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It's still so early in the season that some teams won't play their fourth game until this weekend, but that hasn't stopped NFL coaches from stomping on the quarterback panic button.
With both feet.
Assuming none of the projections for Week 5 change in the next two days, teams will have used 41 different starting quarterbacks by the end of the weekend, with the Cincinnati Bengals topping the list with three starters in four outings. Over the past five years, franchises have averaged 60.2 starting quarterbacks, and to be at 41 this early is incredible.
|  | | Tommy Maddox threw for 122 yards and one touchdown after replacing Kordell Stewart last Sunday. |
All the more remarkable is that seven teams have switched their starters by choice. That means ineptitude, not infirmity, served as catalyst for change. It's one thing to have a quarterback change because of injury, as when the Cleveland Browns were forced to go with Kelly Holcomb for two games, while Tim Couch recovered from a sore elbow. But to have seven switches because of poor play a quarter of the way into the season is frightening.
Consider this: Through the entire 2001 season, there were just six changes at the quarterback position leaguewide that were not injury-related. There was no team that made more than one non-injury alteration.
Even a week before this season commenced the Carolina Panthers made a stunning change, replacing Chris Weinke with Rodney Peete, virtually on the eve of the first game. Redskins coach Steve Spurrier did a 180-degree turnaround after the final preseason contest, demoting Danny Wuerffel in favor of Shane Matthews. The quarterback carousel has only picked up speed from there.
Cincinnati, Detroit, the New York Jets, Pittsburgh and Washington (yeah, now it's time for Wuerffel to supplant Matthews) all have called audibles at the quarterback spot because of a lack of consistency or production at the game's most critical position. A player as seemingly established as Denver quarterback Brian Griese was almost yanked in the opener and still is on thin ice with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan.
Besides the Browns only two other teams, St. Louis and Seattle, have made quarterback changes because a starter was knocked out by injury (the Rams' Kurt Warner) or because the starter was coming back from an injury (Trent Dilfer of the Seahawks). Other than those switches, the musical chairs game has been instituted by what is known as "coach's choice" in the NBA. The translation: At a position where coaches characteristically demonstrate a slow hand, impatient coaches have gone to the bullpen far more frequently than in recent years, seeking to kick-start sputtering offenses.
The seven non-injury quarterback switches at the quarter point of the year represent the most in at least the past dozen seasons. Cincinnati coach Dick LeBeau, who will insert Jon Kitna on Sunday as a third starter in three games, ought to be nicknamed "Captain Hook," one Bengals veteran joked earlier this week.
"There comes a point when you just need some kind of spark," said Jets coach Herm Edwards, who has benched Vinny Testaverde and will give Chad Pennington his first start since the team chose him in the first round of the 2000 draft. "The problems we've had go beyond Vinny's play, and we have told him that, but it just seemed to be time for something different."
Similar rationale was cited by Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher, who dumped incumbent Kordell Stewart after 35 starts, and will give journeyman Tommy Maddox a first opening assignment since his rookie year. That Maddox has not started a regular-season NFL contest since Dec. 12, 1992 -- nor the fact he is winless in the NFL in four previous starts -- apparently wasn't as key to Cowher as the rally the veteran quarterback engineered last week.
