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2003 camp battles: Tossups at quarterback

Tim Couch may get just one last chance to shine as the Browns' starting QB this season. Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

Is it July yet? Yeah? If that's the case, it must be time to crank up my annual position-by-position preview of this year's most interesting training camp battles from a fantasy perspective.

As always, there are plenty of interesting situations looming, so I'll get right to it. We'll kick things off this summer with the quarterbacks.

Arizona Cardinals: Jeff Blake vs. Nobody
Nobody? Yeah. As in nobody you've ever heard of at wide receiver. Not that Blake is complaining.

Even though he'll undoubtedly be limited by one of the most inexperienced receiving corps in league history, Blake still brings three key ingredients to Arizona: He can throw deep effectively, he's worked with inexperienced receivers in the past, and he's a leader -- something he established day one when he announced, "[Jake] Plummer's gone; it's Blake time now."

He also challenged the team's receivers to step up.

"That's what a leader does," Blake explained. "Look at my track record. When I got to Cincinnati in 1994, nobody knew who Carl Pickens was. When I got to New Orleans in 2000, nobody knew who Joe Horn was. I didn't have a star receiver then, and I don't have one now. But I will. Someone will step forward."

Maybe so. But we're talking about a group that currently boasts an average of less than one NFL touchdown reception per man and you'd be ill-advised to bet your fantasy team's 2003 success on any of them meeting Blake's challenge.

Atlanta Falcons: Mike Vick vs. Unusually High Expectations
According to The Sporting News, Vick "could kick Superman's butt." And the good folks at Pro Football Weekly suggested: "Mike Vick is God."

Obvious exaggerations that will just as obviously lead to unrealistic expectations. The truth is closer to this: Vick is a very good -- but still developing -- NFL quarterback.

Despite a solid 2002 campaign highlighted by exciting flashes of brilliance, Vick needed to work on his fundamentals. This after head coach Dan Reeves told reporters the youngster's footwork got sloppy late in the year. And while coaches don't want to eliminate the threat posed by his superior speed and mobility, they'd like him to run less often.

The good news? Vick has reportedly spent the last two months working on his passing touch and at the same time, sending a clear-cut message to coaches and teammates that he's not willing to be defined by past accomplishments. According to PFW, his focus has the Falcons’ coaching staff excited about how far the youngster can take the team this year.

The addition of deep threats Peerless Price and MarTay Jenkins should also work in Vick's favor, if for no other reason their presence will help keep opposing defenses more honest and cut down on the number of hits Vick takes. Vick recently admitted that injuries affected his play late last season. His biggest problem in December, though, was his left -- throwing -- shoulder. After tossing just two interceptions over the first 10 games, Vick threw six in his final five.

Bottom line? He might not be ready to whup the Man of Steel yet, but Vick is certainly capable of putting up a serious tussle.

Baltimore Ravens: Chris Redman vs. Kyle Boller and Brian Billick
According to the Baltimore Sun, the QB competition began in earnest early in May with Redman, who underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk on Jan. 17, displaying quiet confidence and Boller showing off his rifle arm. Redman seemed sharp and, more importantly to Billick, had no problems after throwing hard and often for four practices over three straight days.

"I didn't see any particular fatigue," Billick said. "That's a good sign."

Nonetheless, It would be a mistake to chisel Redman's name into stone as the starter just yet. As SI.com's Dave Clark noted earlier this week, Billick isn't just encouraging Boller to push Redman for the starting job, he'd "love to see Boller win it right off the bat."

I couldn't agree more. Even though Boller is in the early stages of learning the system and the No. 1 spot is Redman's to lose, Billick's obvious infatuation for the newcomer makes this battle much more interesting.

One other note of interest here, as reported by the Sports Xchange: Whatever the team's quarterbacks lack in experience, they make up for in velocity. Redman, Boller and Anthony Wright have combined for 11 NFL starts but have the strongest set of arms in Brian Billick's five seasons in Baltimore.

