Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 16, 1995 TAG: 9502160088
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Long
For the rest of the day, it was mainly ``who's that?'' as the Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers went for the unknown, the underpaid and, in some cases, the relatively unfit. The Panthers in particular selected low-priced, low-profile players.
Beuerlein, who fell out of favor with new coach Buddy Ryan after a strong 1993 season with the Arizona Cardinals, became an asterisk when the Jaguars made him the first pick. Overall, Jacksonville went for experienced players and spent more money; Carolina, hoping to attract free agents, went young and cheap.
Beuerlein will go to Jacksonville with no illusions.
``One of my claims to fame throughout my career is that I've always been able to take a hit,'' Beuerlein said. ``I'm sure that won't be any different going down to Jacksonville. I'll stand in there and take a hit with the best of them.''
But after the 30-year-old quarterback, due to make about $2 million this year, the new teams turned to youth and low salaries. Carolina didn't go for quarterbacks until late, taking Jack Trudeau from the New York Jets in the 28th round after selecting Miami's Doug Pederson six picks earlier.
And a number of big-name, high-priced players were ignored, including Michael Dean Perry, William Perry, Gary Clark, Dante Jones, Chris Doleman, Mark Rypien, Tom Rathman and Chris Miller.
Rod Smith, a 24-year-old cornerback who started seven games for New England last year, was Carolina's first pick.
``I'm just one of 30 guys,'' Smith said. ``I'm not worried about the contract at this point.''
And so it went, with each team required to spend at least $14 million against what's expected to be a salary cap of about $36 million next season. Of the first 36 players chosen, 24 made less than $200,000 last year.
But Jacksonville spent far more late in the draft, taking a group of high-salaried players, including wide receiver Desmond Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner but a major disappointment with the Washington Redskins.
That and the selection of two other first-round busts - tight end Derek Brown from the New York Giants and former Virginia Tech guard Eugene Chung from New England - put them over the $14 million mark. That whole group had cap numbers over $1 million.
Another state player, former Virginia running back Marcus Wilson of Green Bay, was selected by the Jaguars.
They also took such veteran players as running back Reggie Cobb, wide receiver Kelvin Martin and linebacker James Williams in the late rounds.
And they took only 31 players, one more than the required number. Carolina took 35, although each team could have chosen 42.
In Beuerlein, the Jaguars got a player whom Tom Coughlin, their coach and general manager, said ``was graded in the elite players in this particular draft.''
He will immediately jump to No.1 on the depth chart ahead of Andre Ware, the former Heisman Trophy winner who was released by Detroit and Minnesota last year.
But most of the choices were lesser-known and lower-priced than Beuerlein. And the existing teams, allowed to pull back one player after losing one, did the same as they protected younger players with lower salaries.
``It was evident the two expansion teams picked younger players without the high salaries first, players with a future,'' said George Young, general manager of the Giants.
There were few veteran players taken early.
Tim McKyer, the cornerback who was beaten by San Diego's Tony Martin for the decisive touchdown pass in the AFC title game, was taken in the sixth round by Carolina, coached by former Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dom Capers, for whom McKyer played last year. Capers took another Steelers defensive back, Fred Foggie, in the 15th round.
``He possesses good cover ability and that's hard to find,'' Capers said.
In the ninth round, each team took veteran defensive linemen. Paul Frase, who has spent seven years with the New York Jets, went to Jacksonville, and Greg Kragen, a 10-year pro with Denver and Kansas City, was taken by Carolina. Darren Carrington, burned by San Francisco in Super Bowls while playing for Denver and San Diego, went to Jacksonville in the 14th round.
Most of the other early picks were young players with apparent potential or those who had shown enough in cameo appearances to merit a look, such as Harry Boatswain, a backup offensive lineman for the Niners the past four years.
Boatswain was a replacement for Harris Barton early in the season, a period when injuries on the line put quarterback Steve Young's health in jeopardy. He also was one of the draft's oddities - a New York resident, he was at the draft while the Panthers were trying to locate him.
But offensive linemen were rare. Only five went with the first 40 picks, three to Carolina and two to Jacksonville.
And the higher-priced players didn't start going until later - Mark Carrier, the Cleveland wide receiver, was the first $1 million-plus player to go after Beuerlein and he wasn't chosen until Carolina took him in the 16th round.
Keywords:
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by CNB