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Side Lines
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On-Line
Arizona Cardinals offensive right tackle Leonard Davis was the second player chosen in the 2001 draft and Carolina Panthers defensive left end was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2002 lottery. The two will face off in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday in what should be a compelling matchup of young stars. Peppers has already had a significant effect on the Carolina front four, not only with the three sacks he has personally tallied, but also by creating pass rush opportunities for his linemates. Because of his upfield explosiveness, opponents have had to concentrate on Peppers and that means players such as right end Mike Rucker have benefited from not having to contend with double-team blocking. Some people felt Davis was the best offensive rookie in the NFL in 2001, when he started at right guard. An injury to Anthony Clement meant Davis moved outside to tackle, but he still hasn't played his most natural position, left tackle. Davis is powerful, a blocker from whom it is difficult to disengage, and the battle with Peppers is a classic matchup of muscle versus speed. |
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The List
The Cincinnati Bengals are a bad team wherever they play. But they are especially anemic on the road, where the Bengals have posted a record of 17-73 since their last playoff campaign in 1990. Cincinnati hasn't won a road game against a team with a winning record since a 16-12 victory at Pittsburgh on Dec. 2, 1990. In fact, they have lost 37 straight road games against teams with winning records, and here's a list of the defeats: |
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Date
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Opponent (record)
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Score
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Dec. 16, 1990
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Raiders (9-4)
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7-24
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Oct. 13, 1991
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Cowboys (4-2)
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23-35
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Oct. 21, 1991
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Bills (6-1)
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16-35
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Oct. 27, 1991
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Oilers (6-1)
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3-35
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Dec. 9, 1991
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Dolphins (7-6)
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13-37
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Oct. 19, 1992
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Steelers (3-2)
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0-20
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Oct. 25, 1992
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Oilers (3-1)
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10-26
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Dec. 13, 1992
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Chargers (8-5)
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10-27
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Oct. 10, 1993
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Chiefs (3-1)
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15-17
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Nov. 21, 1993
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Jets (5-4)
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12-17
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Dec. 5, 1993
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49ers (8-3)
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8-21
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Sept. 11, 1994
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Chargers (1-0)
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20-28
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Oct. 16, 1994
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Steelers (3-2)
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10-14
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Oct. 23, 1994
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Browns (5-1)
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13-37
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Oct. 10, 1993
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Chiefs (3-1)
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15-17
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Oct. 8, 1995
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Bucs (3-2)
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16-19
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Dec. 3, 1995
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Packers (8-4)
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10-24
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Sept. 8, 1996
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Chargers (1-0)
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14-27
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Oct. 13, 1996
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Steelers (4-1)
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10-20
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Oct. 20, 1996
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49ers (4-2)
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21-28
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Nov. 17, 1996
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Bills (7-3)
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17-31
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Sept. 21, 1997
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Broncos (3-0)
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20-38
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Oct. 5, 1997
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Jaguars (3-1)
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13-21
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Oct. 26, 1997
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Giants (5-3)
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27-29
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Nov. 16, 1997
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Steelers (7-3)
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3-20
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Oct. 25, 1998
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Raiders (4-2)
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10-27
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Nov. 8, 1998
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Jaguars (6-2)
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11-24
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Nov. 15, 1998
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Vikings (8-1)
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3-24
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Oct. 24, 1999
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Colts (3-2)
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10-31
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Nov. 7, 1999
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Seahawks (5-2)
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20-37
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Jan. 2, 2000
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Jaguars (13-1)
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7-24
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Sept. 24, 2000
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Ravens (2-1)
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0-37
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Dec. 10, 2000
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Titans (10-3)
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3-35
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Dec. 24, 2000
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Eagles (10-5)
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7-16
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Sept. 30, 2001
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Chargers (2-0)
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14-28
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Nov. 25, 2001
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Browns (5-4)
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0-18
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Dec. 16, 2001
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Jets (7-5)
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14-15
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Dec. 23, 2001
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Ravens (8-5)
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0-16
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Stat of the Week
Cleveland coach Butch Davis hasn't had many routs in his brief tenure in the NFL, certainly nothing to approximate the blowouts his teams regularly authored at the University of Miami. In just 20 games under the stewardship of Davis, the Browns have been involved in seven games decided on the final play. Cleveland is 2-5 in those games.
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Stat of the Weak
The Tampa Bay linebacker corps has scored as many touchdowns in four games as the team's vaunted wide receivers. On the defensive side, Derrick Brooks has scored twice on interception returns and Shelton Quarles has one interception return for a touchdown. Among the wideouts, Keenan McCardell, who has never scored more than six touchdowns in a season despite his gaudy reception numbers, has two this year. Joe Jurevicius has one touchdown catch. |
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The Last Word
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| Sapp |
Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp (apparently oblivious to the "Stat of the Weak" above) on the offensive mindset of head coach Jon Gruden: "He gets the ball, he thinks he can score from anywhere. You can put him in Afghanistan and he thinks he can score a touchdown. He doesn't care."
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In interviews with ESPN.com this week, coaches, general managers and even owners cited some theories for why there has been so much movement at quarterback so early in the season. Most of the theories -- the pressures imposed by owners who expect instant gratification, general weakness at the position, the need to win early on because of the playoff ramifications that are inherent to the realigned league -- hold some water.
There is one element, though, upon which everyone agrees: The changes are almost certain to continue. Current starters such as Quincy Carter (Dallas), Chris Redman (Baltimore) and Jim Miller (Chicago), along with some other incumbents, could soon find themselves on the bench at least temporarily.
Said one general manager: "It's hard to play quarterback with your head on a swivel. But given what has transpired so far, there are going to be plenty of guys looking over their shoulders, believe me."
Indeed, in this season of the bullpen, coaches are seeking relief far sooner, and the first four weeks might represent just the tip of the attrition iceberg.
