| Maybe you’re like me and don’t put a
premium on drafting a quarterback in the first round (unless, of course, he’s
absolutely the best available player). You’d prefer to take some running backs and
address the passer position later on. Well, kudos to you. Typically, I get two running
backs and at least one wideout before selecting my signalcaller, but maybe you go to the
next extreme, waiting as long as possible for that sleeper starter who can be found in the
late rounds. I tried that last year, picking Steve Beuerlein, hot off his 1999 Pro Bowl
year, in the late, late rounds of a non-keeper draft. It blew up on me, but that
doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea.
While many people will sit there and talk about whether to pick Colts QB Peyton
Manning, Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper or Rams QB Kurt Warner first, I’m going to do
something different. I’m going to tell you who to pick last out of the
starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
On PFW’s final draft board (in our current print edition), the final five starters
listed on the board are Panthers QB Chris Weinke (ranked 41), Bengals QB Jon Kitna (32),
Cowboys QB Quincy Carter (31), Bears QB Shane Matthews (28) and Falcons QB Chris Chandler
(27). So, if you wait long enough, how do you choose between these five passers? Well,
I’m not going to make you pick one or the other, but I’ll give you the facts and
tell you my preferred order of choice.
41. Weinke — Weinke was ranked in the paper before the
announcement came that he’d be the starter, so he likely would jump up on the draft
board, especially since competitor Jeff Lewis is ranked 30. There’s not much for
Weinke to work with in Carolina, however, and supporting cast means a lot to a rookie
quarterback. Unless a running game emerges and WR Patrick Jeffers and TE Wesley Walls
rebound from season-ending injuries in 2000, Weinke could face a tough first season.
32. Kitna — Also just named the starter, Kitna’s stock on
the draft board should go up a bit. Kitna showed an ability to be a solid leader and good
quarterback in the league while he was with the Seahawks. But Kitna did make mistakes in
bunches, it seemed. If Kitna can avoid those mistakes, he’s got a heck of a
supporting cast to help him through the season.
31. Carter — They’re running the option in Dallas, which is
either a very good thing (it will produce rushing TDs, if they continue to do it
successfully) or a very bad thing (if we find that Carter is more unready than we
thought). Either way, look for RB Emmitt Smith to take as much pressure off Carter by
carrying the ball an enormous number of times. If WRs Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail
bounce back from injuries, then Carter might have an easier time of it.
28. Matthews — He knows the offense very well but isn’t
flashy and doesn’t have the strongest arm in the world. But that’s OK, because
in the Bears’ latest offensive scheme, you don’t need a big arm. You need
accuracy and precision. Matthews has those most of the time. The Bears will try to run the
ball a lot but may have to fall back on Matthews’ arm if they fall behind early. With
a good WR corps, Matthews at least has targets on his side who can catch the ball.
27. Chandler — Given his injury history, Michael Vick or Eric
Zeier (or both) could see a ton of action this year. If Chandler stays healthy, he might
be worthwhile, but I just don’t see him finishing the season. It’s more than
50-50 he’ll get hurt, in my mind.
PFW’s draft board order (as of Aug. 26): Chandler, Matthews,
Carter, Kitna, Weinke.
My order: Kitna, Matthews, Weinke, Carter, Chandler.
"In Our Opinion" fantasy columns have now resumed for the 2001 season.
Columns will appear daily, Tuesday through Friday, throughout the regular season. The
Fantasy Doctor has returned with your pigskin prescriptions, so send your fantasy
questions to the Doc's attention at fantasydoctor@pfwa.com |
