Thursday, Feb. 3, 2000

Opinion Man speaks out

Random thoughts on Kurt Warner, Trent Green, Tim Couch and more

By Ron Pollack, Editor-in-chief

• I do not think that Kurt Warner is a one-year wonder. Sure, he probably won’t match this season’s passer rating, but nobody should be expected to put up numbers that obscenely good two years in a row. I don’t think Warner was merely a creation of the system and the talent around him. The way he gets rid of the ball so quickly and accurately makes me believe that he is not a flash in the pan.

• That said, I think the Rams would be making a mistake if they trade Trent Green. That statement has nothing to do with any doubts about Warner. Yet, given the fact that the Rams are in great salary-cap shape, why take even a small risk that Warner returns to his humble roots? Plus, if Warner were to suffer a season-ending injury, the Rams would not skip a beat with Green.

• If the Vikings are unable to bring QB Jeff George back, I think they will be in big trouble. I think the magic is gone from Randall Cunningham. Combine that with the fact that the Vikings figure to take some additional, painful free-agent losses, and I think you have a team that will slip a bit more next season.

• I think Cleveland QB Tim Couch is going to take a big step up in productivity next season, especially if he gets an upgrade in talent at the skill positions that surround him.

• The prediction here is that the Dan Marino-Miami Dolphins marriage, whenever it ends, will finish in a very messy, unhappy fashion.

• I admit it. Heading into this season, I thought the Titans’ Eddie George was a very solid back, but I didn’t think he was as great as everyone else made him out to be. I thought he was a good but not great back whose average per carry left something to be desired. George’s play this season has convinced me to climb aboard the bandwagon along with everyone else. The guy is a big-time performer.

• Any complaints about instant replay are nothing more than nitpicking, in my book. The system worked very well this season. Replay overturned wrong calls way more often than it missed the boat. Just as important, the new system cut down on the long delays that plagued the previous system.

• The "Monday Night Football" crew needs a third man in the booth alongside Al Michaels and Boomer Esiason. Monday-night games used to have a bigger-than-life feel to them, but this year, even though Michaels is a tremendous talent, they merely had the feel of just another game. If I were making the call of whom to add, choosing from big names that have recently left the football field, my picks, in order, would be: (1) Dick Vermeil, (2) Jimmy Johnson, (3) Bill Parcells. The fact that Vermeil just won the Super Bowl gives him a big-time feel, and he was very good in the broadcasting business before returning to the coaching profession. Johnson has a huge personality and is very smooth and knowledgeable, which is what a spot in the Monday-night booth calls for. Parcells has an enormous personality, and I think his tough-guy demeanor would add an intriguing jolt of chemistry to the equation. Two guys I wouldn’t consider are John Elway and Mike Ditka. I think Elway would be too vanilla, and the booth doesn’t need two announcers viewing the game from a QB’s perspective. Ditka is a better fit for a studio show.

• Rumor has it that QB Trent Dilfer is interested in playing for Mike Shanahan in Denver. That would be a spectacular fit. Remember, Dilfer has not always been a bust. He went to a Pro Bowl. It’s not as if he has been Rick Mirer his whole career. Tampa Bay never seemed to incorporate the right style of offense for Dilfer. I think Shanahan would be able to do a terrific job of making Dilfer all he can be.

• Bears P Todd Sauerbrun does not rank terribly high at his position among available free agents, but the prediction here is that if he goes to a dome team that doesn’t emphasize directional kicking and just lets him boom it, his career will really take off.

• I said this last offseason, and I’m still saying it now: The Saints should try to sign Neil O’Donnell during the free-agent period to be their quarterback.

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1999 - 2000 Season