Turning Over the Reins

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cc-qbstaking&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Turning over the reins

by Cris Carter, Yahoo! Sports

May 18, 2004

Much of the talk during this offseason has surrounded the quarterback position. While former MVP Kurt Warner and former Super Bowl starter Kerry Collins are rumored to be heading to a bunch of teams, it is easy to overlook other QBs who moved on or stepped into the starting role after a season on the bench.

Veterans Jeff Garcia and Mark Brunell packed up this offseason and are ready for a fresh start with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, respectively. In both cases, their task is clear – bring immediate success.

It is quite an adjustment to take over as the leader of an offense. There are very few complete quarterbacks in the NFL who can succeed in any system. Often it is the system that makes the player.

The first thing a new quarterback has to do is to work out the terminology. Each player, but especially the receivers and backs, has to figure out what a quarterback likes to do, which throws he likes to make, where he likes to put the ball and how comfortable he is in certain situations.

To help with these adjustments, minicamps and passing camps have become very important. Also, even for veterans like Garcia and Brunell, training camp is far more crucial to a team's success. And it can even be exciting for these guys – gone are the mundane feelings of going through another camp and two-a-day sessions. These players will be focused on working in their new offensive system with a fresh cast of teammates.

Garcia is a proven commodity – the one thing franchises are looking for. He has played at a Pro Bowl level for several years. Even though he is getting up there in age, he still has plenty of years left.

His mindset coming from the West Coast offense and his throwing talent suit the Browns' passing scheme. He completes a higher percentage of his passes than Tim Couch. Cleveland should generate more first downs, which will keep its defense off the field. This will prove to be a good thing for a team with a weak defense.

Garcia will face plenty of pressure in Cleveland, home to one of the most storied franchises in the NFL and a great fan base. But remember, he was the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.

There is no pressure he hasn't seen or experienced.

Brunell has walked into the best situation because of the talent surrounding him in Washington. If you look at his past success – taking a second-year expansion team within a game of the Super Bowl as well as being voted to the Pro Bowl three times – the Redskins are very pleased. Spending three months on the sidelines last season rekindled Brunell's love for the game. He realized how much he missed being out there.

Now is an exciting time in Washington with Joe Gibbs back from retirement and the addition of Clinton Portis. Expectations will be very high, but with Brunell's leadership and strong arm, his receivers should be in for a good season. Laveranues Coles had better get ready. He now has a top-flight QB – probably the best he has ever had.

The Redskins have had either young quarterbacks or journeymen leading the team in the past few years. Now with Brunell, they have a leader that immediately demands respect in the huddle. He is used to guiding an NFL team, and the guys will see that confidence.

Teams that lack a developed leader at quarterback struggle because other players are forced to make decisions that they don't necessarily want to. That is what Washington has experienced in the past, but those days are over.

Young guns

This season also will welcome in a young group of QBs who have been sitting on the bench but now will take the reins as the starter.

And in some cases, they are thought of as the future of the franchise. Two that come to mind are the first two quarterbacks taken in last year's draft: Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwich.

Palmer takes over for Jon Kitna with the Cincinnati Bengals. While Kitna still is the better player, Cincinnati felt it had to play the former Heisman Trophy winner and overall No. 1 draft pick from a year ago.

The Bengals made a good move when they announced Palmer as the starter early enough in the offseason. That way, Palmer's teammates on offense can get comfortable with him as their new leader.

Cincinnati thought about giving Palmer a shot last year, but Kitna got on a hot streak and they stayed with Kitna. But it was clear that Palmer had to be playing in his second year at the latest.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars, the time is now for Leftwich. He eventually will belong among the coming class of elite quarterbacks. He made some phenomenal plays last year after taking over for Brunell, and his "unknown factor" has been removed as he begins his first season entrenched as the starter.

It is hard to say when it happened, but you can tell the Jaguars now really believe in him as their leader. For the next 15 years, I look for Jaguars fans to be wearing his jersey and for him to make many trips to Hawaii.