Around the league
It would be ridiculous to disagree with attorney Johnnie Cochran's charges earlier this week that the NFL has lagged far behind in promoting minorities into head coach and front office positions of prominence. The fact only two of 32 current head coaches are black speaks volumes on where the league needs to go. But what Cochran is going to discover is that you can't legislate worthy candidates into head coach jobs. And he's also apt to soon find out that when it comes to seeking clients for any kind of potential lawsuit against the league, he'll come up empty. There are many black assistants who will speak privately on what they feel are inequities in the good ol' boy system under which the NFL has operated for years. But good luck trying to get the names of those assistants on litigation against the league. "It just isn't going to happen," said one black assistant in the league for about 20 years. "You'd be committing professional suicide if you put your name on such (a lawsuit). Cochran was OK in drawing attention to the problem. But he's blowing hot air with all the talk of a suit. Ain't going to happen, believe me." Notable is that Cochran is a certified agent with the NFL Players Association. Some skeptics feel that Cochran, who hasn't exactly set the agent world on fire yet, was simply using his forum as a chance to gain greater profile among potential clients. We certainly don't buy into that one. Cochran is a well-intentioned crusader and his claims on the lack of jobs filled by minority candidates are on-point. Don't expect the events of this week, however, to make much of a difference. Owners will still hire the coaching candidates with whom they are most comfortable. Fair or not, those candidates tend to be white men, although there still are a number of very deserving black assistants (along with Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham) who will get consideration for openings next spring.
The hapless Bengals have been outscored 119-23 in the first three games, are at Indianapolis and home to Pittsburgh in the next two weeks, and then have a bye after that. The bye on Oct. 20 could be significant because the rumors are that if the team isn't any more competitive by then, coach Dick LeBeau could be replaced during the hiatus. One of the league's good guys, and a man who should probably be in the Hall of Fame based on his playing career, LeBeau is in the final season of the two-year contract he signed after replacing Bruce Coslet, so it's not as if Cincinnati ownership will have a big salary to pay off for several more years. If LeBeau is indeed bounced, and owner Mike Brown has rebuffed all attempts to discuss his future, then the most likely replacement would be defensive coordinator Mark Duffner. He actually rejected the job after Coslet's resignation three games into the 2000 season, deferring to LeBeau instead. But unlike 2000, when Duffner could have gotten the job full-time, he probably would be no more than interim head coach now. After all, given how poorly the Cincinnati defense has played this season, Duffner would be a difficult sell to disgruntled fans. And it's said that even some family members are urging Brown to diverge from the past and go outside the organization for a new head coach. Brown still likes retreads like Gary Moeller but it's time to break the old, unworkable mold for a team that has more talent than it has demonstrated so far. And it's time that Brown bring in an accomplished individual -- someone like Tom Modrak, the Buffalo assistant general manager, or New England personnel chief Scott Pioli -- to oversee the football operations.
Even with the megadeal that the Philadelphia Eagles consummated with quarterback Donovan McNabb last week, the club still has nearly $6 million in available cap funds for the 2002 season. Team president Joe Banner told ESPN.com last week that the Eagles probably won't even consider any more extensions until their bye week, Oct. 13. But don't be surprised to see Philly do at least one more significant extension before the seasons ends. Banner has had talks with the agents for cornerback Troy Vincent, free safety Brian Dawkins and defensive end Hugh Douglas. One sticking point in those cases is that all three players are at dicey ages for their respective positions. Banner has done a superb job of realizing at what point a player goes into decline. For all the extensions he had completed, some of them well in advance of a contract's lapsing, he has rarely been burnt by awarding a new deal to a guy on the downside of the competitive hill. Bet the house, he won't do it this time, either.
Although it hasn't elicited much media coverage yet, the high profile trial that's pitting superagent Leigh Steinberg against former partner David Dunn began this week in the Los Angeles area. Despite rumors of a settlement, one that might keep some salacious testimony out of the public domain, it now seems there will be no easy resolution to this battle. For two days, the judge urged both sides to settle, but nothing came of it. One reason might be that Steinberg's representation feels fairly confident about its chances with a jury. Sources told ESPN.com that his attorneys convened three so-called "mock trials" with practice juries. Word is, Steinberg prevailed in all three of the practice runs.
In his first four NFL seasons, Dallas defensive end Greg Ellis -- the guy the Cowboys chose in the first round of the 1998 draft instead of Randy Moss -- totaled 19 ½ sacks and never had more than 7 ½ in a season. But he already has 5 ½ sacks this year, second most in the league, and is cognizant of why his pass rush opportunities have increased. "We've got people like (tackle) La'Roi Glover and (weakside linebacker) Kevin Hardy now and offenses are concentrating on blocking those guys," Ellis said. "It's creating more chances for me. Maybe sooner or later, teams will concentrate more on me, and those guys will get sack chances." It's just the latest example, at least in this season, of how a synergy with teammates can improve the individual performance of a player.
