Gunzlingr
06-16-2003, 05:19 PM
By Pat Kirwan
Special to NFL.com
(June 16, 2003) -- Things will quiet down between now and the start of training camp in July, and all NFL employees need to grab some downtime before the grind of 2003 begins. I've talked with a number of NFL people about their vacation plans, as well as what they think may be on the horizon for the new season. Here are a few of the topics they discussed and why they make sense to look at closely:
Keeping four QBs
It may be time for NFL teams to break from the traditional mold of having three quarterbacks on their rosters and strongly consider the concept of having four instead. When the discussion came up, I brought up my own experience in the NFL, when we didn't have the ability to break the traditional three-quarterback model for a four-man system. We had Boomer Esiason as our starter, Jack Trudeau as our veteran backup, and then we had to pick either Glenn Foley or Jeff Blake as our young developmental guy. We cut Blake, who was making the NFL minimum at the time. Of course, now Blake is still in the league as the starter in Arizona, while Foley's career is over.
So why did we feel we had to cut one when we didn't have enough information and the cap charge to keep both was insignificant? I still question that today, but I suppose other personnel people aren't. It appears a few teams are seriously considering keeping the extra signal-caller. In this era, it makes a great deal of sense to do so. There are too many quarterbacks coming from out of nowhere and ending up playing well.
Last year, the Steelers had their starter, Kordell Stewart, the classic veteran backup in Charlie Batch, and a young emergency guy in Antwaan Randle El, yet they still found a reason to keep Tommy Maddox on their roster. The rest is history. Randle El never had to be called on to finish a game, Stewart got benched and Maddox flourished.
more (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6433187)
Special to NFL.com
(June 16, 2003) -- Things will quiet down between now and the start of training camp in July, and all NFL employees need to grab some downtime before the grind of 2003 begins. I've talked with a number of NFL people about their vacation plans, as well as what they think may be on the horizon for the new season. Here are a few of the topics they discussed and why they make sense to look at closely:
Keeping four QBs
It may be time for NFL teams to break from the traditional mold of having three quarterbacks on their rosters and strongly consider the concept of having four instead. When the discussion came up, I brought up my own experience in the NFL, when we didn't have the ability to break the traditional three-quarterback model for a four-man system. We had Boomer Esiason as our starter, Jack Trudeau as our veteran backup, and then we had to pick either Glenn Foley or Jeff Blake as our young developmental guy. We cut Blake, who was making the NFL minimum at the time. Of course, now Blake is still in the league as the starter in Arizona, while Foley's career is over.
So why did we feel we had to cut one when we didn't have enough information and the cap charge to keep both was insignificant? I still question that today, but I suppose other personnel people aren't. It appears a few teams are seriously considering keeping the extra signal-caller. In this era, it makes a great deal of sense to do so. There are too many quarterbacks coming from out of nowhere and ending up playing well.
Last year, the Steelers had their starter, Kordell Stewart, the classic veteran backup in Charlie Batch, and a young emergency guy in Antwaan Randle El, yet they still found a reason to keep Tommy Maddox on their roster. The rest is history. Randle El never had to be called on to finish a game, Stewart got benched and Maddox flourished.
more (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6433187)