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Sporting News, The, March 4, 2005 by Dan Pompei

Recyclables should be separated into five bins: glass, paper, plastic, aluminum and quarterback. This season, several quarterbacks will go the way of so many soda cans, turning up in another part of the country.

What Drew Bledsoe is: a mediocre quarterback. That is what he has been for a long time. He hasn't been a difference maker since Tom Brady was backing up Brian Griese at Michigan. Over the past six seasons, Bledsoe's passer rating is 78.0 and he has had only one season with a rating better than 77.3. What has been most disturbing about Bledsoe has been his inability to step up against a premier defense. Last season, his passer rating in two games against the Patriots was 46.6. Against the Steelers, it was 58.9. Against the Ravens, it was 30.4.

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Bledsoe's lack of mobility will limit his market. If he's your starter, you probably should be looking to get better. In the right situation, though, Bledsoe is worth bringing in as a backup.

Cutting Jay Fiedler demonstrates new Dolphins coach Nick Saban has the right instinct. Fiedler, on the other hand, rarely showed the right instinct in his five years in Miami. He's a smart guy who makes too many stupid throws. Fielder has thrown 63 interceptions since 2000. Eight of those were returned for touchdowns, and opponents have compiled 734 return yards against him.

Fiedler probably will make a good backup somewhere because of his team-first mentality, but any team that thinks he can be more than that will be disappointed.

All Jeff Garcia needs is a coaching staff that understands how to use him. The Browns had him dropping back way too much. Garcia is strictly a three-step and rollout quarterback, who is efficient only in a short-to-intermediate passing game. The West Coast offense is the only one he has a chance in.

Despite being misused in Cleveland, Garcia flashed enough that you could see his failures were not the result of an absence of ability. Unlike Bledsoe, Garcia stepped up against some of the best defenses

he faced, playing well against the Ravens, Redskins and Eagles.

Brad Johnson got a bit of a raw deal when Bucs coach Jon Gruden benched him last season. He didn't perform terribly in four starts despite mostly playing without Joey Galloway, Joe Jurevicius and Michael Pittman. Since late in the 2003 season, however, scouts have been talking about Johnson's declining arm strength.

Johnson remains an accurate passer and a smart game manager, but he'll be 37 in September and probably isn't going to play a full season anymore. But he can be an effective spot starter in the right offense. There is a chance he will remain in Tampa if the Bucs can't come to terms with Brian Griese.

Kurt Warner's refusal to give up on plays cost him a lot of sacks and, ultimately, his starting job with the Giants. But a team with better pass protection can make Warner's stubbornness an asset instead of a liability. Even Giants coaches quietly are endorsing Warner as one of the most courageous players they've ever seen.

Warner still can be a starter who lifts his team. He could have quite a few teams interested in him, including the Saints, who are through coddling Aaron Brooks.

speed read

It's difficult to figure how the Broncos would be better without defensive end Trevor Pryce. Players who make a difference as he does aren't easy to find. Attempting to trade Pryce is a questionable move, even if it would benefit the Broncos financially.

INSIDE DISH

Don't be shocked if Orlando Pace is playing somewhere other than St. Louis next season. Considered one of the game's premier left tackles, Pace was given the franchise tag by the Rams for the third straight year. A trade is a possibility because several teams would be willing to pay dearly for a player of Pace's ability. Pace did not play up to his standards in 2004, particularly on running plays. With or without Pace, the Rams figure to select an offensive lineman in the early rounds of the draft. > The Jaguars are intent on retaining free-agent S Donovin Darius, mostly because of the way he has grown as a player over the past year. Darius, who will be 30 in August, always has been an outstanding run stuffer, but he has become a more disciplined player in coverage and has improved his ability to read passing plays. Jaguars coaches believe Darius was a true force in the second half of last season. The Cardinals have more than a new logo--they also have a new vision for their offense. Coordinator Keith Rowen, who replaces Alex Wood, will bring some of the Chiefs' philosophy with him from Kansas City, where he was the tight ends coach. The Cardinals also plan on using some of the Colts' ideas, mixing them with coach Denny Green's old Vikings philosophies. The Cardinals are keeping their same terminology to make it easier for their players to integrate. > This could be the end of the line for Tim Brown, one of the most productive receivers of his era. The Bucs have no intention of bringing back Brown, 38, who played the first 16 years of his career for the Raiders, who cut him before the start of last season.

2005 Ad

Sporting News, The, March 4, 2005 by Dan Pompei

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