Searching for answers at QB

By Gary Geffen Sports Central Columnist

Quarterback drama in May involving two major teams is to the NFL what 90 cent a gallon gasoline and the discovery of Osama Bin Laden sitting on 10,000 kilos of anthrax in downtown Baghdad would be for the re-election hopes of George W. Bush -- dreams come true. The NFL is smiling in its sleep as it makes headlines this offseason with quarterback controversies involving two-high profile franchises.

The NY Giants, who seemingly gave up their next of kin for the rights to Eli Manning, recently signed Kurt Warner, a two-time league MVP who lately looks more like Garo Yepremian. The Cowboys have more QBs on their roster now than I have steak knives in my kitchen with the addition of Vinny Testaverde.

Until this year, the only thing Warner and Testaverde had in common was that they both contributed to the same retirement fund. Vinny, a number one draft pick back in 1987 by the then eternally dreadful Buccaneers, struggled half his career just to reach respectability and a taste of success. Warner pulled a "Rudy" on the entire NFL and won a Super Bowl MVP his first year starting. Now here they are with new teams both trying to hold on to whatever kind of career they have left.

Kurt Warner hasn't won a game in eight starts, but that didn't deter the Giants from giving Warner a contract that could pay him up to $8 million this season. Warner has shown no signs of any kind of recovery. Against the Giants last season, he fumbled six times, losing half of them.

It seems that every time the defense can get a rush on Warner, he stands there waiting to be clobbered like the only holder at a Dead show, or he drops the baggie and runs. Unfortunately for him, he winds up turning the ball over and adding another concussion to his already suspect health condition.

Frankly, I am not sure how the Giants expect Warner to get the magic back. In St. Louis, he played mostly indoors and on turf with Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, and Orlando Pace, many of them in their prime. With all do respect to the talent the Giants employ, their skill people just don't match up to that.

What is an improvement for Warner is TE Jeremy Shockey. Warner will need him, too, behind an offensive line that fell apart faster than Colen Powell's creditability after speaking to the U.N. On third-and-four, Faulk won't be there to hand off or swing a pass to.

As a teacher and a man of high morality, I am confident that Warner will try to be the best mentor he can for Eli Manning. Warner, however, must feel that he will be given a good shot at starting after signing with the Giants so quickly before seeing what develops within the league.

On the other hand, things look much brighter for Vinny Testaverde in Dallas as Bill Parcells continues to assemble his old reliables. His 17 years of matured skills gives him a fine shot at starting this year for Dallas against the likes of Quincy Carter. Soon to be 41, Testaverde was described like this by Parcels: "He would have to be right at top of the list on physical conditioning, way up."

So there is no doubt that Vinny is healthy. When asked if Carter had earned anything in terms of this year, Parcels responded, "He earned the benefit of the knowledge I now have about him that I didn't know."

Parcells never would have made it as a tobacco lobbyist because he has no idea how to sell a cancerous product. While the Jets struggled under Vinny, his stats from last year are very respectable with seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Testaverde really has nothing to lose, either. After 17 seasons and a fine reputation, the worst he is looking at is an admirable retirement.

Because of his length of duty at quarterback, Testaverde's stats rank him quite high in many passing categories. Does he have any chance of giving a speech in Canton? If Warner plays well for a few more years, he will certainly get into the Hall of Fame. But what if he flounders from the first day of training camp? Are three grand years really a career?

I've seen dirty movies with less up and downs and in and outs then the two of these guys have had during their stay in the NFL.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.