaws than encouraged by their strengths. Once a quarterback reaches that level, it's pretty hard to find a franchise willing to offer the possibility of starting. Once one has been there for two or three years, it's fairly obvious that earning a paycheck while riding the bench is the only way to continue one's career.

What we have to realize is that it's not like Culpepper and Leftwich haven't had opportunities. Culpepper was a six-year starter in Minnesota before a severe knee injury -- and an eventual falling-out with Vikings head coach Brad Childress in 2006 -- derailed a career that is now going on 10 seasons. Leftwich also spent four years trying to become Jacksonville's permanent answer at quarterback, until injuries, inconsistency and the eventual rise of current starter David Garrard ended those hopes. In both cases, each player essentially lost the faith of organizations that had made them first-round picks.

Now this isn't to say either one is a lousy quarterback. Culpepper has played in three Pro Bowls while Leftwich had a 24-20 record as a starter in Jacksonville. It's more accurate to say that they're two players struggling through low points at a time when quarterback jobs are hard to find. There simply aren't many teams seeking veterans to come in and compete for starting positions right now. In fact, most franchises either have a proven starter in place or a younger player in whom they've already invested heavily.

We also know that neither Culpepper nor Leftwich likes the possibility of carrying a clipboard for another season without any chance of playing. Culpepper just spent a year keeping a spot warm for JaMarcus Russell in Oakland. Leftwich also tried to salvage last season as a reserve in Atlanta after the Jags cut him at the end of training camp. They'd like to think they're worthy of better options; that is precisely why Culpepper balked at a recent offer to be Aaron Rodgers' backup in Green Bay.

That being said, both Culpepper and Leftwich have to start accepting their respective situations as training camps near. They're two veteran quarterbacks in a league where signal-callers with their level of experience usually don't stay unemployed for along. So the fact that they still haven't found work speaks volumes to the state of their careers. It's basically telling us that the days when Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich were viewed as attractive talents in the NFL ended a long, long time ago.