"We're comfortable with the choices we have right now," Billick said late last week. "We're going to go to great lengths to qualify it with every completion, every third-down conversion, and not just go with the perception that this guy is playing better than that guy. We're going to be very detailed with it because we don't want to miss anything."

Carolina Panthers: Rodney Peete vs. All Comers
Jake Delhomme could have stayed on the bench behind Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks and been healthy and wealthy, possibly for the remainder of his career. He wanted to play instead; hence his presence in Carolina where he'll compete with incumbent starter Peete, former "quarterback of the future" Chris Weinke and promising youngster Randy Fasani.

The 37-year old Peete is somewhat injury-prone; Weinke and Fasani failed to cash in on opportunities last year and those who follow the team closely believe Delhomme is the right man for the job.

"I think I'm ready to play," Delhomme said after a recent mini-camp workout. "I've been able to grow up and see a lot of things. I'm not ready after today, but hopefully I will be come late August or early September."

Head coach John Fox isn't tipping his hand just yet, but it's no secret that Delhomme opens camp as the odds on favorite to win this job.

Of course, Peete might have something to say about that. The veteran signal caller completed 223 of 381 passes for 2,630 yards, with 15 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 77.4 -- all career-highs. Peete also lent veteran leadership and stability to a young team, commodities that team officials are eager to retain -- whether he starts or not.

The former USC star, looking noticeably trimmer than he did last spring, told reporters in early May that his throwing hand feels great after having offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments on his right ring finger.

One last note here: Although he's currently mired behind Peete and Delhomme on the depth chart, Weinke, who by all accounts had a very solid offseason and boasts a stronger arm than Peete and Delhomme, could gain ground with improved decision-making.

Chicago Bears: Kordell Stewart vs. Kordell Stewart
Given his history of losing confidence when things go poorly, scouts say an offense built specifically to suit Stewart is the most logical way to avoid those bouts of depression. Apparently the Bears' coaching staff buys into that analysis.

Offensive coordinator John Shoop, known as a very conservative play-caller, will keep the ball in Stewart's hands a lot. While they aren't going to totally reshape their current scheme, Shoop and head coach Dick Jauron want to build Stewart's confidence by allowing him to run the ball and get positive momentum early in games. To that end, Shoop and Jauron have already reviewed and broken down tape of every running play designed specifically for a quarterback last year.

It's worth noting -- especially for owners in leagues with scoring systems favorable to running QBs -- that Stewart has run for 2,561 yards and 35 touchdowns as a pro, an average of more than 320 yards and four TDs per season.

As for other Chicago's quarterbacks, team officials continue to insist the keep injury-prone Chris Chandler will serve as Stewart's backup while first-round draft pick Rex Grossman is developed as the team's QB of the future.

But general manager Jerry Angelo's endorsements of Chandler have hardly been ringing, and with good reason. After all, Chandler, who'll turn 38 before the season is over, left the field early in four of his seven starts last season. He cannot be counted on to play for long stretches because of a lack of mobility and durability.

It remains to be seen, however, if Grossman, who isn't known as a film junkie, will work diligently enough to be a factor this year. That said, he's already considered an accurate pocket passer capable of getting rid of the ball quickly -- something that can't necessarily be said of Chandler anymore.

Cincinnati Bengals: Jon Kitna vs. Carson Palmer
This is one of those situations that could wind up taking any number of directions before all is said and done. Kitna remains the starting quarterback heading into the 2003 season even though the Bengals invested up to $49 million in No. 1 draft pick Palmer.

But the situation might have been best described by Kitna himself, who recently explained: "Even though they call me the starter this year, that's not true. Go out and fall flat on your face. ... Or Carson lights it up, I don't care who you are, they will take you out. That's the nature of the beast."

The consensus in Cincy says Palmer has the physical and mental attributes necessary to provide the Bengals with a long-term answer under center -- great size, a strong arm, above-average decision making skills and the ability to pass rushers. According to Dayton Daily News reporter Chick Ludwig, the plan is to carefully groom him behind Kitna for a year, then unleash him in 2004. Kitna will be a good mentor because he's so unselfish.

