Veteran QBs may start acting their age
Posted: Saturday March 06, 1999 02:14 PM
Doug Flutie, Vinny Testaverde, and Randall Cunningham all had career seasons in 1998. But I spoke with two defensive coordinators who predict at least one, and probably two of them, will fail miserably in 1999.
All three entered last season as backups with low expectations and no pressure. That all changes this year. Perhaps even more importantly, defensive coordinators who ignored them going into last season will now study them closely for flaws. The coordinators I spoke with also pointed out that all three QBs have washed out before. I'm not convinced they'll fail again, but next season will be a lot harder for all three.
Drafting a QB?
Several teams have made moves that suggest they won't draft a quarterback in the first round. Philadelphia, which drafts second, signed Doug Pederson, No. 5 Washington signed Brad Johnson and No. 6 St. Louis signed Trent Green. Oakland at No. 18 signed Rich Gannon, the Giants at No. 19 signed Kerry Collins and Carolina, which doesn't have a pick until the second round, traded for Jeff Lewis.
There are many reasons for this. First, there's a lot of pressure to win early in the NFL and rookie QBs usually don't get it done. Second, there are also some grumblings among NFL scouting directors that the mental test scores of some of the draft candidates are not up to par. And finally, quarterbacks drafted early in the first round are almost always more expensive than other position players, and cap space is fast becoming tight.
A difficult loss
While flying home last week from my good friend Chip Myers funeral, it occurred to me that Chip's death could have a major effect on Randall Cunningham.
Early in Randall's career, he was developing nicely until the untimely death of his mentor in Philadelphia, quarterbacks coach Doug Scovil. His growth was hurt after that, and until he got under the wing of Brian Billick in '97 and Chip Myers in '98 he was going nowhere. Hopefully, the older and wiser Cunningham now can go it alone.
A modest proposal
And finally, here are my suggestions to get more college players to participate in the NFL combine. Hold it March 31 in Florida at a very fast surface. Have the physical exam first, followed by the workout, and send home any player who refuses to work out before he interviews with coaches. Then, put a moratorium on individual workouts. The way it operates now, where 18 linebackers passed on working out, is a ridiculous waste of time and money.
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