Man in black

Raiders would be wise to bring Collins back to huddle

Posted: Wednesday March 22, 2006 12:14PM; Updated: Wednesday March
22, 2006 1:42PM

It's been nearly two weeks since the Oakland Raiders put themselves
in a position where they have no viable starting quarterback, so
here's my advice to them: Bring back Kerry Collins. Do it quickly,
before the Baltimore Ravens start thinking that he might fit nicely
as competition for Kyle Boller. Do it before there are no options
left, as the most promising of those -- Daunte Culpepper -- now
plays in Miami. Do it because it's the only logical move for a team
that rarely makes sensible decisions.

For those who haven't been following the news around the NFL, the
dominoes officially started falling last week. Culpepper landed in
Miami. Drew Brees signed in New Orleans. The Detroit Lions added Jon
Kitna and Josh McCown to their roster. Nearly every team that really
needed a quarterback found somebody to give the job to. Not the
Raiders. They had to cut Collins to get under the salary cap, but
now they have nobody to rely upon in his absence.

They can't give the job to backup Marques Tuiasosopo, because he's
never done anything to prove that he deserves it. They can't hand it
over to second-year signal-caller Andrew Walter, because he's not
ready to have a frustrated Randy Moss jumping down his throat on
every other play. There really isn't anybody left after those two,
which means the Raiders' best hope of landing a replacement involves
the draft and daily prayer.

This is why Collins is their only choice now. Say what you will
about his record in Oakland (8-21 in games he started), his happy
feet last season and that he's really only had three good seasons in
his 12-year career. He at least fits what the Raiders need most at
this point. He knows his teammates. He knows how dysfunctional the
place is. And he's cheap (the man clearly doesn't have many
suitors). What more could team owner Al Davis be searching for at
this frustrating stage?

The reality is that the free-agent market is nearly bare when it
comes to quarterbacks. Aaron Brooks is making a visit to Oakland now
that Brees has Brooks' old job in New Orleans. Joey Harrington is
available. After those two, you're looking at no-names. And let's be
serious here: Brooks and Harrington are both in the same class as
Collins. At least Collins can claim to have played in a Super Bowl.

Collins can also accept where he's at in his career. Those younger
players will certainly be looking to show the world that they aren't
as bad as they seem. They'll be in denial about how bleak their
futures really look and they'll be pressing to prove that their
careers are redeemable. Collins, on the other hand, knows exactly
who he is. He's been a first-round bust, a pariah for an entire city
(Charlotte), a drunk and a Raiders quarterback. Once you've done all
that, you clearly understand when life is handing you a blessing.