Offseason notebook: Who's on first string?
Already, the dialogue is being carefully positioned in NFL cities like Miami and Detroit.
The objective is simple: Keep the discussion conservative and ambiguous. Never let it delve too deeply into the depth chart lest it get out of hand. Never fully commit to one player and eliminate options. Always refer to quarterback uncertainty as a "competition" and not a "controversy."
Jeff Garcia or Joey Harrington? A.J. Feeley or Gus Frerotte? It might be April, but those questions already are beginning to circulate.
With training camp four months away, both the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions seem destined to set the pace for the 2005 quarterback debates. It's an annual issue that could shrink or expand to other locales depending on the draft (Alex Smith vs. incumbent) or merely a few bad games (Drew Brees vs. Philip Rivers, Part II). But the verbal dodging already has begun in Detroit and Miami, where the quarterback depth chart is about as solid as a pudding pop on the South Florida pavement.
The Dolphins' quarterbacks will be sharing the football for the foreseeable future. Coach Nick Saban confirmed as much this week, saying he plans to split snaps between Feeley and Frerotte, the free-agent signee.
"We don't really have a depth chart right now," Saban said recently, when asked if Frerotte would be his starter. "We've never coached these guys. We've never been on the field. Everybody wants to know who's the starting this and who's the starting that. Basically, we're going to give A.J. every chance to be our starting quarterback."
Feeley crumbled under the pressure of competing with Jay Fiedler last year after he was finally given the quarterback job at midseason by default. He only salvaged a 61.7 quarterback rating and an 11-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Now, Feeley will be pushed by Frerotte, who already has a two-year head start learning the Dolphins' new scheme after spending the last two seasons in Minnesota with new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.
Frerotte, unlike Feeley, has made a career of showing he can be inserted almost anywhere in a pinch as a capable – albeit vanilla – starting quarterback. While age is a factor (Frerotte will be 34 when next season begins, while Feeley will be 28), Saban appears to be sending a clear message: Someone needs to produce, pronto.
"This whole thing is we want to give [Feeley] every opportunity to give him what he needs to do," Saban said. "But he's got to be responsible for his own self-determination, too."
That should sound like a familiar plea in Detroit, where the quarterback spot can be seen as just as big of a question mark – but one affixed with a slightly better veil. That's largely thanks to head coach Steve Mariucci, who has publicly supported Harrington, the current starter, but worked behind the scenes to seek other options.
Mariucci has brought aboard Garcia for one year to put serious pressure on Harrington. He also suspects he's taken the step toward unlocking the answer to the franchise's taunting unknown: Does Detroit have a franchise quarterback?
"Would I like [Harrington] to be in the Pro Bowl? Yes," Mariucci said. "But you also have to take into consideration some other things. He's playing on an awfully young team. His skill positions around him have changed every year for three years. …That's kind of slowed his progress down statistically."
But like Frerotte in Miami, Mariucci brings in a player who knows his system – and better yet, has thrived and gone to the Pro Bowl playing in it. Coupled with the pressure on Mariucci to produce a winning campaign in his third season, that fosters the idea that if Harrington struggles early and the Lions slump, Garcia is there to put on a cape and play the hero.
"Competition is good at any position," Mariucci said, tilting toward diplomacy. "Depth is good at any position. When you're young and developing, you have to have a fallback."
It's a diplomatic chess match that can't go on forever. As Mariucci knows, for every fallback, there is a fall guy. And in Miami and Detroit, finding out which is which has only just begun.
WIND SPRINTS
It's a little too early to call it a good move, but score one for the New England Patriots for the recent signing of wide receiver David Terrell. There are still some across the league who think Terrell can be a very productive receiver despite his attitude and work-ethic problems while in Chicago. It's worth noting that Terrell never had a legitimate "star" quarterback during his tenure with the Bears (Jonathan Quinn, Jim Miller, Shane Matthews, Chris Chandler and Kordell Stewart). Yet Terrell still occasionally flashed the skills that made him the Bears' eighth overall choice in the 2001 draft.
After successfully resurrecting Corey Dillon, it's not a stretch to assume the Patriots can breathe life into Terrell's career. Like Dillon in Cincinnati, Terrell had his share of personal issues, not to mention a rough relationship with the media. But he joins New England with the support of two Patriots – former Bears teammate Rosevelt Colvin and former University of Michigan teammate Tom Brady. In fact, it was Brady who spoke most glowingly when we asked him about Terrell early last season.
"He was one of the most talented guys I had ever played with coming into the NFL," Brady said then. "I don't know why things haven't worked out in Chicago. I can only go on the things that I know about him. He was always a great guy and a hard worker, and his talent spoke for itself."
Bringing Terrell aboard, along with the signing of Tim Dwight, replenishes the wide receiving corps to the point that New England won't need to make the position a priority in the draft. But it also makes it less of a priority for the Patriots to get a deal done with Troy Brown, who was released earlier this offseason and has yet to draw significant interest on the free-agent market. Brown will likely still return and retire as a Patriot, but a deal doesn't seem imminent considering the other moves.
Terrell isn't the only player changing the draft landscape. There still is significant player movement to be completed in the next two weeks – and it could have a deep impact on the first round. The release of linebacker Jamie Sharper by the Houston Texans, and the potential trade of Miami cornerback Patrick Surtain could eliminate major needs wherever they land, as could free-agent defensive end Marques Douglas and Denver Broncos defensive end Trevor Pryce (who is on the trading block).
Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson showed up to his workout with scouts last week weighing 211 pounds – seven less than at the combine, and certainly lighter than teams would like. Still, he raised a few eyebrows during his drills, throwing a ball nearly 75 yards while standing flat-footed, and running his 40-yard dashes from 4.5 to 4.55 seconds. While he misfired on a handful of passes during drills, it was considered a good performance.
McPherson's stock is hovering around the third to fourth round, and he isn't getting the "best athlete" hype of Arkansas QB/WR Matt Jones – but he may not be far behind. He's displayed overwhelming arm strength and athleticism, and some scouts feel that if he's developed properly, he has the talent to rival the long-term results of any quarterback in the 2005 draft. Only four teams showed up to his private workout, and St. Louis has appeared to show the most interest in McPherson.
Last week's other notable quarterback workout was Akron's Charlie Frye, who had a good – but not spectacular – workout for a dozen teams. There was some thought after the combine that Frye could solidify himself as the draft's third-best quarterback and force himself into the mix at the end of the first round. That buzz appears to have died, but Frye should still be a solid second-round bet, with Baltimore, Cleveland and Green Bay all taking special interest. Auburn's Jason Campbell now appears to be solidly holding the third spot on the draft's QB depth chart.
Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett's final workout for teams last week was better than his combine showing, but it's not expected to elevate him from his fifth-to-sixth-round status. Weighing in at a muscular 236 pounds, Clarett ran his 40-yard dashes around 4.65 seconds. His shuttle drills – which typically illustrate quickness – were among the slowest of all the running backs. In fact, most of Clarett's drill times are similar to those typically registered by fullbacks. The workout, which was run by coaches from Cleveland and Cincinnati, was attended by six other teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers are thought to be very interested.
LSU defensive end Marcus Spears finally ran for scouts last week, registering his 40-yard dashes in the five-second range – with a knee injury that has yet to fully heal. While he likely would have run slightly faster if fully healthy, Spears' stock is expected to take a hit because of various concerns. Aside from the injury concerns, some teams aren't sure where Spears can fit on the defensive line. Some believe the 6-foot-3½, 305-pound Spears will have to gain weight to move inside. If he stays at end, he might have to be more of an anchor defensive end backed up by a fast core of linebackers that can rush the passer.
