ESPN NFL

Fifty-seven quarterbacks started at least one regular-season game in 2003. Backups combined for 95 starts, nearly three per franchise, and six clubs were forced to employ three different starters. Heck, the much-traveled Neil O'Donnell pulled himself out of retirement and away from the big-screen TV, where he had been perched all year, long enough to start the Tennessee Titans' season finale.

Expect more of the same this season. Just don't expect it with the same backups.

Projecting the winners of the last couple competitions for starting jobs as A.J. Feeley in Miami and San Diego's Drew Brees, 20 teams, almost two-thirds of the league, will have new backups at the outset of the '04 season. More indicative of how transient the No. 2 position has become, even as its importance continues to increase, is that 13 teams will have primary backups who weren't on their rosters in 2003. Nine franchises will go into the season with a No. 2 quarterback who had fewer than 20 attempts in '03.

Uh, a little bit scary, given the dwindling number of iron man starters? You bet it is.

"There are going to be a lot of teams, us included, holding their breath this year that the starter stays healthy throughout [the season]," said one veteran offensive coordinator. "I mean, some of this was unavoidable, because of injuries. Look at Buffalo, where they had two backups go down, like within days of each other. You can't plan for that. But part of it is lack of foresight and this quarterback merry-go-round we see every spring. There just aren't a lot of teams that make [the backup position] a long-term priority."

Two of the clubs that did, Tennessee and Atlanta, figure to have stability for several years now at the backup spot. The Titans fought off advances from at least three other teams to retain four-year veteran Billy Volek who, despite one career start, was one of the hottest players in the unrestricted market this spring. Atlanta was one of the franchises pursuing Volek and, when the Falcons couldn't reel him in and saw a couple proposed trades for backups fall through, invested a third-round draft choice in former Virginia star Matt Schaub, who has performed magnificently in preseason.

A year ago, when starter Michael Vick broke his ankle in the second preseason game, the Falcons were forced to go with the eminently forgettable tandem of Doug Johnson and Kurt Kittner as their regular-season starters. Even if the rookie Schaub isn't quite as good as the sparkling 111.0 passer rating he posted in the first three preseason games, he will provide security at the No. 2 spot on the depth chart for the foreseeable future, and allow coach Jim Mora and general manager Rich McKay to breathe a bit easier down the road every time Vick scrambles himself into harm's way.

"We should be set at that backup spot," McKay said, "for the next three or four years."

Not many teams can make such a boast. Barring any changes between now and next weekend, only nine franchises will go into the 2004 season with a backup who has been on its roster for more than two years. Second-line quarterbacks such as Doug Pederson in Green Bay and Todd Collins of Kansas City aren't household names, have combined for 52 pass attempts the past three seasons, and seem forever on the brink of extinction. But there is something to be said, as the Packers are finding out in the failed experiment with Tim Couch, for having a backup who has been around, knows the system and can get a team through some rough spots.

There is a reason, for instance, that Chicago offensive coordinator Terry Shea lobbied Bears officials to sign Jonathan Quinn this summer as a free agent. Quinn had been in Kansas City while Shea was the quarterbacks coach there, knew the offense that would be implemented in Chicago, and could help push the learning curve for everyone else. Quinn didn't play much in Kansas City, but if Bears starter Rex Grossman ever goes down with an injury, at least Chicago has a backup capable of getting the offense out of the huddle.

"He gives us a certain comfort level," Shea acknowledged this spring, in explaining his fixation with Quinn, who has thrown just 125 passes (none since 2001), in six seasons.

In some other NFL precincts, the level of discomfort has to be causing heartburn. The Colts are counting on either Cory Sauter or Joe Hamilton, neither of whom has started a regular-season game, to win the caddying job behind Peyton Manning. The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, at least for now, will go with Rohan Davey as the No. 2 guy behind Tom Brady. In Dallas, Bill Parcells must choose between Drew Henson, who spent the past three years trying to figure out how to hit the curveball, and Tony Romo, who took zero snaps last year as a rookie, for the backup spot. San Diego, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants all have rookies, albeit first-round rookies, as their backups.

Suffice it to say that, in a league where just 13 quarterbacks started all 16 games for their respective teams in 2003, there are some sweaty palms.

