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Email Update 6/24/02 Volume 3 Issue # 10
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Jags Rookie DT Henderson nurses Hamstring
2. Jake Delhomme relishes role on 2002 Saints
3. Darkhorse QB Nick Rolovich
4. Jimmy Smith "Just loves to play"
5. More bad news on Tony Boselli and his shoulder
6. Quote of the Day � Brad Johnson
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Jags Rookie DT Henderson nurses Hamstring
Clipped from the 6/24 article by Jeff Legwold.
John Henderson has all of eight weeks worth of NFL experience, but he
said he knows at least two things for certain.
He knows whenever his new employer, the Jacksonville Jaguars, face
the Titans in Nashville, he's going to need some tickets. Lots of
tickets.
''I know my mom has already said 50 tickets,'' Henderson, a former
Pearl-Cohn High School star, said of the Oct. 13 Jaguars-Titans game
at Adelphia Coliseum. ''It might go up, I don't know, but that's a
lot of tickets right there. Hopefully I'll give them something to
see.''
He also knows he's got to do everything possible to make his ailing
hamstring better and get himself to full speed by the time the
Jaguars open training camp on July 25.
Henderson was the ninth pick overall in the NFL draft, although most
teams had his former University of Tennessee teammate Albert
Haynesworth rated higher among defensive tackles. Haynesworth was
selected at No. 15 by the Titans.
Jaguars Coach Tom Coughlin liked Henderson's maturity, something the
coach felt his team desperately needed.
Jacksonville's 2001 season was marred by the suspension of wide
receiver R. Jay Soward, a first-round pick in 2000, and a pair of
locker-room fights. The Jaguars also missed the playoffs for the
second consecutive season.
''I don't feel that kind of pressure or anything,'' Henderson
said. ''It's just a matter of stepping up to another level. I feel
good about it, I want to get focused and stay focused.''
But Henderson, who led Pearl-Cohn to a state championship and was an
Outland Trophy winner (nation's best lineman) at Tennessee, also has
suffered the first injury of his pro career.
He went through only about half the drills in Jaguar minicamps
because of a strained hamstring, an injury he attributed to his long-
running battle with flexibility.
''I haven't been able to go full out yet, but it's getting better,
we're stepping things up,'' Henderson said. ''I'm using the same
[stretching] program I used at Tennessee. I do extra stretching,
extra flexibility things as much as I can.''
Leading up to the draft, several teams had expressed concern about a
problem with Henderson's back � he called it a ''curve in his
spine.''
Henderson said he traces his battle to keep what he calls ''the
tightness'' out of his legs, back and hips to a growth spurt in the
ninth grade when he went from 6-foot-3 to 6-6 in a year.
Now 6-7 and 315 pounds, Henderson said most of his efforts are on
increasing the flexibility in his hips because it helps him keep his
back and legs loose.
Coughlin said Henderson has made good progress. The hard-nosed coach,
whose abrupt style rubbed some players the wrong way, also has
described Henderson as just the kind of player he was looking for in
the draft.
''A leader,'' Coughlin said. ''He's a worker. For his toughness and
for what he brings to the locker room, we chose John Henderson.''
''I was a little worried before I got here that he was totally
military,'' Henderson said. ''He's like that a little bit, but he
smiles and jokes with the players. He's not like people say. But when
he steps on the field, he's business.''
As a top-10 pick, Henderson eventually will receive a contract that
will average roughly $2 million a year and include a signing bonus of
more than $4 million.
And if he can find his way into the lineup this fall, the Jaguars
will have recovered nicely from losing veteran defensive tackles Gary
Walker and Seth Payne to the Houston Texans in the expansion draft
earlier this year.
Henderson almost certainly will be slotted in at one tackle spot and
Marcus Stroud, the Jaguars' first-round pick in 2001, will be at the
other. The Jaguars have Tony Brackens and the recently signed free
agent Marco Coleman at defensive ends.
''I look at it like it's just playing football,'' Henderson
said. ''There's a business side of it, but on the field it's just 11-
on-11, big guys, strong guys and fast guys. I know I'm big, I know
I'm fast. It's a mental thing after that.
''I expect to get into training camp on time and do what it takes to
win, that's all.''
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
As Henderson will battle for a starting spot, this situation bears
watching for teams in leagues with IDP's, especially dynasty
leagues.
