Former Giant QB heading to Oakland
.I’ll let Scotty comment on this more, but to me this is a shocking development. It’s not that I doubt Kerry Collins’ ability as a quarterback - oh wait a minute, yes I do. It’s more that I thought that Tuiasopo was set to take over from Gannon, and that Gannon was still good enough to start.
Well, that’s enough from me. I’ll let Scott take over from here. Scott, take it away…
Well, ever since Kerry left the Giants, rumors have been swirling around Oakland that they would or should sign him. Now, I’m not gonna believe it until I see, which is sure to be after June 1st. Assuming this is true, there are a few questions remaining about this signing. He is being brought in to compete or takeover for a starting job? Is he coming in to backup for this season and see what happens next? What about heir apparent qb Tui? Here is my attempt to answer these questions. I think that Collins is being brought in to take over for Gannon because he will be cheaper, has a stronger arm, is younger, and is not coming off season ending shoulder surgery. As for Tui, he has had to recover from his own season ending injury and has yet to really break out on top of learning a new system for which he may or may not have the physical tools.
To elaborate, Gannon will be a cap casaulty due to the amount of his salary, which is needed to address other areas, which may include resigning Charles Woodson. Also, there is historical evidence that qbs tend to hit the wall around 38; Gannon is 39. That said, I don’t blame Gannon solely for last year, I think that belongs to the OL and the previous head coach. Also, teammates of Gannon’s really don’t like his hyper-perfectionism and finger-pointing. Its well known in Oakland that he has worn out his welcome with them. When your teammates refer to you as “red-ass” Rich and don’t help you up when you’ve been knocked down in a game is a good indication that they don’t like you. When Kerry was replaced by Eli, Giants players had a fit; when Gannon leaves, his teamates will probably offer to help him pack and then hire a moving company for him with complimentary airfare for him and his family to their destination.
Now, here is how I feel about this. I am in favor of bringing in Collins because of the reasons I listed in the first paragraph. Secondly, he is a decent qb behind adequate protection, which is what the Raiders are building. Having an rb without Tiki-itis, I mean fumble-itis, will really help him as well. I am especially excited about a qb that can throw an accurate deep ball. We are finally returning to old time Raider football. Yay, no more dink and dunk, power running/vertical game, here we come. I think Kerry has the skills to be quite effective in this offense.
As for Gannon, I hate to see him go out like that since he is a Delaware alum. However, it is probably time. That Super Bowl still twists in my gut like a crooked knife and I hate to see that as his last hoorah. However, he will probably rebound in Tampa Bay, which only adds to the weirdness of Sapp in silver and black.
For more information, see ESPN.com
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