Nice words regarding Tim...
July 4, 2006
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Quarterback: Jared Allen, Jay Fiedler, Bruce Gradkowski, Luke McCown, Tim Rattay, Chris Simms
Right off the bat we have a position where the Bucs have both a very solid answer and a very significant question.
Simms is entrenched at the top of the depth chart,
heading into his first season as the opening-day starter, but the job of primary backup appears to be up for grabs.
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed likely that third-year man McCown and veteran Rattay – two players acquired in separate trades last year – would battle for that job. However, McCown’s practice-field knee injury took him off the board for at least the first part of the 2006 season and gave the Bucs one fewer option.
Rattay, who opened 16 games over his five-and-a-half seasons in San Francisco, actually has more starting experience than Simms and is obviously a strong candidate. Rattay’s career passer rating is a strong 81.6 and he was the 49ers’ opening-day starter a year ago, even with number-one overall draft pick Alex Smith on hand.
The competition got more interesting with Fiedler’s arrival, however. Fiedler is easily the most experienced quarterback on the roster and he has previous ties with Head Coach Jon Gruden. Fiedler, a starter with the Dolphins as recently as the 2004 season, is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered last season with the New York Jets, so that issue must be monitored, as well.
On the other hand, the Bucs
are certain that they want to hand the reins to Simms, who proved capable of handling the job in the last 10 games of 2005. After a shaky start, Simms rebounded quickly and then made obvious strides from week to week last fall, emerging from the season with an 81.4 passer rating, a 61.0% completion rate and a 10/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. A full camp as the starter should make Simms even more of a weapon heading into the 2006 season.
The Bucs are also excited about Gradkowski, a sixth-round selection and the first quarterback the team has drafted since Simms in the third round in 2003. The highly-productive Toledo star is intelligent, accurate and very mobile, an aspect in a quarterback’s game that always seems to interest Head Coach Jon Gruden. Gruden’s first impression of Gradkowski is that the rookie will not be bothered by the pressures of trying to make it in the NFL.
Even without another veteran signee, the Bucs can head to camp with four starters because of the return of first-year man Allen. Fresh off a successful run in the NFL Europe League, Allen goes into his second Tampa Bay camp with a better feel for the Bucs’ offense.
The Bucs usually take four or five quarterbacks to training camp, then decide on three for the regular season.