The Jaguars are in cap hell and have big injury problems on the
offensive line, which means they have little money to spend for free
agents elsewhere on the team. Henderson could contribute for your
franchise in 2002, if he can keep his hamstrings limber.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Jake Delhomme relishes role on 2002 Saints
Clipped from the 6/24 Sheldon Mickles article.
After five up-and-down NFL seasons, Jake Delhomme is finally where he
wants to be.
Almost.
Delhomme still aspires to be a starting quarterback, but, for the
time being, he'll take being the backup for New Orleans Saints
starter Aaron Brooks.
In just 41/2 weeks, Delhomme will report for the start of training
camp at Nicholls State University firmly entrenched as the Saints'
No. 2 quarterback for the first time.
"This is my best shot," an upbeat Delhomme said during the three-day
minicamp that ended Saturday. "Nothing has changed in the way I work,
it's just been kind of a natural progression for me."
After three crazy and tumultuous seasons under former coach Mike
Ditka, in which Delhomme was cut twice, the former University of
Louisiana at Lafayette standout's career took a turn for the better.
In 2000, the Saints' first season under coach Jim Haslett and
offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, Delhomme was simply trying to
survive and earn a spot on the 53-man regular-season roster.
Last year, when he went to training camp, Delhomme pretty much knew
he was going to be the third-stringer with Brooks and Jeff Blake
waging a battle for the starting spot.
Even though he made the team both years, Delhomme didn't take a
single snap in a regular-season game. Yet, he goes into this year's
training camp ready to step in if Brooks were to be injured.
"Last year was a tough situation," said Delhomme, who's played in a
total of two regular-season games in his career. "Aaron and Jeff were
fighting it out to be the starter and I knew what my role was going
in.
"I didn't want to settle for being the third guy, but it's the
situation I was in at the time," he said. "I knew that I had to go
out and perform and solidify my spot. I had to be ready because who
knew what would happen. I could have been the No. 2 guy."
Being ready for training camp and trying to solidify his spot means
even more to Delhomme now, however.
"I have to progress even more," he said.
Maybe, but Haslett knows how far Delhomme has already come in the
three off-seasons since McCarthy installed the West Coast offense.
So confident are they in Delhomme's ability to run the offense, the
Saints released Blake this spring and moved Delhomme up to the second
spot. Jeff Lewis and rookie J.T. O'Sullivan will go into camp vying
for the third quarterback spot.
"Jake's done a good job," Haslett said. "He wasn't a polished
quarterback when we got here, but Mike McCarthy has done a good job
of honing up his skills. He's got good arm strength and he's a good,
accurate passer."
Like Brooks and Lewis, Delhomme has been hard at work this off-season
along with the rest of the team. They reported to the team's training
facility on March 25 and worked six to eight hours a day four days a
week.
In addition to getting on-field and classroom instruction from
McCarthy, Delhomme and his teammates have been schooled by new
quarterbacks coach Mike Sheppard.
"He's a technician, and a very good one," Delhomme said of Sheppard,
who was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills last
season. "He noticed that I was taking one hand off the ball and that
my passes were kind of high, so he's been teaching me to keep my
front (left) shoulder down."
His willingness to change quickly impressed Sheppard.
"Jake is a real hard worker and he's very intelligent," Sheppard
said. "He can jump into the game in a heartbeat and know everything
that's going on. He does a lot of things well, it just comes back to
opportunity."
If that opportunity ever comes, Delhomme plans on being ready. He's
been in the same offense in the pros for the first time in his
career, which is an extremely comforting thought.
"The first year, you're trying to learn the system and get to know
the coaches," Delhomme said. "The second year, you're getting better
at it. In the third year, you expect to know everything and be able
to try and complete all of your passes even though you know you're
not."
But he still plans to work as hard as ever once camp begins.
"I've always worked hard, that's one of the things I've always taken
a lot of pride in," Delhomme said. "I never want to be outworked and
I'm never taking anything for granted. It's paid off for two years,
and I hope it continues to pay off."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
There was a report on Sunday that Haslett and Jeff George were
exploring possible opportunities in New Orleans. Delhomme will only
be significant to Brooks owners in larger leagues -- if he holds on
to the #2 spot in training camp. Stay tuned...
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Darkhorse QB Nick Rolovich turning heads in Denver with strong arm,
deep passes.
Clipped from the 6/24 Kamon Sampson article.
ENGLEWOOD - Four quarterbacks are lined up on the far side of the
field, holding footballs, watching their target at the front corner
of the end zone, about 60 yards away.
