Proven quarterbacks are proving to be unwanted

Sporting News, The, May 24, 2004 by Paul Attner

Here's the resume: former first-round draft choice, 23 300-yard passing games, Super Bowl appearance, proven winner, mature, respected among teammates, still can throw that 15-yard out, only 31 and relatively healthy.

A quarterback with this impressive background should have no problem securing a locker at some NFL facility. But Kerry Collins hardly has been overwhelmed with offers since being dismissed by the Giants to make room for Eli Manning. Indeed, Jesse Palmer, his backup last season in New York, has been courted more heavily on The Bachelor. In a few weeks, when Kurt Warner is released by the Rams, he'll encounter the same lack of enthusiasm. Nor are teams scrambling to trade for highly available Browns quarterback Tim Couch, once the very first player selected in the 1999 draft.

So when did the starting quarterback position in the NFL become so solid that teams could ignore such talent? Must have missed the games in which Josh McCown, Tim Rattay, Rex Grossman and Kyle Boiler demonstrated they were flourishing, irreplaceable starters, so good that their employers figure someone with Collins' background is not needed.

Collins didn't choose to be a trendsetter of sorts, but that is what he is becoming. The league is in transition from whining about the inadequacies of quarterbacks to an era in which it wants to develop from within, grooming the young instead of leaping for the services of the old. Blame it partly on Tom Brady and Jake Delhomme, Super Bowl quarterbacks who grew into starring roles. Three years after playing in Super Bowl 35, Collins is caught in the midst of this transition, replaced in New York by a rookie.

Collins makes too much money, and the Giants rightfully think Manning will be an impact quarterback for years to come and want him to play immediately. So the veteran loses his job based on reasons other than inadequate performance.

You'd think Collins would give a huge boost to a Cardinals offense featuring talented, young receivers. But new coach Dennis Green sees it differently. He passed on drafting a quarterback in the first round last month because he was convinced his players are prepared to play for McCown.

"I want a guy that, as they look at it, say, 'Here comes Josh. He was a backup last year. Here comes Josh. He wants to be good, but he needs our help to be good. Here comes Josh, he can lead this team,'" says Green. "But he's not going to lead on pedigree. He's not going to lead on how much money he makes, or how many Rolexes he can buy. If we catch X number of touchdown passes, he's going to lead us. So for us right now, I think that's where we should be. I think we should all get behind Josh McCown and treat him like everyone else, like a young warrior on the come, and start winning right away."

The Bears evidently are concerned that Collins or Warner would unsettle Grossman, whose NFL experience consists of 72 passes and one year on the bench. So what if Grossman gets nervous? If he is good enough, that shouldn't matter. If he is not, Collins' presence would be a nifty fallback position. In years past, it would have been. Right now, creating a comfort zone for a young quarterback takes priority.

Warner's camp already is seeking feedback from other teams regarding his attractiveness. Here's a two-time MVP, Super Bowl winner, author of two of the most impressive passing seasons in NFL history. And only 32. Seems he should generate phone calls galore. But he won't.

Some of the reduced interest reflects questions about his health and his state of mind. Is his throwing hand, particularly his right thumb, fit enough for him to be an effective NFL passer again? Has he developed the happy feet of a quarterback more concerned about being sacked than completing a throw? Has he simply and inexplicably deteriorated to a point where he no longer can succeed?

A year ago, Rams coach Mike Martz was convinced the answers to those questions were yes, no and no. He named Warner his starter over Marc Bulger. Now, Martz, who knows Warner better than anyone in the league, says "given the right system," his former star can be successful. Just not in St. Louis. Yet if the Rams' system, honed to match Warner's skills, is no longer the best for him, what other offense possibly could be? He'll wind up with a new team, at a vastly reduced salary, almost certainly without promise of a starting spot. He'll be given an opportunity, no more, an amazing fall for someone with his accomplishments. Couch, who will be a productive starter if placed with coaches who can emphasize his strengths, also needs to scale back his contract expectations before any franchise will take him. But one will.

Collins, Warner and Couch all will be in uniform in September, waiting patiently on the bench, watching to see if Green's "young warrior on the come" really is the new quarterback way in the NFL. Defenses probably wish kickoff were today.

SPEED READS

* The Dolphins haven't done much right since Norv Turner left in January. It seems no one else knows the offense, and things are a mess. Some players say it seems like a rudderless ship. Backup quarterback Jay Fiedler probably knows the offense better than any of the coaches.