Around the league

	Doug Flutie Quarterback San Diego Chargers Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp PaTD RuTD Int Rat 167 91 9 2 4 82.8

Bill Belichick continues to publicly profess confidence in the mostly untested Rohan Davey as the backup to Tom Brady, but no one should be surprised if the New England Patriots sign a more experienced reserve quarterback at some point early in the season. Davey was the premier offensive player in NFL Europe this spring, has an incredibly strong arm, and seems to know the offense. He didn't play that well, though, in preseason and the Pats coaches might prefer the security of a more proven guy. Tampa Bay dangled 12th-year veteran Jason Garrett in front of the Pats this week, as it did with a few other teams as well, before releasing him. One New England official, commenting on the 38-year-old Garrett, whose mental acumen is more highly regarding than his physical ability, noted: "We've got enough assistant coaches on the payroll." But one old-timer who might interest the Pats, if he is released by San Diego, is Doug Flutie. And if Damon Huard gets the boot in Kansas City, the Patriots might try to re-sign the veteran who was Brady's backup for three seasons. There is also a possibility New England will continue to monitor the rehabilitation of Jim Miller from offseason shoulder surgery. Unable to throw yet, Miller spent the summer in the New England camp, taking mental reps and familiarizing himself with the offense. He was released this week but is more than just a blip on the Pats' radar screen. Here's the bet: New England won't make any changes on the quarterback depth chart until after the start of the season. Like most teams, the Pats don't want to add a "vested" veteran, because such players are guaranteed their entire base salary for the year if they are on the opening day roster. But a week or so into the season, when a lot of clubs start adding veteran players without being liable for a full season's salary, New England could make a move on a quarterback.

Another team that toyed with the idea of bringing in Garrett was the New York Jets, who at least to this point have not been wowed by Quincy Carter. The former Dallas starter is definitely a work in progress operating the West Coast offense of coordinator Paul Hackett, and the media that pegged him as a good fit for the design certainly have not seen Carter play much at all. The Jets passing game is about accuracy, not arm strength, and Carter owns a career 56.2-percent completion rate. He also is prone to turnovers in bunches and, in three seasons, has thrown more interceptions (36) than he has touchdown passes (29). The early rough spots aside, the Jets likely will keep Carter through this season, and cede him the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. The "other" Jets quarterback who made news this week, starter Chad Pennington, figures to be a boost to the team's efforts to gain public support for a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. The team generated positive public relations by completing a seven-year, $64 million contract extension with the popular Pennington. The deal demonstrated, at least for now, that the Jets are willing to open the coffers to make a commitment to their best players. As for the debate over how much bonus money Pennington received, he got $18 million in what was a two-tiered signing and option bonus, another $2 million in a guaranteed roster bonus and $3 million in a 2006 roster bonus that technically is not guaranteed. But the Jets really can't afford not to pay the non-guaranteed roster bonus in '06 for competitive and cap ramification reasons.

Speaking of contract extension, this guess, as pertains to Baltimore left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden: The sprained medial collateral ligament he suffered in Thursday night's preseason game might keep him out of the regular-season opener but, in the long run, it could help the Ravens in their effort to sign the perennial Pro Bowl pass protector to a long-term deal. As noted here last week, Ogden reportedly turned down a signing bonus of $18 million on an extension. So why might he change his mind? Nothing like a knee injury, and the specter of football mortality or the end of a career staring a guy in the face, to convince him to grab the money on the table. At some point, the Ravens have to readjust Ogden's deal, which includes base salaries of $4.15 million (2004), $7.2 million (2005) and $8.75 million (2006).

	Onterrio Smith Running Back Minnesota Vikings Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD 107 579 5 15 129 0

Word is that the league will not hear Onterrio Smith's appeal of a four-game suspension -- for a repeat violation of the NFL substance abuse policy -- until after the beginning of the regular season. That is significant to the Minnesota Vikings, since it means Smith, the leading rusher among NFC rookies in 2003, will probably be the starter, supplanting the injured Michael Bennett (knee) in the Sept. 12 season opener against Dallas. If Smith had been exiled for four weeks at the start of the season, the Vikings would have started Moe Williams, who is typically their short-yardage specialist, and filled in with fourth-round draft pick Mewelde Moore. Of course, the Vikings must get the most out of Smith while they can because the whispers also are that his appeal will be heard the week after the opener, and he could be sanctioned shortly after that proceeding.

It's a knotty conundrum for a rookie, but Falcons first-year head coach Jim Mora feels strongly he is doing the right thing for the long term by limiting quarterback Michael Vick in preseason play. Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp have acknowledged Vick won't be as well-versed in the new offense as they'd like. But the tradeoff, having Vick healthy for the season rather than limping around on the gimpy hamstring that has plagued him in the preseason, is worth it, they insist. Entering the Friday night preseason finale at Washington, Vick had played just 24 snaps in three exhibition contests. Mora kept him on the sideline last week, a decision the rookie coach says was his alone, after Vick complained of tightness in the hamstring. The critics in Atlanta, who felt Vick took too long in 2003 to come back from his fractured ankle, and who recall the very public spitting match with then-coach Dan Reeves, question the toughness of the quarterback and, worse, his willingness to play hurt. It's a sticky situation, given the dynamics of the city, Vick's history, and the fact rookie Matt Schaub has played so well in the first three preseason outings. Mora is probably making the most expedient call here but, because of last year and the perception Vick was coddled, it's a hot-button issue in Atlanta.

