SUNDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Preseason Edition: Vol. 3
Rick Serritella

Don’t count out Brady Quinn just yet for that starting quarterback job in Cleveland. The rookie stated his case Saturday night, completing 13-of-20 passes for 155 yards, while tossing two touchdowns. He may be behind in terms of reps, but Quinn proved why he is already the best quarterback on the team.

There seems to be disagreement in Kansas City between GM Carl Peterson and head coach Herm Edwards. Peterson believes Damon Huard gives the team the best chance to win as starting quarterback. Edwards and offensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham want to throw second-year man Brodie Croyle into the fire and let him rip. A situation like this occurs every season and the outcome can dictate the success of your season. If Croyle plays well the rest of preseason, it looks to be his job.

The Tim Couch experiment didn’t last very long in Jacksonville, three weeks to be exact. The Jaguars had brought the former number one overall pick (’99-Cleveland) into camp for a look, but obviously weren’t too impressed. Look for Couch to resurface next season with the startup All-American Football League.

Denver suffered a major blow in their 31-20 loss to Dallas on Saturday, as both Travis Henry and Mike Bell left the game due to injury. Henry suffered a sprain left knee and is expected to have an MRI Sunday. Bell re-aggravated a hip injury. Head coach Mike Shanahan sounded confident Henry would be ready for the start of the season in his post-game press conference, but in the meantime be sure to have Cecil Sapp on your fantasy radar.

One has to wonder what in the world head coach Cam Cameron is thinking down in Miami. The decision to let Ronnie Brown test out his kick return skills during the preseason is a move that could have turned fatal. Risking your starting running back on special teams is dangerous. The two words that first come to mind are Jason Sehorn. What’s even more mind-boggling is that Cameron is considering using Brown on kick returns during the season.

Flying under the radar in San Diego is wide receiver Vincent Jackson. Many fantasy owners are aware of his bust-out potential, but what they fail to realize is that Jackson could very well be a top-ten fantasy producing wide out- a definite mid-round steal for your fantasy draft this season.

James Jones has emerged as the Packers number three wide out and with Greg Jennings having trouble staying healthy, the third round pick out of San Jose Sate could make some noise this season. In deeper leagues, James could have some value as a reserve.

Another player we will continue to monitor is Marques Hagans of the Rams. The second-year quarterback turned wide out has looked impressive thus far in camp. He continues to lead the pack as the number three/slot receiver in St. Louis.

TEN GUYS WE LIKE…
• Jay Cutler – Should sneak into the top ten fantasy quarterbacks when the season is all said and done.
• Joey Harrington – Could put up some surprising numbers with talented offense around him.
• Daunte Culpepper – Worth a flier if he’s available with your final pick.
• Brandon Jacobs – Will step into fantasy stud status this season.
• Tatum Bell – Could explode in Mike Martz’s offense as long as he learns not to put the ball on the ground.
• Warrick Dunn – Downgraded due to injury by most fantasy owners, you can nab Dunn as a bargain during the middle of your draft. He’s still good for 1,000 yards.
• Tony Hunt – Great value in touchdown and dynasty leagues. Look for the rookie to see the majority of goal line touches for Philly.
• Ronald Curry – Will learn how to find the end zone this season.
• Wes Welker – Could see a lot of touchdowns in that slot role.
• Owen Daniels – Will improve upon the five touchdowns of a year ago in an offense that plans on using the tight end in an extensive role.

TEN GUYS WE DON'T LIKE…
• Donovan McNabb – The ultimate risk/reward player. A stud when healthy but knees just not what they used to be.
• Brodie Croyle – The kid has a laser, but his inexperience will cost him.
• Jason Campbell – The bruised left knee Campbell suffered in preseason didn’t help his draft status any.
• Clinton Portis – Look for carries to decrease significantly with the emergence of Ladell Betts as a bona-fide runner.
• Laurence Maroney – Seems to be too much question surrounding the rehabbed shoulder and that kind of uncertainty doesn’t warrant the high round price tag that Maroney commands.
• Chris Henry – The Titans first round pick has bust written all over him. Look for Chris Brown to be the man in Tennessee.
• Matt Jones – Streaky and injury-prone, two things you should avoid in fantasy football.
• Samie Parker – Was given every opportunity to seize the starting job while Dwayne Bowe held out and failed to capitalize.
• Greg Olsen – Will show flashes of brilliance but will be hard to get consistency on a weekly basis with the presence of Desmond Clark.
• L.J. Smith – Dealing with an array of injuries, better options available.

To check the complete Sunday Morning Quarterback archive be dure to visit The NFL Draft Bible website.

For additional information on the above topics or information on the All-American Football League, you can email Rick Serritella at ric@nfldraftbible.com