In case no one is counting, this Bryant McKinnie reminder: This weekend marks the fifth week that the Minnesota Vikings first-round pick will have missed, and the behemoth offensive tackle is halfway home now as regards to sitting out the entire year. The Vikings have a bye on Sunday, then play five more contests before Nov. 12, the deadline by which McKinnie must sign to be eligible to play at all in 2002. By league rule, if McKinnie is unsigned by that date, he's done for the year, and the odds keep increasing that's exactly what will occur. Despite his obviously feigned optimism this week, and the suggestion that the Vikings and agents Ben Dogra and Jim Steiner are still talking "every day," there have been no realistic discussions in weeks. It looks as if owner Red McCombs, at least according to a few staffers to whom we spoke, has written off McKinnie for the season. If that's the case, then the former University of Miami star will be traded after next March 1 and before the draft. McKinnie would go back into the lottery if not signed by the draft but the Vikings, with one of the poorest talent bases in the NFL, can't simply afford to let a first-round pick escape without compensation.
Two years ago, when the New York Giants went to the Super Bowl, the consensus was that offensive coordinator Sean Payton would soon be a head coach candidate in the league. He may still be but the events of the past week -- with Payton making a killer play call near the end of the first half of last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and the announcement this week by coach Jim Fassel that the playbook is being scaled back by one-third -- hardly puts Payton back on the fast track. There's no denying Payton has done some good things with quarterback Kerry Collins. And at times, he can be very creative, particularly in his use of "bunch" formations. But Payton needs to resurrect his reputation a bit by the end of the season to get back on the short list of franchises that will be making head coaching changes.
For nearly 20 years, and for some of the most high-profile NFL agents, Terry Bolar has chased draft prospects. Bolar developed a reputation for being one of the best "runners" in the business, a guy who recruited clients for agents, and who typically reeled in at least a couple first-round prospects every year. But now Bolar, who is certified to represent players and who has his own Atlanta-based agency with a promising clientele, is the man who is being chased. Bolar, you see, is the uncle of LeBron James. And in case you have been living in a cave, James is the high school basketball star from St. Mary-St. Vincent High School in Akron, Ohio, who figures to be the first player chosen in the 2003 NBA draft. So what does all of this have to do with Bolar and the NFL? Well, Bolar is serving as a consultant to James' family as it begins the process of settling on an agent. And most of the big agent conglomerates have come calling on Bolar, possibly willing to absorb his agency and modest client list into their own. All, of course, for a shot at James and the millions in marketing contracts alone he will realize. Bolar met recently with Leigh Steinberg, has had inquires from SFX, and is sure to be sought out by others in coming weeks.
Not since 1996, when the New York Jets chose Keyshawn Johnson, has a wide receiver been selected with the first overall choice in the draft. In fact, since the 1967 merged draft only two wideouts, Johnson and Irving Fryar (by New England in 1984), went off the board No. 1 overall. That could well change in 2003, with scouts to whom we have spoken lavishing praise on Michigan State wide receiver Charlie Rogers, as both a player and a person. Make no mistake about it, the Spartans junior wideout definitely will be in the 2003 lottery, even school officials are privately conceding. "Everybody knew, as far back as the recruiting process, that he wouldn't be around for all four years," said one Spartans assistant coach. "He made it clear that he had family responsibilities." Rogers is just a shade under 6-feet-3, weighs 206 pounds according to an NFC East scout who recently visited with him, and has been clocked at 4.25 in the 40. Two scouts agreed that he is more physical than Randy Moss and possesses great aggressiveness in doing after the ball. Oh, yeah, he's a lot more personally grounded, too. A year ago, Rogers had 67 catches for 1,470 yards and 14 scores. He is on pace for an even more explosive year in 2002, with 32 receptions, 687 yards and seven touchdowns in five games. Another junior wideout to watch closely is Andre Johnson of the University of Miami, who also figures to be included in the 2003 draft and will likely be a high choice.
Those readers nearing 50 might recall the old Three Dog Night song "Eli's Coming." Well, no need digging through the basement for the dusty vinyl, at least not for the '03 draft. Like his older and more famous brother, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning has already decided to play all four seasons of his college career, and he will not enter the 2003 draft. Some scouts felt that the youngest Manning, with a strong regular season followed by good combine workouts, might squeeze into the second half of the first round. The point, however, now seems to be moot.