	Clinton Portis Running Back Washington Redskins Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD 290 1591 14 38 314 0

There are whispers emanating from Washington that tailback Clinton Portis isn't quite a perfect fit for the Joe Gibbs offense, which usually demands a power-type back. But a far bigger concern for the Redskins, who still figure to get about 1,400-1,500 yards from the third-year veteran obtained in the Champ Bailey trade, is the No. 2 tailback spot. None of the backups -- Ladell Betts (erroneously rumored to have been offered to Miami as part of a package Washington hoped would land Adewale Ogunleye), Sultan McCullough, Chad Morton or Rock Cartwright -- has been very impressive. Which explains why personnel chief Vinny Cerrato has been calling around checking on the status of veteran tailbacks who might be released this weekend. The 'Skins snooped around the possible availability of Garrison Hearst, with whom Cerrato is familiar from their stint together with the 49ers, but the Denver Broncos aren't likely to cut him now that Mike Anderson is sidelined for the season. Washington will take a long look at the waiver wire this weekend to see if there is a tailback better than the group it currently has behind Portis on the depth chart. One quickie on Anderson and Denver: The Broncos, given their depth at the position, can compensate for his season-long absence. Where the season-ending groin injury impacts Denver the most is that it kept the Broncos from dangling him in trade talks. There likely would have been a team or two, Miami primary among them, willing to part with a low-round pick for Anderson.

There is usually little more than junk on the mandatory roster reduction to 65 players and, for the most part, that was the case this week in the first wholesale purge. But a few personnel men to whom we spoke cited a small group of cutdown victims this week who could be brought in for auditions. Heading the list: defensive lineman Billy Lyon (cut by Minnesota), cornerbacks Ralph Brown (Washington) and Donald Mitchell (Dallas), linebacker Markus Steele (Dallas) and kicker Todd Sievers (Houston). Lyon has just seven starts and eight sacks in seven seasons, but everyone needs defensive linemen, and he can play tackle and end.

It is easy to rip the Jacksonville Jaguars for having paid defensive end Hugh Douglas $6.655 million in 2003 for just 31 tackles and 3½ sacks. After all, at the rate of $1.90 million per sack, signing Douglas as an unrestricted free agent was a bad move. But since we've always subscribed to the theory that it's better to cut your losses rather than try to hide your mistakes, kudos to the Jags organization for releasing Douglas this week, and allowing him to go back to the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the several ironies is that by releasing one Drew Rosenhaus client, the Jags may have boosted the chances for another, rookie right end Bobby McCray, to win the starting job. The public stance of the Jags staff is that four young players -- McCray, Brandon Green, Courtland Bullard and Lionel Barnes -- will all have a chance to claim Douglas' former spot. Some members of the staff and several players insist, however, McCray will eventually win the job. "He is a whole lot better than advertised, I can tell you that," said one Jacksonville offensive lineman who has worked against McCray in practice. For whatever reason, McCray, a very good player at the University of Florida, plummeted all the way to the seventh round of the draft. He is still a little too light in the back end, but McCray is very aggressive, looks like a guy capable of 8-10 sacks a year once he matures, and could be one of the real steals of the 2004 lottery.

	Calvin Pace Defensive End Arizona Cardinals Profile
	2003 SEASON STATISTICS Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int 32 25 7 0 1 0

While McCray may be gaining a job, Arizona second-year defensive end Calvin Pace may have saved his roster spot with a terrific performance in Thursday night's preseason game. And in so doing, the 2003 first-rounder might have disappointed a lot of league personnel men who were keen to the whispers that Pace might be released this weekend. The former Wake Forest star, who started 16 games in 2003 but registered just one sack, seemed buried on coach Dennis Green's depth chart. But he had four tackles, two sacks and a pair of forced fumbles on Thursday, and may have forced Green and his staff to rethink things. Make no mistake about this: Had Pace been released, and we guess that he still could be, there would have been a ton of teams putting in waiver claims on him. The same can't be said for some former Cardinals high-round picks on the defensive line, like Wendell Bryant and Dennis Johnson, both of whom are in trouble.

A Wednesday tete-a-tete between New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco didn't get much play nationally, and perhaps that is because the meeting in Baton Rouge did little to resolve the issue of a possible new stadium for the franchise. Benson announced that the team and the league would ante up $100 million toward a new facility (with about one-third of that coming from the NFL's G-3 loan program), but remained adamant about protecting $186 million in guaranteed funds the team is due through 2010 as part of a deal cut with former Gov. Mike Foster. In reiterating that a renovated Superdome is not a viable option, and that the Saints need a new stadium to remain competitive with their league peers, Benson said he would not allow the state to divert any of the $186 million it owes his club until after a new stadium is constructed. Blanco restated that she would like some relief from a deal signed by her predecessor, with some of the money going toward "bricks and mortar" for a new arena, perhaps as part of the proposed expansion of the Ernest Morial Convention Center. The state, of course, struggled mightily this spring to meet its $15 million commitment to the team. Because of a shortfall, Blanco was forced to cobble together a deal that allowed the state to borrow $7.1 million from the Department of Economic Development to fund the guarantee to the team. Had the state defaulted, the Saints would essentially have been a free agent franchise. "We need a new facility, whether it is today or five years from now," said Benson, who said payments from the state could cease once a new stadium is built. "I'd like for it to be now, but I'll be reasonable about that." It sure doesn't appear, however, that a new stadium is any closer than before the Wednesday meeting, which marked the first time Benson and Blanco had huddled since June.

Defensive end Brandon Whiting, part of the convoluted three-team trade that sent wide receiver Terrell Owens to Philadelphia, could be headed back to the Eagles. Whiting had April surgery on his left shoulder, still isn't 100 percent rehabilitated, and clearly isn't ready to start the season. As part of the trade agreement, the 49ers had to decide by Sept. 1 whether to keep Whiting or return him to Philly and take a third-round pick in the 2005 draft instead. Thin on the defensive front, the Niners would like to keep Whiting around and allow him to get healthy, but acknowledge he cannot pass their physical exam in his current shape. The two sides extended the Sept. 1 deadline to Sunday, not because the 49ers feel Whiting will undergo some miraculous recovery by then, but because general manager Terry Donahue wants time to make the trade "more equitable." Translation: He would keep Whiting, and allow Philadelphia to keep its third-round pick next year, but only if the Eagles throw another body into the deal. The body San Francisco is said to most covet is defensive tackle Sam Rayburn, a guy who would fit a position of need, but a young player the Eagles coaches really like for his potential.

Punts: The one-year, $1.5 million contract that Deion Sanders signed with Baltimore on Wednesday is all payable in base salary. Sanders did not receive a signing bonus, but has the chance to earn an additional $2 million in incentives. . . . If you ever wonder how some preseason injuries can affect a team's salary cap, consider the plight of the Atlanta Falcons. The team was counting on first-round cornerback DeAngelo Hall to be a starter and on third-year veteran Will Overstreet to be the No. 3 defensive end. But Overstreet suffered a serious shoulder injury for a third straight season and the team was forced to reach an injury settlement with him this week. His loss means the Falcons probably will have to keep veteran lineman Travis Hall, who was headed for the chopping block. The fractured hip that will sideline Hall for 6-10 weeks likely means that veteran corner Tod McBride, another high-priced guy the Falcons wanted to whack, probably will make the roster. . . . It looks like Arizona will start the season with three former Dallas veterans -- Emmitt Smith, Troy Hambrick and Aveion Cason -- as the top three names on the tailback depth chart. . . . Lions officials continue to talk about contract extensions for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and center Dominic Raiola, both emerging stars in the league. . . . Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo this week finally confirmed all the rumors that he had considered buying the Tampa Bay Bucs franchise a year ago. . . . It doesn't look like Tennessee No. 3 quarterback Jason Gesser is very secure. The Titans are hoping to sign Doug Johnson, who started seven games in Atlanta last season, but who was released by Jacksonville this week. . . . There are some in Green Bay who believe the Packers will swallow hard, eat the $625,000 signing bonus they paid Tim Couch, and release the former Cleveland starter over the weekend. A sore arm has kept Couch from being effective in the preseason. . . . The Packers are shopping third-year veteran safety Marques Anderson around the league, hoping to land a draft pick for him. The teams waiting to see if the Packers will simply release Anderson, should they fail to locate a trade partner, might be disappointed. It appears Green Bay will keep Anderson as a backup if it can't get something in return for him.

The last word: "I mean, what are the odds, like a trillion to one?" -- Tennessee wide receiver Tyrone Calico after suffering a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments strains to his right knee on the same play in Monday night's preseason game

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.