QBs at core of NFC players facing pivotal training camps
QBs at core of NFC players facing pivotal training camps
July 11, 2008
Albert Breer
Sporting News
More: 10 AFC players facing pivotal camps
For the first three months of the 2007 season, Tony Romo played near flawless ball and, in many people's minds, was the best quarterback in the NFL not named Brady or Manning. And his Cowboys went 13-3, securing home-field advantage for the playoffs.
That Manning? Yeah, it wasn't Eli. During the regular season, the younger brother of Peyton posted his lowest QB rating since his rookie year, had a suspect 23/20 touchdown/interception ratio and completed just 56.1 percent of his passes. Plus, Romo outclassed Eli Manning in November, landing Eli on the back pages in New York -- and not for good reasons.
You know what happened next. Starting with a season-ending loss to the New England Patriots, Eli Manning made like Lazarus and staged one of the great personal turnarounds in NFL history to help lift an uneven Giants team to Super Bowl glory, fighting off Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady along the way.
The lesson: In a conference without a whole lot of depth, a hot hand can push a team over the top. That's a big reason why five quarterbacks appear on our list of 10 players to watch in NFC training camps ...
Panthers QB Jake Delhomme. It was only three games, but 2007 got off to a heck of a start for Delhomme -- 111.8 rating, 8/1 touchdown/interception ratio, 64.0 percent completion rate. Elbow surgery followed, so you have to wonder if it could affect him the way shoulder surgery has Chad Pennington. Delhomme got help this offseason, with possession receiver Muhsin Muhammad returning and rookie running back Jonathan Stewart being added, but Carolina's window is starting to close.
Rams RB Steven Jackson. Word keeps leaking that he is "100 percent healthy." And that's usually tied into how he missed another workout. Rams coaches are being cautious with a player who doesn't need a whole lot of work. The Rams' problems in 2007 went far beyond the loss of Jackson to groin and back injuries -- the club was pulling linemen off the street -- but it's clear that, for a team that lacks the bounty of elite receiving targets it used to have, Jackson must be the focal point of the offense.
Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. The 2006 second-round pick improved down the stretch, but if Minnesota is going to contend for the Super Bowl, Jackson must do more than ride shotgun on the Adrian Peterson Express. Jackson has been given a serious game-breaking receiver in Bernard Berrian and already has rising star Sidney Rice. And with the NFL's best running game, there are sure to be a lot of chances to throw downfield.
Cowboys CB Adam Jones. Romo caught flak, but the truth is it was Jacques Reeves who was victimized in last year's playoff loss more than anyone -- particularly on a game-turning two-minute drive at the end of the first half. All eyes will be on "Adam" in camp, and while some will focus on a battle with Anthony Henry for the right cornerback spot, the presence of both, plus Mike Jenkins, has owner/GM Jerry Jones thinking this could be the best crew of cornerbacks he has had in his 20 years in Dallas -- if Jones is reinstated, that is. The logjam is a nice issue to have.
Giants DE/OLB Mathias Kiwanuka. Before a broken leg ended his season, Kiwanuka was part of the Giants' fearsome nickel package that grouped four edge rushers. He also started at strongside linebacker in the base defense. If Kiwanuka starts fulfilling his potential, the 2006 first-rounder's presence will ease the loss of Michael Strahan and recreate the three-headed monster -- with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora -- that made New York a nightmare in the playoffs.
Cardinals QB Matt Leinart. Romo and Brady have become celebrity quarterbacks based on performance. So has Leinart -- only it was his college game that created Leinart's cred. Leinart came into the NFL with the kind of leadership, accuracy, toughness and poise that made a prosperous pro career seem to be a safe bet. Leinart hasn't delivered and, if he can't beat out Kurt Warner in camp, he might never deliver.
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. With rumors swirling about the McNabb Era ending in Philly, he quietly finished the 2007 season on a high note, leading the club to three consecutive wins. Now in his second year back from a torn ACL, McNabb has every chance to build on that. The '08 Eagles defense could be one of the NFL's best. All that's missing is a top-shelf passing game.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. With Brett Favre reconsidering retirement, a wrench the size of Iowa has been tossed in Rodgers' grooming process. And that's not all. Even if Rodgers has been the good soldier and played well in his big shot in Dallas last year, GM Ted Thompson didn't exactly exude excitement over No. 12 by taking not one, but two quarterbacks in the draft. Even if Favre stays away, Rodgers must perform from the outset for a team that's ready to win now.
Giants TE Jeremy Shockey. Will he show? Won't he? Eli Manning's growth last year came with Shockey sidelined, and that created some unfair perceptions: Namely, that the Giants are better off without Shockey. It's fair to say that Eli grew by losing his security blanket. But Shockey is a rare talent and, if anything, a more mature Manning will be better suited to take advantage. Kevin Boss is a nice player, but he is not Shockey.
Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma. Never a great fit for the Jets' rugged, gap-control 3-4 front, Vilma will be freed to run sideline to sideline in New Orleans. He also has a couple of solid bookends in Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle alongside him and a strong line in front of him. Vilma should be the missing piece. If he is and if the defense overcomes some questions in the secondary, the Saints could return to their 2006 form.
July 11, 2008
Albert Breer
Sporting News
More: 10 AFC players facing pivotal camps
For the first three months of the 2007 season, Tony Romo played near flawless ball and, in many people's minds, was the best quarterback in the NFL not named Brady or Manning. And his Cowboys went 13-3, securing home-field advantage for the playoffs.
That Manning? Yeah, it wasn't Eli. During the regular season, the younger brother of Peyton posted his lowest QB rating since his rookie year, had a suspect 23/20 touchdown/interception ratio and completed just 56.1 percent of his passes. Plus, Romo outclassed Eli Manning in November, landing Eli on the back pages in New York -- and not for good reasons.
You know what happened next. Starting with a season-ending loss to the New England Patriots, Eli Manning made like Lazarus and staged one of the great personal turnarounds in NFL history to help lift an uneven Giants team to Super Bowl glory, fighting off Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady along the way.
The lesson: In a conference without a whole lot of depth, a hot hand can push a team over the top. That's a big reason why five quarterbacks appear on our list of 10 players to watch in NFC training camps ...
Panthers QB Jake Delhomme. It was only three games, but 2007 got off to a heck of a start for Delhomme -- 111.8 rating, 8/1 touchdown/interception ratio, 64.0 percent completion rate. Elbow surgery followed, so you have to wonder if it could affect him the way shoulder surgery has Chad Pennington. Delhomme got help this offseason, with possession receiver Muhsin Muhammad returning and rookie running back Jonathan Stewart being added, but Carolina's window is starting to close.
Rams RB Steven Jackson. Word keeps leaking that he is "100 percent healthy." And that's usually tied into how he missed another workout. Rams coaches are being cautious with a player who doesn't need a whole lot of work. The Rams' problems in 2007 went far beyond the loss of Jackson to groin and back injuries -- the club was pulling linemen off the street -- but it's clear that, for a team that lacks the bounty of elite receiving targets it used to have, Jackson must be the focal point of the offense.
Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. The 2006 second-round pick improved down the stretch, but if Minnesota is going to contend for the Super Bowl, Jackson must do more than ride shotgun on the Adrian Peterson Express. Jackson has been given a serious game-breaking receiver in Bernard Berrian and already has rising star Sidney Rice. And with the NFL's best running game, there are sure to be a lot of chances to throw downfield.
Cowboys CB Adam Jones. Romo caught flak, but the truth is it was Jacques Reeves who was victimized in last year's playoff loss more than anyone -- particularly on a game-turning two-minute drive at the end of the first half. All eyes will be on "Adam" in camp, and while some will focus on a battle with Anthony Henry for the right cornerback spot, the presence of both, plus Mike Jenkins, has owner/GM Jerry Jones thinking this could be the best crew of cornerbacks he has had in his 20 years in Dallas -- if Jones is reinstated, that is. The logjam is a nice issue to have.
Giants DE/OLB Mathias Kiwanuka. Before a broken leg ended his season, Kiwanuka was part of the Giants' fearsome nickel package that grouped four edge rushers. He also started at strongside linebacker in the base defense. If Kiwanuka starts fulfilling his potential, the 2006 first-rounder's presence will ease the loss of Michael Strahan and recreate the three-headed monster -- with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora -- that made New York a nightmare in the playoffs.
Cardinals QB Matt Leinart. Romo and Brady have become celebrity quarterbacks based on performance. So has Leinart -- only it was his college game that created Leinart's cred. Leinart came into the NFL with the kind of leadership, accuracy, toughness and poise that made a prosperous pro career seem to be a safe bet. Leinart hasn't delivered and, if he can't beat out Kurt Warner in camp, he might never deliver.
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. With rumors swirling about the McNabb Era ending in Philly, he quietly finished the 2007 season on a high note, leading the club to three consecutive wins. Now in his second year back from a torn ACL, McNabb has every chance to build on that. The '08 Eagles defense could be one of the NFL's best. All that's missing is a top-shelf passing game.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. With Brett Favre reconsidering retirement, a wrench the size of Iowa has been tossed in Rodgers' grooming process. And that's not all. Even if Rodgers has been the good soldier and played well in his big shot in Dallas last year, GM Ted Thompson didn't exactly exude excitement over No. 12 by taking not one, but two quarterbacks in the draft. Even if Favre stays away, Rodgers must perform from the outset for a team that's ready to win now.
Giants TE Jeremy Shockey. Will he show? Won't he? Eli Manning's growth last year came with Shockey sidelined, and that created some unfair perceptions: Namely, that the Giants are better off without Shockey. It's fair to say that Eli grew by losing his security blanket. But Shockey is a rare talent and, if anything, a more mature Manning will be better suited to take advantage. Kevin Boss is a nice player, but he is not Shockey.
Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma. Never a great fit for the Jets' rugged, gap-control 3-4 front, Vilma will be freed to run sideline to sideline in New Orleans. He also has a couple of solid bookends in Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle alongside him and a strong line in front of him. Vilma should be the missing piece. If he is and if the defense overcomes some questions in the secondary, the Saints could return to their 2006 form.
posted by The Gryphon at 11:50 AM
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