One by one, they take turns trying to complete their passes. The
target doesn't move to help snag the balls that fall short, that fly
high or wide. The target doesn't care whether it catches the ball or
not. The target is a large plastic trash can.
One quarterback, who shall remain nameless, often struggles to throw
the ball that far. Another, still resting his sore elbow, takes it
easy, lofting passes that come close without striking the target.
Another scatters strong and unpredictable shots all over the place.
None of the four Denver Broncos quarterbacks land the ball in the can
on this particular day - it almost never happens - but one guy hits
the side of the can twice in a row, and heaves several other balls
almost as close.
He's the guy who wasn't expected to be here in the first place. He's
Nick Rolovich, an undrafted rookie free agent, and he's the guy whose
name is far less familiar at this point than his arm, which is
starting to attract some unexpected attention.
Rolovich was invited to the Broncos' first minicamp, in May, on a try-
out basis, an unsigned player looking for his first NFL home. By the
time the team went through its second minicamp earlier this month, he
was on the roster, sharing snaps with Brian Griese, Steve Beuerlein
and Jarious Jackson.
By the time training camp kicks off in Greeley at the end of July,
Rolovich could be ready to raise a few more eyebrows. So far, he's
done nothing but impress with every opportunity he's been given.
"He has not embarrassed himself out here one bit," Broncos general
manager Ted Sundquist said. "He looks like he belongs. He's throwing
the ball well, he has some touch. He obviously has some deep ball
ability, but his intermediate stuff is as good as any of these three
guys out here.
"It's been fun to watch him. It's going to be tough for him to crack
the top three, but if he's the type of guy who can progress through
this thing, he could hang around on the practice squad."
That doesn't sound like much, but it would be much more than anyone
expected out of Rolovich, who enters training camp fifth on the
Broncos' list of quarterbacks, behind his three minicamp counterparts
and Todd Husak, last year's practice squad passer who has performed
well in NFL Europe this summer.
So how did Rolovich, who nobody wanted coming out of the University
of Hawaii this year, end up in the mix? As with so many unlikely
success stories, it started with his being in the right place at the
right time.
In this case, that meant being on the other end of countless big
plays by receiver Ashley Lelie, the Broncos' first-round draft pick.
It didn't take much to sell the team's scouting department on Lelie,
the 19th selection and second receiver chosen in the April draft. But
as they watched film of Lelie and noticed all those touchdown catches
and long completions, one question kept coming to mind: Who is making
all those perfect passes?
"It didn't hurt," Rolovich said. "I'm sure that had a lot to do with
me being here."
He's not here because of his stature - 6-foot-1, 197 pounds - or his
college resume. In nine games as a starter last season, in which he
went 8-1, Rolovich passed for 3,361 yards and 38 touchdowns,
eclipsing 19 school passing records and finishing fourth nationally
in total offense.
Still, he was viewed by most scouts as a product of the wide-open,
run-and-gun offensive system employed by Hawaii's June Jones, a
former NFL head coach.
Although Rolovich was the most valuable player of the all-star Hula
Bowl in February, as he passed for 171 yards and three touchdowns,
only one team, the San Francisco 49ers, expressed pre-draft interest.
They took their quarterback in the fifth round - BYU's Brandon Doman.
So which game were they watching? Surely not Hawaii's 72-45 victory
over then-12-0 BYU, in which Rolovich passed for 543 yards and eight
touchdowns - part of a stretch in which he passed for 20 touchdowns
in his final three games.
"Draft day kind of passed me by," Rolovich said. "When the Niners
passed on me, I was crushed. I probably shouldn't have had my hopes
set so high on that.
"I was willing to go anywhere. I was going to keep playing. I would
have gone to Canada. I would have gone to the Arena League because
guys have made it to the NFL out of there, you know?"
After failing to impress the Dallas Cowboys at a minicamp the week
after the draft, Rolovich was invited to Denver. Broncos coach Mike
Shanahan had seen Rolovich at the Hula Bowl and was impressed by his
poise.
And Jones, who has a good relationship with Shanahan and Broncos
owner Pat Bowlen (who lives part of the year in Hawaii), had made his
case for Rolovich as well.
"June felt like this guy has an NFL-caliber arm, he has an NFL-
caliber mind, he just hasn't played much," Sundquist said. "June said
he felt like Nick was more than just a product of their system, if we
would just give him a shot. We knew a lot about Nick just from
scouting Ashley.
"Son of a gun, he comes in here, and he's got great arm strength.