However, SI.com insider Peter King offered a somewhat different theory on this situation and predicted Palmer will be the Bengals' starter of record by November.

As King sees it: "[Palmer will] digest what he needs to know, the Bengals will be losing, and Marvin Lewis will say, 'Why not?' I think Lewis will play Palmer sooner rather than later."

That said, Kitna isn't without upside. Especially in light of last year's strong finish, a talented young receiving corps and the fact that Lewis has given offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski the freedom to try and jump-start a vertical passing game.

Cleveland Browns: Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb
On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks wrote: "Put them on truth serum, and almost everybody in the Browns organization -- players, coaches and executives alike -- believe they're a better team with Kelly Holcomb at the helm. Last year's surprise playoff run confirmed that."

However, Banks went on to advise readers that head coach Butch Davis is going to give Couch one last chance to prove he's the kind of "franchise" player team officials believed he was when they drafted him with the first overall pick back in 1999.

Of course, if Couch doesn't beat Holcomb out this summer, the $8.75 million bonus management handed him near the end of the 2001 season will have been money wasted. But in fairness to the Browns, the decision on Couch's bonus had to be made then and there. How could they have possibly known Holcomb would go on to post the third-highest passing total in NFL playoff history while subbing for an injured Couch?

Based on that performance -- and Couch's four-year totals (57 touchdowns, 60 interceptions and a career passer rating of 74.8), the outcome of this one is hardly etched in stone and even though he doesn't share Couch's first-round pedigree, Holcomb isn't at a total disadvantage here.

Among the factors weighing in Holcomb's favor: The loyalty of his teammates, the backing of his coaches and of course, results. But as more than one observer has noted, the majority of Holcomb's 2002 success came at the expense of opponents who couldn't defend the pass.

If Holcomb does win the job, coaches will be able to use their entire playbook with confidence. According to the Medina County Gazette, because Holcomb reads defenses better, the Browns can throw into the middle of the field -- and the middle of the coverage -- more than they can with Couch.

Bottom line? I advise a wait-and-see approach here if at all possible, but as I've told you time and time again, money talks and Couch hasn't been a backup since the second week of his rookie season; Holcomb, on the other hand, has failed to emerge as a true starter in six seasons with three NFL teams.

Dallas Cowboys: Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter vs. Bill Parcells
While Parcells insisted from day one that the quarterback competition in "Big D" was wide open, recent reports indicate that might be closer to the truth than most observers initially believed.

The early consensus among those who follow the team closely seemed to indicate the job was Hutchinson's to lose, but Carter has come on strong during recent workouts and impressed Parcells with his athleticism and play-making ability.

According to The War Room's Gary Horton, Hutchinson appears to be the better decision-maker of the two but his inability to avoid the pass rush is viewed as a negative. Carter's negatives include lack of touch and accuracy.

Parcells has told Hutchinson all he wants the quarterback to do is produce points. Everything else -- including the $3.1 million bonus he received last year -- is meaningless. "I'm going with the guy that can get his team in the end zone," the Tuna explained. "That's the way I judge them. If they can get it in there, I like them. If they can't, I don't like them."

As a fantasy owner, it's hard not to respect that philosophy. It's also worth noting that Parcells still maintains he interested in adding a free agent to the mix any time soon.

"I think we're going to go with what we have here," the coach recently told reporters. "I'm always looking, but I haven't seen anything I really like so far. ... Right now, I think we're going to see what we have here."

Meaning those of you unfortunate enough to get stuck with one half of this less-than-dynamic duo as your Fantasy starter need to seriously consider securing the services of the other half as a backup.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Brunell and David Garrard vs. Byron Leftwich
Pencil Garrard's name in right under Brunell's on the list of guys most confused by the selection of Leftwich in the first round of April's draft.