From one Jets source on suggestions that head coach Herman Edwards is trying to grab more front office power: "Why would he? There hasn't been a single player he wanted that he didn't get. There have been occasions when people didn't agree with his personnel assessments. But those people, in virtually every case, deferred to his judgment."
As noted here last week, because the Houston Texans didn't ask veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn to re-adjust his 2002 base salary when he recently signed a five-year, $27 million contract extension, the team actually raised his cap value for this year. Now that the numbers have been reported to the NFL Players Association, we can report Glenn's salary cap charge for 2002 jumped by $1.67 million with the new deal. Glenn received a signing bonus of $7 million and his $3.15 million base salary for 2002 remained the same. Neither did the club roll back his roster bonus ($1.093 million) or workout bonus ($100,360). In subsequent seasons, Glenn's base salaries will be $1 million (2003), $3.75 million (2004), $4 million (2005), $4.25 million (2006) and $5.5 million (2007). He has workout bonuses of $5,600 each 2003-2004, of $6,160 each 2005-2006, and of $6,720 in 2007.
The Texans also did right by Milford Brown, the former Florida State guard forced by an NCAA eligibility ruling to enter a supplemental draft last week, and chosen by Houston in the sixth round of the special lottery. The three-year contract that Brown signed was for $976,500, definitely a "market value" deal when viewed with the deals done in the sixth round of the 2002 draft. Brown was chosen by the Texans with the 10th pick in the sixth round of the supplemental draft. His signing bonus was $71,500, and that is $500 more than the 10th pick in April, defensive tackle David Pugh, received from the Indianapolis Colts. The base salaries are the minimums for a rookie: $225,000 (2002), $300,000 (2003) and $380,000 (2004).
With rookie quarterback David Carr having been sacked 26 times now in just four games, and on pace to obliterate the league record, one would think Houston Texans officials might be tempted to push offensive tackle Tony Boselli onto the field at this point. But that isn't the case and it now seems there is a good chance that Boselli won't play this month, either, meaning he might not return until the second half of the year. While his left shoulder feels a lot better, Boselli wants to build up the strength in the joint, and Houston coaches understand they want him for the long haul. Projected starting right tackle Ryan Young, sidelined by a groin injury that has kept him off the field for all four games, is now targeting Oct. 20 for his return.
Man on the spot this weekend: Buffalo special teams coach Danny Smith, a terrific guy, but also a coach whose kickoff coverage unit surrendered two returns for touchdowns in the season opener. The Bills on Sunday face Oakland in a game that might serve as a true measuring stick of Buffalo's progress in 2002. The Raiders have already returned two punts and also one kickoff for touchdowns.
Contrary to an internet report, the Cincinnati Bengals are not paying all three of their quarterbacks more than $1 million this season. Jon Kitna has a base salary of $1.5 million, Gus Frerotte of $1.4 million and Akili Smith of $450,000. To this point in his career, the Bengals have invested exactly $11,753,892 in Smith, and gotten almost zero return. Those suggestions by Smith this week, that the team trade him, were pretty disingenuous. By the end of the season, he'll be gone anyway, another first-round bust by the Bengals at the quarterback position.
Punts: The Chicago Bears have approached defensive right end Phillip Daniels about restructuring his contract and he is receptive. . . . Although the Broncos are still pretty deep at tailback, they plan to soon audition free agent Jason Brookins, who played with Baltimore in 2001. . . . The Pats defensive front has been uncommonly undisciplined over the past two weeks, when opponents have run almost at will against New England. Too many players, one coach told us, are ignoring gap control principles. . . . There has been some talk about a contract extension for Pats free safety Tebucky Jones, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring, but nothing substantive yet. "We're going to take our time," said agent Gary Wichard. The safety position doesn't usually merit big bucks in the free agent market. But if Jones gets into the market there will be a few teams willing to overpay for him. . . . Arizona coach Dave McGinnis is again doing a very nice job with a team that, kindly, can be called modestly talented. The difference this year: With the demise of the Rams and the poor play of the Seahawks to this point, the Cardinals could actually finish second in the reshaped NFC West. . . . Dallas rookie cornerback Derek Ross, a third-rounder, got a starting spot last week because of injury. He will keep it this week on merit and Cowboys staffers suggest that he may be the starter the rest of the year. . . . Good news for the battered Green Bay defense: End Vonnie Holliday won't require surgery to repair his torn pectoral muscle.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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