Raiders sign quarterback Kerry Collins

[Sarge]

Raiders sign quarterback Kerry Collins

By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
May 24, 2004
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Kerry Collins signed with the Oakland Raiders on Monday, ending his monthlong search for a team and raising questions about the future of 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon.

Collins, a nine-year NFL veteran, was released by the Giants on April 28, four days after they acquired Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick in the draft. Collins is the kind of quarterback Raiders owner Al Davis has always coveted -- big and strong-armed.

``Kerry is a highly productive performer who will add to what is already a talented position,'' Raiders coach Norv Turner said.



The 31-year-old Collins led the Giants to a Super Bowl appearance in 2001, and that was certainly an appealing factor for the Raiders. Oakland's fall to 4-12 last season was the worst collapse by a team that played in the Super Bowl the previous season.

Collins gives the Raiders two quarterbacks who lost in the NFL title game.

``I'm looking forward to playing in front of the Raider Nation,'' Collins said in a statement. ``I want them to know that I'm going to give everything I've got.''

The Giants shed $8.95 million from their salary cap when they cut Collins, who threw for 3,110 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. He started 67 straight games for New York until spraining an ankle and missing the last three games in 2003.

The 38-year-old Gannon, knocked out of the Raiders' 17-10 loss to Kansas City last Oct. 20, ended last season on injured reserve, and so did his backup, Marques Tuiasosopo.

The Raiders have said Gannon is completely healthy after having shoulder surgery in November to repair a torn labrum and is still their No. 1 QB.

Gannon is due to make $7 million this season and he has said he won't take a pay cut, raising speculation the Raiders may let him go. That would likely make Collins the starter.

After Oakland's embarrassing finish to the season, Gannon criticized the Raiders. He said he believes he unfairly became the organization's scapegoat in the first seven weeks of the season when no one stepped forward to take responsibility for the failures.

During the Raiders' 2002-03 Super Bowl season, Gannon led the league's top offense and broke the NFL completions record with 418 on the way to league MVP honors. He led the league with 4,689 yards passing.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1357&e=1&u=/ap/20040524/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_raiders_collins&sid=95745805

[ALinChainz]

Obviously Gannon's health a concern, and out of the QBs who are out there, Collins is is the best of the lot.

Couch is dragging is feet with the Pack and Warner is pretty much done. The Raiders in Collins and Hambrick have a couple giys with chips on their shoulders, stud OL with the top 2 draft picks. They ain't so terrible.

[rustoffa]

Gannon's gonna start. This is just a smart backup move as Tui looked pretty bad last year.

[ALinChainz]

Collins content to back up Gannon -- for now

By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer

May 25, 2004

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Kerry Collins believed he had a better long-term outlook backing up a 38-year-old quarterback coming off an injury that a hotshot rookie who was the top pick in the draft.

So Collins signed with the Oakland Raiders to play behind 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon rather than sticking with the New York Giants to help smooth the way for Eli Manning's entry into the NFL.

``Obviously I've played a lot in this league and started a lot of games,'' Collins said Tuesday. ``But when I came here they made it clear what the situation would be. I understood that Rich would be the starter and I will be the guy that's there if something happens to Rich. That will be my approach.''


The addition of a big, strong-armed quarterback who led a team to the Super Bowl just more than three years ago gives the Raiders insurance should Gannon go down with another injury. He hurt his shoulder on Oct. 20 and had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Backup Marques Tuiasosopo also got hurt, contributing to Oakland's slide from AFC champions to 4-12 -- the worst drop ever for a Super Bowl team.

Seeing what happened to the Raiders and Atlanta -- who lost star quarterback Michael Vick in preseason for most of the year -- motivated new coach Norv Turner to seek a more experienced backup.

``If something happens to Rich, we have a guy who is not just a proven player but a proven winner,'' Turner said.

Turner talked to Gannon last week when discussions with Collins heated up and said Gannon endorsed the move. Gannon is due to make $7 million this season and he has said he won't take a pay cut.

``He shared my concerns and my thoughts that if we had the opportunity to add a guy who's experienced, who's played and who's won and who's taken his team to the Super Bowl that would be in the best interest of the football team,'' Turner said.

``Competition makes you better. Rich is our starting quarterback. When you have someone there who has played and won it's a motivational deal and it helps you play better.''

Collins, a nine-year veteran, was released by the Giants on April 28, four days after they acquired Manning, the No. 1 pick in the draft. He said he was ``angry'' by the move but quickly moved on.

Collins has a stronger arm than Gannon and his ability to throw the deep ball should fit in well with Turner's new offense and owner Al Davis' model for a quarterback.

The 6-foot-5, 248-pound Collins was the first draft pick ever of the Carolina Panthers in 1995 and quarterbacked them to the NFC championship game in their second season.

But alcohol problems ended his career in Carolina two years later, and after a brief stop in New Orleans, he joined the Giants in 1999 and rehabilitated his life and career. The next season, Collins led them to the NFC championship before losing to Baltimore in the Super Bowl. His most productive year came in 2002 when he threw for 4,073 yards.

He is a durable quarterback who started 67 straight games before spraining his ankle last season, when the Giants' horrible offensive line was the main factor in their 4-12 finish. He threw for 3,110 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 2003.

Collins said it was difficult to find another starting job being released so late in the offseason. The opportunity to play for the Raiders and the knowledge that Gannon is on the backside of his career made this the most appealing spot.

``Looking at other teams, a lot of them were backup roles as this one is,'' he said. ``This may have a little more long-term possibilities than the other situations I was looking at. ... There was a lot of upside to being here.''