Sure, Leftwich is a big, strong-armed passer who can throw the deep ball accurately. And nobody who watched him play through a fractured leg late last year will ever question his toughness. But we can't help but wonder how Leftwich's relative lack of mobility will impact on his ability to run the West Coast offense. The fact that Leftwich has been less consistent when forced out of the pocket has to be somewhat worrisome.

Not surprisingly, Brunell insists that anybody discussing his tenure as a Jag in the past tense is in for a big surprise.

"Sure, we got a first-round quarterback, but I'm not going to lay down," Brunell explained. "I'm going to fight for my job and produce. If I was 36 or 37 years old, yeah, it might be time to think about hanging it up. But I'm 32. I can still be a productive quarterback in this league."

Leftwich's struggles during initial mini-camp workouts lent further credence to Brunell's belief that he'll remain under center for at least one more year.

As for Garrard? The second-year man has made huge strides over the offseason and according to some observers, may have been able to take over as the quarterback of the future down the road.

Bottom line? Barring an injury, Brunell will start what is expected to be his last season in Jacksonville. And according to the Sports Xchange, the real challenge for Brunell is to play well enough and win enough games to render the battle between Garrard and Leftwich for the No. 2 spot moot this year.

Miami Dolphins: Jay Fiedler vs. Brian (and Bob) Griese
Although he has a 28-13 record since becoming Miami's starter, Fiedler has suffered serious injuries in two of the past three seasons. Newly-signed Brian Griese slumped the past two years, leading to his June release by the Broncos.

According to observers on hand for the team's final mini-camp, it was clear Griese will need some time to digest Norv Turner's offensive system. Griese threw interceptions in either a seven-on-seven or 11-on-11 drill during three consecutive practice sessions.

The former Michigan standout is also trying to learn terminology that he describes as "totally different" than that of Denver's West Coast-style scheme.

"A lot of the concepts are the same, so I'm comfortable once the ball is snapped," said Griese, who has played in only one offensive system since being drafted by Denver in 1998. "It's just getting the right terminology in the huddle and those types of things I have to get used to."

It should be noted that Griese is spending extra time with Turner trying to accelerate his learning curve. I'll also advise you that Fiedler, who began working out early in February, believes participating in a full offseason program will help him avoid the semi-annual physical setbacks he's now known for.

As he explained it: "The past two years, it's been a shoulder injury or elbow tendinitis that kept me out of the weight room and from doing a lot of things to get myself in shape. I'm hoping this year I can do all the things to get me in the best shape that I've been in for the past five years."

If you ask me, Griese's need to get up to speed offensively should be enough to keep any quarterback controversy on the backburner. But if the Dolphins find themselves struggling at any point this season, it won't take long for fans -- who still vividly remember the successful tenure of Griese's father Bob in Miami -- will quickly clamor for change.

It's something Fiedler is prepared to deal with.

"Joe Montana was a Hall of Fame quarterback and a lot of people thought Steve Young should replace him," the former Dartmouth star recently told reporters. "[Young] eventually did. No one is immune to that no matter how much they win or how good a career they have."

Especially when you're going up against a family legacy.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Tommy Maddox vs. Charlie Batch (and Front Office Friends)
Maddox will earn $275,000 less than his backup Batch, who will pocket a cool million -- including $470K in cash up front -- this year. Which obviously leads one to believe team officials would like very much to determine if last season was a fluke prior to making a more substantial financial commitment to Maddox.

But there's more to the story.

Batch is not only slated to earn more than Maddox this year, he also has friends in high places in Pittsburgh. Kevin Colbert left the Lions as their pro personnel director to become Pittsburgh's director of football operations, and Ron Hughes, fired as Detroit's vice president of player personnel in 2001, was recently hired as the Steelers' college scouting director. Hughes had been serving as a personnel consultant for them the past two years as he collected on his Lions' contract.

In other words, the Detroit regime that drafted Batch, nurtured him and decided to give him the $10 million signing bonus in 2000 now runs the front office of the Steelers.

