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When we caught up with Peter King this week, he was
standing on a steamy football field in Saginaw, Mich.,
watching a Detroit Lions scrimmage. He answered your
questions via cellular
telephone.
Posted: Fri Aug. 1,
1997
What's the early word on David LaFleur, the Cowboys' No. 1
draft
pick?
LaFleur has had an excellent early camp with the Cowboys,
and they're convinced he can be a 50-catch guy in a system
that desperately needs an efficient tight end. The Cowboys
are definitely going to feel the loss of Jay Novacek, but
it won't hurt so
much because LaFleur is going to step in and be a good starter
right
away.
A few years ago, we saw the rise and fall of one of the
NFL's fads—the run-and-shoot offense. Do you see any
present trend that could go the way of the
run-and-shoot?
The trendy scheme in the NFL right now is a defensive
scheme, the zone blitz. Carolina and Pittsburgh rode the
zone blitz to the top of the NFL defensive rankings last
year, and former Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick
LeBeau is installing this
scheme as we speak at the Bengals' camp in Georgetown, Ky. (For
an explanation of the zone blitz, check out
last week's
Mailbag, or read my story in the upcoming
SI pro football preview
issue.)
I think the zone blitz will have more staying power than
the run-and-shoot because, as Baltimore quarterback Vinny
Testaverde told me, "It's not gimmicky. It's
sound."
Do you think Lawrence Phillips could become one of the top
three rushers in the
NFC?
The Rams' backfield coach, Wilbert Montgomery, tells me
Phillips will be the best back in the league. Let's put it
this way: He has a chance to be great, but he's ruined his
own career so far with foolish and lawless behavior, and I
think anyone who
predicts greatness for Lawrence Phillips does so at his own
risk.
Do the Chargers have a chance to be a playoff
contender?
The Chargers might be in the toughest division in football,
the
AFC West, and I think Seattle is going to be a home wild card
this year. So if Denver and Seattle are in the playoffs,
San Diego is going to have to play great out of the
division to make
it to the post-season. The thing that worries me about the
Chargers is how many very high draft choices have fallen
off this team in the last couple of off-seasons. You can't
continue to make mistakes very high in the draft and be a
double-digit-win
team.
Is Brad Johnson ready to emerge as a top QB, or will his
first full season as the Vikings' starter be a difficult
learning
experience?
Brad Johnson was no fluke last year. I really like this
guy. He's got a great opportunity to be an efficient top-10
quarterback in the NFL. He also has a solid offensive line
and good receivers. I was at the Vikings' camp the other
day, and it appears
there will be no quarterback controversy. Randall Cunningham
is clearly No.
2.
How do you think RB Troy Davis will perform in coach Mike
Ditka's
system?
I think Troy Davis will be a 25-carry-a-week back for the
Saints by Oct. 15. I think he's got a heck of a shot to
gain 1,000 yards and to be the cornerstone of a team that
needs to be totally rebuilt by
Ditka.
How come every major sports publication is picking the
Patriots to do so
badly?
I think the Patriots are the best team in a mediocre
division. And I think one reason that people aren't sold on
the Patriots—aside from the fact that Bill Parcells is
gone—is the perception that they made the Super Bowl last
year only because Denver
lost to Jacksonville in the AFC semifinals. New England never
would have won at Denver. Having said that, I think the
Patriots improved themselves in the off-season, if only by
signing a defensive tackle with two or three great years
left, Henry
Thomas.
What are the ramifications of Brett Favre's $45 million
contract with Green
Bay?
Favre's contract is good news for Packers fans. His
$12 million signing bonus will be doled out over three years.
That's crucial for Green Bay's long-term
planning—the Pack's cash reserve was dwindling because of the large
signing bonuses they were paying out. So now Green Bay will
have an excellent chance to re-sign the team's key 1998
free
agents: guard Aaron Taylor and safety LeRoy
Butler.
It's only August, but what's your early Super Bowl
pick?
Green Bay 31, Jacksonville 20. But please don't tie me to
the Jags just yet. The AFC is as wide open as I've ever
seen
it.
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