Backfields in Motion
There’s a change at the top coming next month when the NFL is expected to appoint a new commissioner. But, with training camps getting underway this month, it’s the field-level changes that are creating a buzz.
Reggie Bush and Drew Brees are New Orleans Saints. Matt Leinart and Edgerrin James are Arizona Cardinals. Terrell Owens is a Dallas Cowboy, and Daunte Culpepper is a Miami Dolphin.
In San Diego, the Chargers are putting their faith in Philip Rivers, the third-year quarterback who can finally call an offense his own. The fourth overall pick in 2004, Rivers -- with a little help from star running back LaDainian Tomlinson and an improving defense -- will attempt to lead the Chargers to just their second playoff appearance in 11 years. With the recent ascent of the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks, and Cincinnati’s rise from the ashes, a San Diego surge is entirely plausible.
The Chargers are “building something for a successful future,” said linebacker Shawne Merriman, whose team is coming off a 9-7 season with road victories over New England and Indianapolis, which was 13-0 at the time. “We have guys who want to get better ... and we have one common goal, and that’s to get a ring.”
Pittsburgh players, fitted for their championship rings just three months ago, will try to match the back-to-back feat of their Steelers forefathers. The franchise won consecutive Super Bowls in the 1974 and ’75 seasons, and again in the 1978 and ’79 seasons. The drive for a third repeat performance officially starts next Friday at Steelers training camp in Latrobe, Pa.
The big news for the Steelers is the recovery of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was in a near-fatal collision on his motorcycle June 12 and has guaranteed he’ll be ready for the start of camp.
“My goal is to get to where it’s [Bill Cowher’s] decision on what I do,” Roethlisberger said. “I want to be 100%. ‘Coach, I’m ready to go, do you want me to go?’ There’s where I’m going to be.”
Roethlisberger, whose face is held together by five plates, isn’t the only young quarterback looking to bounce back from a serious injury. Culpepper and Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer are playing on newly reconstructed knees, and doctors had to repair significant damage to Brees’ throwing shoulder.
And then there’s Steve McNair, the 2003 co-MVP acquired by Baltimore in June from Tennessee. He is expected to replace inconsistent Kyle Boller.
“He is one of the elite quarterbacks in this game. ...,” Ravens Coach Brian Billick said of McNair. “Clearly as our starter going in, Steve is going to add a dimension for us on this football team we’ve not had since I’ve been here.”
Tennessee will rest its offense in the hands of rookie quarterback Vince Young, the Texas standout who almost single-handedly beat USC in the Rose Bowl. Young will get his first day-to-day taste of working with Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who once drew up plays for former USC Heisman Trophy winners Leinart and Palmer.
Oakland passed on a chance to select Leinart in the first round and instead chose Texas safety Michael Huff. The Raiders also released quarterback Kerry Collins and signed Aaron Brooks, who was alternately spectacular and sloppy when he was playing for New Orleans.
Indianapolis didn’t re-sign running back James or kicker Mike Vanderjagt, opting to draft Louisiana State running back Joseph Addai in the first round and pick up New England star Adam Vinatieri, the league’s best clutch kicker.
Losing Vinatieri could be devastating to the Patriots, who made a habit of winning close games over the last five seasons. To replace him, they signed Martin Gramatica, who hasn’t kicked in a game since Tampa Bay released him midway through the 2004 season.
As is the case virtually every season, getting draft picks signed has become a high-stakes game of chicken. The Houston Texans made Mario Williams the top pick because they were able to sign him the night before the draft. But he is the only 2006 first-round selection under contract.
In the spotlight now is Bush, the explosive Heisman Trophy winner some people see as the savior for the New Orleans franchise. His representatives continue to negotiate with the Saints.
“Obviously, in a perfect world, I would love to be in camp on time with a great contract and all that,” Bush said last month. “I’m sure the Saints would, too. Hopefully we can come to an agreement soon and get past that and play some football.”