According to those who follow the team closely, Colbert and Hughes both still admire and believe deeply in Batch. Fortunately, head coach Bill Cowher and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey prefer Maddox.

But if the former XFL star fails, neither would be especially reluctant to go with Batch.

And I'll remind you that even though Maddox performed well on the whole last year, he wasn't the same after suffering a spinal concussion injury against Tennessee on Nov. 17. His passer rating, which dwindled from a pre-injury high of 116.1 to 69.1 over the last five games of the season, offers ample evidence of that decline.

One last note here: Maddox is said to have looked sharp during the team's most recent mini-camp, as did Batch, who was reportedly far more vocal and assertive than he was this time last summer.

St. Louis Rams: Kurt Warner vs. Mike Martz, Marc Bulger and The Injury Bug
This one was over before it ever started. First of all, Warner and Martz, who had been at odds ever since Warner's wife called the coach a liar late last year, seem to be over any lingering hurt feelings resulting from their differences, which include the coach's high praise of Bulger's solid work in relief of the injured starter.

Why all the confidence in Warner? Aside from the fact Martz has gone out of his way to let the world know that Warner is "The Man" in St. Louis, Warner took all the starting reps during the team's initial May mini-camp, and -- after shaking off some rust -- reportedly threw the ball with zip and flashed his trademark accuracy.

Yes, lack of mobility limits him to some degree, but that shortcoming won't be an issue as long as Warner regains the form he first demonstrated in 1999 and then duplicated in 2001.

I'll also point out that -- in addition to the injury problems -- Warner's receivers played a significant role in his shortcomings. Of 11 INTs, seven were the result of teammates turning the wrong way while running routes or the ball being tipped at the line of scrimmage; Marshall Faulk slipped and fell on one. It's also worth noting that Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce dropped a combined 22 attempts.

As for his ability to avoid injury, we're talking fractures rather than torn or pulled muscles, ligaments or tendons. We're talking about bones bouncing off helmets. Can you say flukes? I can.

And better yet, after playing at 206 pounds last year, Warner has gained back some of the weight and will play at about 216 this fall. He feels the extra weight will help him hold up better against the pressure, essentially giving him a cushion in his midsection.

"I didn't feel as comfortable at the lighter weight," the former Arena League star said. "I felt the wear and tear on my body. I'm gaining more fat now, and I feel stronger. I think it will help me."

Finally, in case you missed it, the Rams addressed another issue vital to Warner this offseason by finally adding a right tackle -- former Saint Kyle Turley -- to serve as the bookend opposite Orlando Pace.

That move alone means Warner should enjoy the best protection of his career.

And if they can keep a foot or two between Warner's throwing hand and the helmets of opposing defenders, Bulger's chances of reprising last year's surprisingly effective effort lie somewhere between slim and none.

Seattle Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck vs. "Mr. August"
Pressed into action last year when Trent Dilfer tore an Achilles' tendon, Hasselbeck emerged as a top Fantasy producer over the final six weeks of the season, setting franchise single-game records for passing yards (449), completions (36) and attempts (55) along the way. He also has season records of four 300-yard passing games and two 400-yard games.

The question, of course, is whether Hasselbeck's impressive 2002 performance truly means the former Packer has finally shed the "Mr. August" reputation he earned over his first five seasons as a pro?

The answer, according to those who follow the team closely, is that last year's torrid, season-closing run was no fluke. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Hasselbeck has been sharp during recent mini-camp workouts and coordinator Gil Haskell is said to be impressed with his overall grasp of the offense.

Even if he doesn't immediately pick up where he left off last season, Hasselbeck has clearly demonstrated he not only understands the offense, he also understands his role in the system and what coaches expect of him.

Or as Haskell put it, the player head coach Mike Holmgren imported from Green Bay to serve as his "quarterback of the future" finally "gets it."

Bottom line? This will be his sixth season working under the same offensive scheme; he'd darned well better get it.

That’s all for now. Check back next time, when I’ll preview this summer’s hottest running back competitions.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.

 

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