He's not a big guy, he's probably not the fleetest of foot, but it
will be interesting to see when the bullets are flying for real how
he maneuvers in the pocket. What we saw from him at Hawaii was that
he could slide, he could step up, and he was extremely tough."
He's also extremely comfortable with the Broncos, thanks in large
part to Lelie, his favorite target last season. The feeling is
mutual. Lelie and Rolovich are roommates and study partners, working
out together and quizzing each other on Shanahan's intricate playbook.
"It's nice to have someone I know here with me, every step of the
way," Lelie said. "We help each other with routes and plays."
Rolovich will have to be patient to make this team, but that's a
lesson he's learned well.
"That's kind of been my story since high school," he said. "People
didn't think I could play in high school, in junior college (in San
Francisco), or at Hawaii. And now here I am."
He entered his senior season as Hawaii's third-string quarterback,
given an opportunity only after starter Timmy Chang broke his wrist
and backup Jared Flint played poorly.
And now, here he is. Practice squad? No offense to the Broncos -
because he'd certainly accept that steady job -, but Rolovich is
setting his sights a little higher.
"You don't ever know what will happen in this crazy game," he
said. "I hope to stick around. That's my main goal. I know if I stick
around, each day I'll get more comfortable, and I'll just keep
getting better and better. As long as I'm here, anything can happen."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Gotta love this kid's attitude � and Jarious Jackson
hasn't reminded anyone of a franchise quarterback yet. Part of
the fun of the mini- and training camps is pulling for the underdogs
to make the final cut and appear on the 53 man roster. Good luck,
Rolovich!
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Jimmy Smith "Just loves to play"
Clipped from the 6/24 article by Bart Hubbuch.
Jimmy Smith would seem to have no shortage of reasons to be upset
with the Jaguars these days.
The club recently released popular wide receiver Keenan McCardell,
Smith's close friend and prolific on-field partner, in a salary-cap
move Smith says he still doesn't understand.
And while Smith has the most receiving yards in the NFL since 1996,
at least 15 wideouts around the league will make more money this
season than the Jaguars' five-time Pro Bowl selection -- a disparity
the club steadfastly refuses to address.
Despite those two issues, a relaxed Smith was anything but bitter
last week when discussing the Jaguars and his attitude about the
upcoming season. Listening to Smith, the July 25 start of training
camp can't get here fast enough.
"I'll be there," Smith vowed when asked if he is contemplating a
career-first holdout because of the contract situation. "I don't see
why I wouldn't. [The contract] is not an issue."
Optimism comes easy for Smith now because, no matter what happens on
the field, at least he's not fighting for his life.
This time a year ago, Smith was emerging from three surgeries and 35
days in the hospital to repair serious abdominal complications. He
also was wondering if he would ever play football again.
Smith had seen his weight dip to 180 pounds, or almost 30 pounds
below normal, and faced numerous doubts about his NFL future. Even
the Jaguars hedged their bets by signing another receiver, Sean
Dawkins, in case Smith couldn't recover.
But Smith had an emphatic reply for his doubters, quickly regaining
All-Pro form to start all 16 games and catch 112 passes for 1,373
yards and eight touchdowns. The reward was a fifth consecutive Pro
Bowl appearance, although Smith begged out of the actual game because
of a minor injury.
"I'm feeling great," said Smith, who turned 33 in February. "I feel
better than I have in a long time. My weight is up [back over 205
pounds] and I'm feeling stronger and faster. I'm ready to keep going
back to Pro Bowls."
Said teammate Kyle Brady: "Jimmy looks like he never missed a beat."
But Smith realizes a sixth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance could be
much more difficult than the first five, mainly because -- for the
first time since 1995 -- McCardell won't be lining up opposite him
this fall.
The Jaguars released McCardell on June 3 to save money under the cap,
but Smith's confidant didn't stay unemployed for long. The Tampa Bay
Buccaneers quickly scooped up McCardell with a four-year, $10 million
contract while fending off the Kansas City Chiefs, among others, for
his services.
"It was very disappointing, the Jaguars releasing Keenan," Smith
said. "But he's very happy in Tampa and very happy with the money he
got. I talked to him the other day, and it's like he's reborn down
there. That's good, because he deserves to be happy and to be able to
move on."
Smith sounds wistful when asked what it will be like not to see
McCardell in Jaguars uniform this season.
"It's going to be different, to say the least," Smith said. "It's
going to be a major adjustment."
From a practical standpoint, McCardell's absence would seem to make
Smith's job more difficult unless inexpensive replacements Patrick
Johnson and Bobby Shaw produce McCardell-like numbers.
Smith begs to differ.
"I'm used to double [coverage]," he said.
"A running game is more important than having a second receiver. Look
at [Indianapolis wideout] Marvin Harrison or some of the other top
receivers. They didn't have people on the other side."
That's why Smith is more concerned with the health and availability
of running back Fred Taylor than the productivity of Johnson or Shaw.
Taylor has missed 24 of a possible 64 regular-season games the past
four seasons because of various injuries, including 14 games last
year.
"If Fred isn't there, then I'm in trouble," Smith said. "Fred has
worked hard this offseason because he's disappointed that people keep
calling him 'Fragile Fred' and question his toughness. He's a little
hurt, and I understand that. But when Fred's healthy, he's the best
back in the league."
Smith also is encouraged by the Jaguars' recent surge of free-agent
additions along the offensive line. Newly signed linemen Chris Naeole
(New Orleans), Kevin Long (Tennessee), Daryl Terrell (New Orleans)
and Raleigh Roundtree (San Diego) all have extensive NFL starting
experience.
With depth like that, Smith doesn't see Jaguars quarterback Mark
Brunell running for his life like he did last season. Brunell was
sacked a league-high 57 times.
"It's exciting, because Mark's going to have time to sit in the
pocket and look for me," Smith said. "He's not going to have to
scramble around all the time. The chance of me getting some one-on-
one coverage is pretty good."
The chances of single coverage certainly seem a lot better than Smith
getting a new contract from the Jaguars. Despite Smith's superior on-
field numbers, his $3 million average base salary over the final five
years of his deal will pale in comparison to the massive contracts
given to Minnesota's Randy Moss and Denver's Rod Smith, just to name
a few.
Smith skipped the final two days of the Jaguars' precamp workouts
earlier this month but attributed his brief absence to a "family
issue."
Smith insists he won't let money interfere with his preparation for
the rapidly approaching season.
"I just love playing football, and I love being with my teammates,"
Smith said.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
No matter how brave a face Jimmy Smith puts on, you have got to know
that he is deeply disappointed over the release of Keenan McCardell.
Pay attention in training camp and pre-season to see if Smith
struggles against the increased coverage sure to come his way.
Anyway, isn't it nice to see a player who loves the game and his
team-mates enough to avoid complaining about the paltry three million
dollars he's getting paid this year?
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
More bad news on Tony Boselli and his shoulder
Clipped from the 6/24 ESPN.com article by Len Pasquarelli.
The training camp availability of offensive left tackle Tony Boselli,
the initial veteran selected by Houston in the expansion draft, was
further jeopardized on Monday when the seven-year pro went under the
knife yet again.
Boselli had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue from the
anterior and posterior joints of his left shoulder, the team said.
The procedure, performed on Monday by team physician Dr. Walter Lowe,
is the third on the shoulder since early November and the second in
less than two months. Boselli underwent an arthroscopic procedure
April 29 to flush debris from the shoulder.
A former Jacksonville Jaguars star, and the player expected to be the
cornerstone of what figures to be a very good offensive line, Boselli
is also recovering from surgery on his right shoulder last October 15.
Boselli, 30, has not participated in any of the Texans' on-field
workouts this spring, but Houston officials have continued to insist
he will be ready for the start of the regular season. This latest
procedure certainly puts that timetable in doubt.
Lowe said the timetable for recovery will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6
weeks. The Texans open their inaugural training camp July 20.
Certainly, the Monday surgery reflects the risk the Texans assumed
when they chose Boselli and took on his cap charge of about $6.8
million for the 2002 season. The five-time Pro Bowl performer has
been plagued by injuries to his knees, shoulders and ankles in recent
seasons, but has dropped about 20 pounds this offseason and he was
thought to be in better condition than he had been the last few years.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
David Carr and company aren't thrilled to hear this, but the team
has been practicing sans Boselli all year now. While it definitely
weakens their offensive line to not have Boselli available, it
won't impact the unit's chemistry � Boselli hasn't
been in the mix yet, anyway. The $6.8 million dollar gamble isn't
looking like a great investment, though.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Quotation of the day: Brad Johnson on his Eckerd College football
camp for kids
"I want to shake every kid's hand, talk to every kid, be in every
drill and I really want the kids to get to know me."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Mr. Johnson, you are a class act!
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
That's a wrap! See you next Monday. Mark Wimer
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