Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 12, 1993 TAG: 9301120046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
GIBBS SAYS RYPIEN STILL THE MAN - FOR NOW ANYWAY
Mark Rypien will enter the training camp as the Washington Redskins' starting quarterback, coach Joe Gibbs said Monday.However, that's as strong an endorsement as Gibbs was willing to offer his erratic, beleaguered quarterback. There will be competition between Rypien, Cary Conklin - even ex-William and Mary star Chris Hakel - this summer and whoever wins will line up behind center next September.
"I think Cary has spent his time, learned his lessons well," Gibbs said. "I really like Cary. One of the tough things about being a coach is to have a guy you really like sitting behind someone else. We'll let them start camp and have at it."
Gibbs admitted "it's hard" for a backup to beat out an incumbent starter during training camp.
"But it happens," Gibbs said. "I think Cary's beyond the point where we worry about him being young. He's come along the right way."
Gibbs said he was confident Rypien could bounce back from a season in which he was the NFC's lowest-rated passer.
"In the past, he's been very good about it," he said. "I think his rating was a reflection of a quarterback who had a lot going on around him this season. Ricky Ervins was hurt; there was constant juggling along the offensive line; Ricky Sanders missed games. The whole offense was down. Ryp was down, too."
When reporters kept pushing Gibbs on the possibility of there being a new quarterback next season, the coach finally asked them to ask a question he could handle "to put this to rest."
"If Conklin plays better than Rypien in training camp, will he start?" someone asked.
"Any time one guy outplays another one, the other guy starts," Gibbs answered.
The coach's only comment about Washington's 20-13 playoff loss to San Francisco on Saturday was that he had studied the play on which Rypien lost control of a handoff to Brian Mitchell, the key turnover in a game plagued with them.
"We don't fumble that ball, there's only one guy left who could tackle us," he said. "We're that close to busting it. But, we just didn't get the play we needed when we had to have it."
Despite reports the Redskins already have tabbed Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Reggie White as their top choice in the upcoming free-agent market, Gibbs said the next month would be spent evaluating his own team and that nothing had been decided regarding free agents.
Asked if the Redskins would be interested in signing a quarterback, Gibbs at first said no. Later, he recanted, admitting, "we'll sign anybody - kicker or quarterback - we think can help us become a better team."
Because of their 9-7 regular-season record, the Redskins will have the 16th pick in the first round of the draft. Toss in a third-round pick they'll receive from San Diego in the Stan Humphries trade and the Redskins will make four selections in the first three rounds.
Because so many well-regarded juniors have entered the draft, getting the premier running back they need may be more likely than in previous drafts. Some draft experts already have predicted that Notre Dame's bullish fullback, Jerome Bettis, will be around when the Redskins exercise their No. 1 pick.
Gibbs leaves Wednesday for Mobile, Ala., and the Senior Bowl college all-star game, where the process of restocking the Redskins will begin.
Restrictions in the new collective bargaining agreement limit the Redskins to signing one free agent who earns $1.5 million or more, excluding players who were on their roster this past season.
However, the four teams who have advanced to the conference title games this weekend are forbidden from signing anyone other than to replace players they have lost to free agency.
Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney made both proposals in the interest of keeping owners like Washington's Jack Kent Cooke, Dallas' Jerry Jones and San Francisco's Ed DeBartolo from using their extraordinary wealth to dominate the free-agent talent market.
"We've always been at our best when the unusual happens," Gibbs said. "We've always played well in strike years. Plan B? That was fantastic for us. The USFL? It really bailed us out.
"Now we've got something new that I feel can help our football team. We've got a fantastic owner who is willing to do what it takes to be competitive. To me, this is another curveball and I'd say we're a good curveball-hitting team."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL