Weekend Update

by Rafael Vela on Feb 18, 2006 12:58 PM CST in Dallas Cowboys News

Quarterbacks are popping out everywhere!

-- The Chargers, according to ESPN's John Clayton, cannot give Drew Brees a transition tag and won't franchise him. They have until Thursday to sign him to a long-term deal or he hits the open market. The Chargers want to re-sign him and are hurriedly negotiating with his agent. Stay tuned.

-- News from Minnesota has the price tag on Duante Culpepper as a first rounder plus. This makes some sense. Even though he had a terrible '05 that ended with a severe knee injury many people considered him an MVP candidate a year ago. Consider this assessment from K.C. Joyner's Scientific Football 2005,

It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Culpepper was the best short-pass QB in the league...the Vikings asked Culpepper to alter his game after [Randy] Moss' injury and Duante proved his skills by excelling in the revised offense. If he stays as good as he was on short passes and improves his deep passing percentages in Moss' absence, 2005 could be an MVP year for Duante.

New Vikings' HC Brad Childress runs a West Coast Offense, which should play to the strengths Joyner identifies. Yet, Culpepper is being shopped. He must have ticked off a lot of important people -- read new owner Zigi Wilf -- with his off the field shenanigans last year.

-- The Raiders may set Kerry Collins free.

-- Tampa Bay QB Brian Griese expects to be cut soon, as the team is working on an extension with the much younger and cheaper Chris Simms. The Bucs are over the cap and can't afford the luxury of two starting-caliber QBs.

-- New Detroit OC Mike Martz has warned Joey Harrington to expect a "culture shock" when Martz replaces Steve Mariucci's West-Coast system with his Don Coryell/Joe Gibbs/Norv Turner-like scheme that writer Paul Zimmerman has dubbed "the real West Coast offense," since it originated with Sid Gillman and Coryell in the '50s and '60s when Gillman coached the L.A. Rams and Coryell worked at San Diego State. Martz will be far more aggressive with his plays and play calling.

Martz has a reputation for being hard on his QBs. One reason Kurt Warner excelled so quickly after replacing Trent Green in St. Louis was because Martz would stand over his QBs shoulders in drills and blister them with criticism when they missed reads. He had a zero tolerance for mental mistakes and let his QBs know loudly. We'll see if the easy-going Harrington rises to or fails Martz' challenge.

-- In New York, Chad Pennington is allegedly "resigned" to being cut soon by the Jets, after refusing their offer to cut his base salary 87%.

With so many team shuffling QBs this offseason, does anybody think Jay Cutler will get out of the top 10? I doubt he gets past the Raiders at pick six or seven. Each conference has at least one division that's almost QB free. In the AFC East, for instance, Tom Brady is the only sure thing. The Jets and Dolphins don't have a proven guy and the Bills have their fingers crossed on J.P. Losman.

In the NFC North, only the Bears and perhaps the Vikings have stability at QB, if you consider Rex Grossman and Brad Johnson stability.

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Comments

Hopefully with QB’s going early, some guys will fall. If the Jets go to DBrickashaw as expected, and dont trade down, you have to expect Mario Williams and AJ Hawk to go next. But if the Raiders go for Cutler, guys like Winston Justice, Vernon Davis, and Chad Greenway fall. I think Huff goes to SF and Ngata to Buffalo, so Detroit (Justice), STL (Davis) and CLE (3-4 OLB?) will really dictate how the Cowboys draft will go.

by lou c on Feb 18, 2006 1:14 PM CST reply actions

Martz has the receivers for the WCO but does he have the QB. A very quick trigger is needed on those baffling crossing patterns and JH has not shown that. Would Collins come to Dallas as a backup?

by mlf on Feb 18, 2006 1:27 PM CST reply actions

mlf,

Please donÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t even suggest that we get Kerry Collins, even as a backup. He has been highly inconsistent in his career and if a QB canÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t succeed with the likes of Moss and Porter under the tutelage of Norm, how is he going to do with KJ & TG?

