Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Tuiasosopo out of Raiders' eye?
Collins now appears to be QB of future
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Marques Tuiasosopo was expecting the news, but that didn't soften the delivery.
When the Oakland Raiders signed veteran Kerry Collins this month, joining the even-more veteran Rich Gannon, it clouded the future for the former University of Washington quarterback.
Tuiasosopo had been considered the quarterback of the future since then-coach Jon Gruden selected him in the second round of the 2001 draft. Now, with the arrivals this off-season of Norv Turner -- Tuiasosopo's third head coach in four seasons -- and Collins, what was once thought to be a given could be taken away.
"I may not like it, but it's something that's out of my control," Tuiasosopo said recently during a telephone interview after a workout at Raiders headquarters.
If Tuiasosopo has learned anything in his brief career, it's to expect the unexpected and not make waves when the turbulent franchise veers from its expected course.
"I just want to go out and show what I can do, just continue to get better," he said. "That will help me out a lot better than sitting back and feeling sorry for yourself.
"This is no different than any other year, I have to continue to fight for my job. If it's something you enjoy doing, you'd better just keep moving forward and pushing ahead. Competition isn't a bad thing, either."
Make no mistake, Tuiasosopo loves what he is doing, continuing to live what has been a dream since he was a kid growing up in Woodinville -- the oldest son of former Seahawks defensive tackle Manu Tuiasosopo.
"I still love playing the game and I enjoy being here around some of the greatest players to ever play the game," he said. "It's kind of crazy to think that me going to work is coming in here, putting shorts on and going out on the field and throwing the ball to Jerry Rice and Tim Brown."
Even the haughtiest of dreams can be punctured by a few shards of reality.
The most damaging might have come last season, when Tuiasosopo started his first game after Gannon, 38, tore his right labrum. Instead of being the chance Tuiasosopo had been waiting for, the Nov. 2 game against the Detroit Lions turned into a lost opportunity when he sprained his left knee, forcing him to injured reserve for the rest of the season.
"It was pretty difficult," said Tuiasosopo, whose stat line from his first three seasons includes 49 pass attempts, 28 completions and no touchdown passes. "I finally get a chance to get some playing time and kind of show that I can play here. ...
"Then I get hurt."
The knee is fine now. As for his future, Turner will wield that prognosis.
Publicly, the Raiders' new coach has said the right things without actually saying anything when asked about Tuiasosopo. Privately, he has been equally vague with Tuiasosopo.
"He's told me just to keep competing and keep learning the new system, and everything will work out," Tuiasosopo said.
The unspoken truth hurts, in that Turner wants a pocket passer at the controls of his running back-fueled offense. Tuiasosopo's strength always has been his ability to make plays while on the move.
There's also the continuing speculation that Tuiasosopo was Gruden's draft choice, not the type of stand-tall-and-throw-deep quarterback preferred by owner Al Davis.
The fresher assumption is that Turner's signing of Collins can be viewed as an indictment of Tuiasosopo's ability -- at least to quarterback this team in this offense.
That's why the knee injury continues to hurt Tuiasosopo, even though the ligament has healed. He is popular, but his teammates confided he seemed unsure of himself, while coaches were unimpressed with his decision-making in his only start.
Tuiasosopo never got a second chance last season, and now can't help but wonder when it might come.
"I'd just love to play one of these days," he said. "It's part of the road. I have to just keep plugging away, and hopefully another time will come and I'll be able to stay healthy and go out there and have some fun."
And perhaps even return to being the future.
QUARTERBACK U
Marques Tuiasosopo is one of six former UW quarterbacks in the NFL. The others:
Mark Brunell, Redskins
Update: Brunell, 33, lost his starting job in Jacksonville to Byron Leftwich last season, but the 10-year veteran gained a new one when he was traded to Washington this off-season.
Chris Chandler, Rams
Update: The 16-year NFL veteran from Everett, who turns 39 in October, signed with St. Louis this off-season to back up Marc Bulger, a move dictated by the release of Kurt Warner.
Brock Huard, Seahawks
Update: When he was released by the Colts this spring, Huard approached the Seahawks about returning and was signed to a one-year contract. Coach Mike Holmgren wanted the former Puyallup star to be his starter in 2000, but a concussion and a bruised kidney prevented that.
Damon Huard, Chiefs
Update: The elder Huard brother, who attempted only three passes with New England over the past three seasons, found a new home as No. 3 in K.C. behind Trent Green and Todd Collins.
Cody Pickett, 49ers
Update: Pickett was selected in the seventh round of the draft in April. He has things that some teams liked, but was unimpressive at the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/footba...897_tui28.html
Curry takes position change in stride
By Khary K. McGhee
Staff writer
Ronald Curry doesn't even think about playing quarterback anymore. Of course, the former North Carolina quarterback didn't always feel that way.
Staff file photo
Former North Carolina standout Ronald Curry wanted to play quarterback in the NFL, but few teams saw him as a prototypical signal-caller. Now, the Virginia native is working on his receiving skills with the Oakland Raiders.
When he graduated in 2001 as the Tar Heels' all-time leader in passing yards, Curry believed he was good enough to be a quarterback in the National Football League.
But few teams saw the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Curry as the prototypical NFL quarterback.
However, teams did love Curry's athleticism, which they knew could be utilized at another position.
So Ronald Curry, the quarterback, was no more. Now entering his third season in the NFL, it's Ronald Curry, wide receiver.
"Coming out I wanted to play quarterback," said Curry, who was in town to participate in the Jimmy Raye Youth Foundation Football Camp on Monday. "I just wanted a team to give me a shot to play quarterback. If I wasn't able to play quarterback at that level, I wanted to play something else.
"I just enjoy playing the game of football."
Curry has been a backup wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders the last two years. Playing behind two future Hall of Fame receivers in Jerry Rice and Tim Brown hasn't meant a lot of playing time for the Virginia native.
But Curry did see some playing time this past season after spending much of his rookie year on the Raiders' practice squad. Playing largely on special teams, Curry played in all 16 games, started two and had 20 tackles. He also had five catches for 31 yards.
Curry isn't looking to pattern his career after Kordell Stewart, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback who sometimes played receiver and running back early in his career before becoming a full-time starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Curry is hoping his career mirrors that of another Steeler, wide receiver Hines Ward, who played quarterback at Georgia before entering the NFL and becoming a Pro Bowl receiver.
"I think I'm coming along fine as a wide receiver," Curry said. "I'm getting better and better everyday. It's something that I want to perfect. My focus is not playing wide receiver and hopefully getting back to quarterback. My focus is being the best wide receiver I can be."
Curry didn't think that his experience as a quarterback made it easier for him to play wide receiver. But he did believe that his experience as a quarterback makes him a pretty attractive option to throw to.
"I know what a quarterback wants," Curry said. "I know what a quarterback needs me to do to make a play. If something goes wrong, I know to break off a route. I wouldn't say playing quarterback is an advantage, but it does help."
It also helps to learn from two of the best wide receivers to ever play the game. Neither Rice nor Brown are the receivers they were in their primes, but both still possess a wealth of knowledge that Curry has tried to soak up.
"Just sitting back and watching those guys has been great," Curry said. "I deal with Tim more than I deal with Jerry. I backed up Tim last year. Me and him were doing a lot of the same things so I always had a lot of questions.
"Having Fred Biletnikoff, another Hall of Fame receiver, as (Raiders wide receivers coach) is another advantage for me."
Curry will enter training camp in July with a tinge of uncertainty. The Raiders have a new coaching staff in place after former coach Bill Callahan was fired following the 2003 season.
Besides Biletnikoff, who has been Oakland's receivers coach the last seven years, Curry will be trying to impress a coaching staff, led by new head coach Norv Turner, that hasn't really seen much of him.
But the former Tar Heel standout is optimistic about his future in the NFL.
"I think I impressed the coaching staff last year, and those guys moved onto new jobs," Curry said. "If things don't work out with the Raiders there are other guys that know what I'm capable of doing."
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story....&Story=6430190