| Having
lost considerable weight since he was at the peak of his pudginess, Vikings head coach
Dennis Green has room for a trick or two up his sleeve. His offseason moves to date have
been mysterious, to say the least, certainly not what you’d expect from a team
supposedly in the running for a Super Bowl. Green’s latest act, or strong
consideration, is hiring Dan Marino as his starting quarterback for the 2000 season,
according to wire reports. Those reports say Marino currently is mulling over whether to
play in Minnesota or retire to a life of golf and quality time with his family.
Marino’s decision is almost of less interest than Green’s, for the latter
follows a pattern of decision-making that has had fans in Minnesota, and NFL observers
everywhere, shaking their heads.
Let’s review the Vikings’ first offseason of the new millennium: They have
parted ways with Pro Bowl OLs Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel; made P Mitch Berger their
centerpiece re-signing (yes, the "P" stands for "punter"); and all but
brushed off QB Jeff George, who led them to an 8-2 regular-season surge at the end of
’99, not to mention a first-round playoff victory.
Those are not the kind of moves you make if you consider yourself a championship
contender. Nor was Green’s insistence, before the Marino story broke, that young QB
Daunte Culpepper could become Minnesota’s starter in 2000. Culpepper, whose next pro
pass will be his first, could start for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, to be sure. But the
Minnesota Vikings? C’mon, Denny.
At least Green seems to have come to his senses on that front, saying, according to the
reports, that Marino would be assured the starting job, with Culpepper backing him up.
Marino’s résumé is nonpareil, save that blank space under the category "Super
Bowls Won." Marino has won many, many more games than he has lost, something that
can’t be said of George. But are the two even remotely comparable at this stage?
George is 32 years old, smack-dab in the middle of his prime. Marino is 38, clearly
past his prime.
George has an incredibly strong arm that enables him to throw downfield rockets to WRs
Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Marino’s arm strength is a question mark, as he produced
more wounded ducks last season than an expert hunter.
George has shown the ability to take a licking and keep on ticking. Physically, if not
mentally, he is as strong as a bull. Is Marino, who’ll be 39 in September, capable of
taking another season’s worth of hits? And how will his surgically repaired legs hold
up on the Metrodome’s artificial turf, which is a lot less forgiving than Pro Player
Stadium’s cushy grass?
No comparison between George and Marino would be complete without mention of their
salary demands. George, who can still help somebody and is represented by ace
negotiator/QB champion Leigh Steinberg, would cost the Vikings a lot more money than
Marino, who has received minimal interest from other NFL teams. According to the wire
reports, Marino would sign for a low base salary with lots of incentives, making his deal
fairly cap-friendly. In that regard, he would help the Vikings out.
But can he help them on the field? Marino’s arm strength may indeed come back, as
the pinched nerve that caused him to lose it is not a chronic problem. Being able to throw
the bomb — often — is essential to Minnesota’s cause, even with West Coast
advocate Sherman Lewis taking over the offense. As Lewis well knows — from being on
the receiving end, so to speak — the Vikings’ most dangerous weapon is Moss,
who’s at his best when battling shorter defensive backs for jump balls hurled 40 or
50 yards down the field. If Marino can still throw those passes, he can be effective in
Minnesota, where he’ll have a lot more offensive talent around him than he had in
Miami.
But what of Marino’s mobility, or lack thereof? Back in his heyday, opponents
dared not blitz Marino, for fear of his hair-trigger release. Last season the blitz became
the popular strategy to defeat Marino, as the wear and tear of myriad gridiron wars robbed
him of what little escapability he had. It’s hard to believe those battle scars on
his legs will suddenly disappear.
It would take an act of magic. Denny, the stage is yours. |
