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It's now official that the New York Giants need a replacement for backup quarterback David Carr -- since he signed with the 49ers over the weekend. As we discussed Sunday, former Colts backup Jim Sorgi will be in East Rutherford, N.J., for a workout with the Giants today.

Sorgi, a sixth-round pick by the Colts in '04, is probably a better option than aging quarterbacks such as Jeff Garcia and Mark Brunell. But don't underestimate Tom Coughlin's love of Brunell after they worked together in Jacksonville. The best thing about Sorgi is that he's spent six years serving as Peyton Manning's understudy. I assume that he's bumped into Eli a time or two during that period, so it would probably be an easy transition.

Garcia would be the wrong fit because he's never truly accepted the idea of being a backup in the league. And for some teams, it's good to have a guy who's capable of making the starter uncomfortable. That's not the case with the Giants. Unless Sorgi's health is a concern (he's banged up a lot for a guy who rarely plays), I expect him to soon be on New York's roster.

New York Giants unrestricted free agent quarterback David Carr will visit the 49ers this weekend, according to Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger. Carr's also expected to be in the mix with the Cardinals, so it's likely that his time with the Giants has come to a close. We'll soon find out how much faith the Giants have in former Oklahoma/Sam Houston quarterback Rhett Bomar.

Keep in mind that the Redskins just released backup quarterback Todd Collins, who led Washington to the playoffs in '08. And there's always the Jeff Garcia option, although he's never really fancied himself as a backup. Mark Brunell had a great influence in the Saints' locker room. He's be a good option -- as long as he wasn't called upon to play more than a game or two.

I think you'd feel a lot safer with Collins or Garcia. Then you could try to get Bomar ready for the No. 2 job. Here are some other candidates off the league's official unrestricted free-agent list: Panthers QB Josh McCown, Lions QB Patrick Ramsey, Texans QB Rex Grossman (likely headed to Redskins because of Kyle Shanahan), Dolphins QB Chad Pennington (Hmmm...), Steelers QB Charlie Batch, Rams QB Kyle Boller.

Another possibility is former Bills quarterback J.P. Losman.

If you study the Saints' sideline Sunday, you'll see two former Redskins quarterbacks in Mark Brunell and Chase Daniel. Brunell started 33 games for Washington from 2004-07 before being released in 2008. Saints head coach Sean Payton was an assistant with the Cowboys when Daniel was a standout quarterback at local Southlake Carroll High School and watched him blossom into one of the nation's best at Missouri.

Here's what Payton had to say about Brunell's impact on the Saints:

"One thing we were looking for was someone [who] A) we felt could still play," Payton said. "It's one thing to say we want to have a mentor and yet our jobs as coaches is to make sure we're providing that. So it started with the question, do we feel like we have a vision for the player in Mark Brunell? We felt like his arm strength was still solid and [so was his] delivery and there's a confidence level about him in the huddle and in practice that is somewhat contagious. And I think that's a good trait to have when you're someone who could be called on at any time.

"So outside the evaluation process, the other things were things we felt real good about. He has been someone who's a key figure on this team and has a key role. He still works and prepares just like you would expect for any one of your players each week."

I think it's difficult for star quarterbacks to transition into a mentor role in this league but Brunell had done a really nice job. And I think you're also seeing the same thing with Jon Kitna with the Cowboys. Brunell obviously had more success than Kitna as a quarterback but they're at similar stages in their careers.

Another guy in that same age bracket, Jeff Garcia, has never really embraced the mentor role. He still wants to be a starter no matter who he's playing behind. And sometimes having a guy like that on the roster can be a motivating force for a young quarterback who needs to be pushed.

By the way, which backup would you take in this Super Bowl? Give me Brunell over the immortal Curtis Painter or the former Badger, Jim Sorgi.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

If you haven't visited the Web site, ColdHardFootballFacts.com, there's no time like the present. In the wake of Monday's epic Cowboys-Eagles game, the folks at Cold, Hard have come up with several fascinating nuggets.

I couldn't hear the broadcast from my seat at Texas Stadium on Monday, but apparently Mike Tirico mentioned that Donovan McNabb was one of only seven quarterbacks in the history of the league to have thrown for 25,000 yards and run for 2,500. So who are the other six?

• John Elway -- 51,475 passing yards and 3,407 rushing yards
• Frank Tarkenton -- 47,003 and 3,674
• Steve Young -- 33,124 and 4,239
• Steve McNair -- 31,304 and 3,590
• Randall Cunningham -- 29,979 and 4,928
• Jim Harbaugh -- 26,288 and 2,787
• Donovan McNabb -- 25,765 and 2,965

And here are some players who barely missed the mark:

• Bobby Layne -- 26,768 and 2,451
• Rich Gannon -- 28,743 and 2,449
• Mark Brunell -- 31,826 and 2,433 (still has a shot)
• Terry Bradshaw -- 27,989 and 2,257
• Steve Grogan -- 26,886 and 2,176

The other item I found interesting is that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is on his way to having the highest passer rating in the history of the league. Through 28 starts and 919 attempts, Romo now has a 97.6 rating. Steve Young has the highest with 96.8. Romo needs 581 attempts to reach the league minimum for ending up in the record books.