ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610070131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEN MURRAY THE BALTIMORE SUN
MIAMI'S DAN MARINO may have been the last passer to become a major factor in the NFL almost immediately.
The first two picks in the 1993 college draft shared the common bond of duty. Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer - cornerstones, saviors and quarterbacks - would usher the NFL into the next generation, pure and simple.
A decade after Marino, Elway and Kelly, there would be Bledsoe and Mirer, and the league's fine line of superstar quarterbacks would be reinforced.
The fact that it hasn't exactly happened that way is further proof of how murky this business of franchise transformation is for a young quarterback these days.
Like virtually every other quarterback who passed this way before them, Bledsoe, with the New England Patriots, and Mirer, with the Seattle Seahawks, have struggled - at times mightily.
For Bledsoe, the No.1 pick in 1993 after a prolific career at Washington State, the struggle was delayed. He went to the playoffs and the Pro Bowl in his second year, throwing for 4,555 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Then, overnight, he became an inconsistent, uncertain passer who looked almost shellshocked a year ago.
Bledsoe's task now: reinvent himself as the game's brightest young quarterback hope.
For Mirer, the No.2 pick in '93 out of Notre Dame, the challenge is more daunting. Having lost his starting job to journeyman John Friesz after throwing one touchdown pass and nine interceptions in the Seahawks' first five games, he is trying to reclaim his reeling career.
``It's a tough job,'' said Bledsoe, 24. ``When quarterbacks get drafted high, they're going to teams that didn't do well before, teams that don't have a lot of talent. For a quarterback to be successful, you've got to have guys around you that can complement your talents.
``Rick's up there in Seattle running for his life. The running game isn't working; Chris Warren, one of the best backs in the league, doesn't have any place to run. If you don't have [good] personnel around you, it's very difficult to be successful.''
Mirer is not alone, of course. Struggling and failed quarterbacks litter the NFL landscape like penalty flags this season:
Tampa Bay's Trent Dilfer, a first-round pick in 1994, is the NFC's 16th-rated passer, at 39.6. He has thrown 10 interceptions and one touchdown pass. When he limped off the field after taking a hit Sept.29, some Buccaneers fans cheered.
Washington's Heath Shuler, the third overall pick in 1994, lost his job to seventh-round pick Gus Frerotte, who has the Redskins off to a 4-1 start.
New York's Dave Brown, a first-round pick in the 1992 supplemental draft, took heavy criticism when the Giants went 0-3 and their passing game was virtually nonexistent. He hasn't heard much praise after back-to-back victories.
St.Louis' Steve Walsh, a supplemental No.1 in 1989 with Dallas, recently was demoted from starter to third string, behind rookie Tony Banks and Jamie Martin.
Baltimore Ravens coach Ted Marchibroda, one of the league's best quarterback tutors, said the problem starts with sophisticated defenses.
``I think defenses have changed so much in the league over the last six, seven, eight years, it's tougher for a kid to come in and do extremely well early,'' he said. ``They don't get as much single coverage that the great quarterbacks of the past have gotten.
``In the old days, you only had a couple of coverages. Now you have so many different coverages. I think it will take a little more time for somebody to become like the Elways, the Marinos, the Kellys. I think it's too early to pass judgment on these people.''
But it's never too early to force-feed a quarterback. Because of the financial investment in first-round picks and the pressure to win, many young quarterbacks are thrust into action before they are ready.
``When you're the No.1 pick in the draft, the expectation is, `You're going to come in here and play. Here's a play book, go play,''' said one-time Virginia Tech star Don Strock, a 17-year NFL veteran who is quarterbacks coach for Baltimore. ``That doesn't happen. [Dan] Marino sat four games behind [David] Woodley before he got a chance to play. It just doesn't happen.''
Marino is one of the few who made the adjustment almost instantly. John Elway, the first pick in the Class of '83, struggled early with the Denver Broncos, and Jim Kelly spent three years in the U.S. Football League before joining the Buffalo Bills.
``You could make a strong case that with the exception of Dan Marino, what young quarterback hasn't struggled?'' said Charley Casserly, the Redskins' general manager. ``Marino went to a team a year removed from the Super Bowl and had a good cast around him.''
Kerry Collins, a former Penn State quarterback, went to the expansion Carolina Panthers a year ago and became a starter in their fourth game. He threw for 234 yards that week, the second-highest total by a rookie in his first start. The best debut was by the Ravens' Vinny Testaverde, who threw for 369 against New Orleans in 1987 while playing for Tampa Bay.
Collins won seven of his 13 starts to become the first rookie since Marino to finish with a winning record (7-6). His 2,717 passing yards ranked second behind Mirer's rookie figure of 2,833, and Mirer had three more starts.
At 6 feet 5, 245 pounds, Collins has the size to excel in the NFL. But it's his demeanor that sets him apart, said Panthers president Mike McCormack.
``What we liked about him was when we went to Penn State, Joe [Paterno] told us of all the guys he's had, Kerry was as tough mentally as anybody,'' McCormack said.
Collins, who has missed most of the past two games with a knee injury, will play today against Minnesota. Working in a run-oriented offense for a team with an excellent defense, he appears to be the right fit for the Panthers.
``The truest test is the test of time,'' McCormack said. ``We think he will [become a star]. He's got the demeanor and the mentality that will afford him every chance to succeed.''
Of all the young quarterbacks, Bledsoe appears closest to moving into the elite group that includes Marino, Elway, Kelly, Troy Aikman of Dallas, Steve Young of San Francisco and, now, Brett Favre of Green Bay.
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