No. 1? They Beg to Dilfer : Rams Passed on Rookie, Who Is Now a Backup in Tampa Bay

Asked what he thought of Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Trent Dilfer after studying game films, Ram defensive coordinator George Dyer couldn’t provide an answer.

“We don’t have him on any of our films,” Dyer said. “It’s all been Craig Erickson.”

Dilfer has only a bit role in Tampa Bay’s game films--and in the Buccaneers’ offense. And when the Rams and Buccaneers meet Sunday at Tampa Stadium, Dilfer will be where he was last week against Washington--on the bench.

That isn’t where those who criticized the Rams for passing on him with the fifth pick in last spring’s draft thought he would be at this point in the season, especially with the Buccaneers out of the playoff race at 4-9.

But Coach Sam Wyche, whose job status is tenuous because of that record and because the team is up for sale, isn’t comfortable putting his coaching future in the hands of a rookie quarterback who has struggled.

Here’s why:

--Dilfer has started only one game and has completed 38 of 82 passes (46.3%) for 433 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions.

--He has been sacked seven times in the five games he has

played. In his homecoming game

at San Francisco, he completed only seven of 23 passes for 45 yards with one interception.

--He lined up behind right guard in an exhibition.

--He moved to the end of the bench, away from teammates celebrating a victory over Washington last week in a game that could have been a showdown between Dilfer and the Redskins’ Heath Shuler, the league’s other heralded rookie quarterback.

“I was rooting for the team in that game, naturally,” Dilfer said. “But selfishly, it was hard for me because my rival (Shuler) was out there and I wasn’t.”

Last spring Dilfer gave up his final year of eligibility at Fresno State to make himself eligible for the draft. He and Shuler were the two prized quarterbacks.

Dilfer, 6 feet 5 and 230 pounds, set an NCAA record with 318 consecutive passes without an interception and led major college passers with a 173.1 efficiency rating, third-highest in NCAA history behind Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer.

A few days before the draft, Ram Coach Chuck Knox told reporters he would take Dilfer or Shuler if either was available, despite the fact that the team had signed free agent Chris Miller to a three-year, $9 million deal a month earlier.

Shuler was taken by Washington, but Dilfer was available when the Rams’ turn came at No. 5. After failing to trade the pick to Dallas for Alvin Harper, they traded down to Indianapolis’ eighth pick and later San Francisco’s 15th selection.

They used the 49ers’ pick to take Auburn’s Wayne Gandy and used lower-round picks acquired in the trades to take defensive end Brad Ottis (second round) and tailback James Bostic (third round). Gandy starts at right tackle, Ottis plays on special teams and Bostic was inactive before going on injured reserve because of a wrist injury.

“At the time, everyone wrote that I was shocked by what happened in the draft, but I really wasn’t,” Dilfer said. “The Rams told me they would take me, but it was a 50-50 chance on draft day.

“My agent had told me there was some dissension among the coaches and front office. The front office wanted me, but the coaches wanted to win right away and didn’t think they could do that with a rookie quarterback.

“Obviously they were interested in a young quarterback because they traded for Tommy Maddox a few months later.”

So did the Rams get the best of the deal by passing on Dilfer?

“I don’t want to say anything derogatory about anybody,” Knox said. “I think Trent will be a fine quarterback. He’s like a lot of new quarterbacks who come in the league and struggle.

“I’m sure if he was lighting it up down there, there would be people saying we made the big mistake.”

Dilfer held out of the Buccaneers’ rookie camp and pre-camp workouts to negotiate his contract and was rewarded with a staggering salary that landed him on Forbes’ list of the 50 highest-paid athletes for 1994.

He’s ranked 33rd with $5.5 million in endorsements and earnings (including a signing bonus).

Dilfer began the season as Erickson’s backup and got some mop-up work in four midseason games. He threw his first NFL touchdown pass in a backup role late in a 36-13 loss to Minnesota.

Wyche gave him his first start in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, saying he wanted to give the rookie several consecutive starts to see what he could do. Dilfer completed 13 of 25 passes for 159 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a 20-6 loss.

Dilfer missed his next two starts because of a pulled muscle near his rib cage and a brief bout with flu. The Buccaneers were 2-9 when he returned, but the starting job was Erickson’s.

“I missed the Detroit game, but I was ready to come back the next week against Seattle,” Dilfer said. “But they (coaches) found an excuse not to start me.

“I’m not bitter or mad, just frustrated. The general rule in the NFL is that you don’t lose your starting job to injury. But that happened to me.”

Conventional wisdom also says to play a rookie late in a losing season and get him some experience. Wyche disagreed.

“That’s where we have a rub because I’m absolutely not in favor of conventional wisdom,” he said.

“In the long run, Trent is going to get his playing time,” Wyche said. “There will be a heck of a competitive situation between Craig, Trent and Casey Weldon.”

Maybe not. Erickson becomes a restricted free agent at season’s end, and several teams, including the Cardinals, are reportedly interested in signing him. With so much money tied up in Dilfer’s contract, it’s doubtful the Buccaneers can match a sizable offer from another team to keep Erickson.

That leaves Wyche--or whoever is coaching the Tampa Bay/St. Louis Bucs next season--with Dilfer as the future quarterback.

“I love the kid,” Wyche said. “He’s a great competitor, strong arm, big, smart. He’s young, and has a lot of trial and error in front of him, but he’s going to be a big-time player.”

The Right Move?

Did the Rams make the right choice during the off-season? They dumped Jim Everett, failed to get Warren Moon and passed on free agent Scott Mitchell and rookie Trent Dilfer, instead signing free agents Chris Miller and Chris Chandler, and later trading for Tommy Maddox. A look at how some of the team’s quarterback candidates have fared through 13 games:

Player Team Att. Com. Pct. Yds. TD Int. Rec.* Warren Moon Minnesota 545 335 61.5% 3,817 17 18 8-5 Jim Everett New Orleans 450 287 63.8% 3,077 17 15 5-8 Chris Miller Rams 255 137 53.7% 1,731 14 13 2-7 Scott Mitchell Detroit 246 119 48.4% 1,456 10 11 4-5 Chris Chandler Rams 129 82 63.6% 1,008 5 2 2-2 Trent Dilfer Tampa Bay 82 38 46.3% 433 1 6 0-1 Tommy Maddox Rams 19 10 52.6% 141 0 2 0-0

*--Record as a starter. In both of Chandler’s losses, he left the game early with ankle injuries.

Source: NFL statistics