I would much rather see Dallas not waste its time and cap money on a former starter, and finally see what Romo and Henson or even a second day draft QB would do in the event that Drew gets hurt or has some monumental drop off from last year.

by Impatient on Feb 18, 2006 2:17 PM CST reply actions

Usually the Raiders are close to the last stop for veteran QB’s: Hostetler, George, Gannon, Plunkett, etc. Collins may be the exception because the league is so lacking at QB right now…but between the draft QB’s, other FA’s, and the young guys still developing…I don’t see a home for him at the moment. As long as it’s not the Cowboys, I don’t care where he ends up.

We’ll see if Al Davis is ready to wade back into the 1st round QB draft waters this year. It has been about 15 years or so since Marijuanavich. If ever there was a guy to give it a try with, Cutler could be the one. If not, I’m sure Cutler will be gone in the Top 10 some other way.

I kinda think Pennington may be done. He was a rag arm before this second injury, I can’t imagine how he can get back to form with all those shoulder problems. It’s too bad with all his potential, maybe if he can prove to another team that he has the arm strength he’ll get another shot. He’s still reported to cost the Jets $12 million against the salary cap this season even if they do release him. Ouch!!

by Sterling on Feb 18, 2006 3:00 PM CST reply actions

Maybe the Jets or Dolphins will roll the dice on Collins? I wonder if the Jets could even afford him or Griese with their cap problems?

Griese seems like a possibile fit for the Dolphins if they can’t get a good draft pick or get their hands on McNair or Culpepper.

by Sterling on Feb 18, 2006 3:07 PM CST reply actions

Rafael,

Te Raiders drafted QB last season (Andrew Walters)I don’t think they will go after another one this year.

by Eric R on Feb 18, 2006 3:38 PM CST reply actions

Eric,

A third rounder vs. a chance at a top ten option? Unless they go after a veteran like Brian Griese, I think they have to at least think QB if they let Collins go.

by Rafael Vela on Feb 18, 2006 4:19 PM CST reply actions

Maybe you are right, but if it were me I would go after another need and see what Walters has. Otherwise, why draft him? … It doesn’t make much sense to me, but then again its the Raiders.

by Eric R on Feb 18, 2006 5:32 PM CST reply actions

I came across a blurb in the Dallas Morning News that a guy wrote in telling his story about how he ran out of gas at a busy intersection here in Dallas. After several minutes of nobody stopping to help him push his vehicle across the street to the gas station, none other than Moose Johnston pulled over and helped him get his car out of the street and into the gas station. This just goes to show that Moose is a genuinely good person(and the guy that ran out of gas is a tool). How many other guys would do that? Maybe they do and we just don’t hear about it. I wanted to get the word out. It makes me feel good to have rooted for a quality person like DJ. I hope you all share my sentiment.

by Sean on Feb 18, 2006 11:12 PM CST reply actions

Impatient. OK OK.

by mlf on Feb 19, 2006 1:33 AM CST reply actions

If Sean Payton were still here, the Cowboys might have shown some interest in Kerry Collins. Now that Payton is gone, I don’t see that happening. Collins would be too expensive for a backup, and there are plenty of teams who could use a starter. Those who don’t think they have a shot at the top-3 QBs in the draft, might well look to Collins.

I wouldn’t touch Pennington for any price, until he can throw well again. That isn’t going to happen during this preseason, and may never happen.

by Mr. Bill on Feb 19, 2006 2:35 AM CST reply actions

The only quarterback that interests me is Drew Brees. The advantage of Brees over Bledsoe is simply youth, and that’s shouldn’t be discounted.

However, his shoulder injury sounds too familiar. Like Pennington, Brees has never been thought of as a quarterback with a great NFL arm. What will he be like now? Without knowing his status, we should stick with the plan, build up the Oline and LBs, and add a FS.

We have a good quarterback. 3600 yards, 23 touchdowns, only 17 interceptions, an 88 passer rating, and at least 2 come-from-behind wins against quality teams doesn’t lie, especially when you remember we may have had the worst Oline in football.

by madcowboy on Feb 19, 2006 9:09 AM CST reply actions