By Jerry Magee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 23, 2004
The Chargers being deemed by Archie Manning as not good enough for one of his quarterbacking sons might have represented an affront to the San Diego club, but one expert believes it did little to alter the planning of the other teams at the top of Saturday's draft.
Jerry Jones, author of "The Drugstore List" of draft ratings, expects the seven most-admired prospects to be the seven players snapped up first, no matter which teams take them. Thus, whether the Chargers name Eli Manning with the No. 1 choice or assign this selection to, say, the New York Giants, would not alter matters appreciably.
In addition to Manning, the players are WR Larry Fitzgerald, OT
Robert Gallery, QB Ben Roethlisberger, TE Kellen Winslow, S Sean Taylor and WR Roy Williams.
In preparing for the draft, teams draw up scenarios meant to address various possibilities. If they do this, we'll do that. That type of thing. That Manning is being weighed by the Chargers as the draft's ranking selection is well-known. It also is hardly a secret that the Giants are desirous of dealing with San Diego, moving up from No. 4 in the first round to No. 1, and claiming the quarterback.
"The word is everywhere," said Jones, of St. Simons Island, Ga.
Result: Teams have had opportunities to plot how they intend to act should the Chargers name Manning and should they not name him.
Despite the senior Manning's action, Jones said the San Diego club retains "as much leverage as you would want" atop the selection process. Further, he said the Manning family's position can permit the Chargers to explain away not taking the quarterback should they take that course.
"Should they not take him and he would become a great success, they can say, 'Well, we would have liked to draft Eli, but . . . "
Gallery is a player valued almost equally with Manning. "Half the teams in the league would like to move up and get him," Jones said of the hulking offensive lineman. "He's the safest player in the draft."
Selecting after San Diego tomorrow is Oakland, which has a need in its offensive line, former Morse High athlete Lincoln Kennedy having retired. The most secretive of teams, the Raiders in the period preceding the draft retreat even further into the shadows, isolating themselves, saying nothing, wrapping their intentions in mystery.
What are they going to do with the No. 2 selection in the first round? Only they know. Make that only Al Davis knows, because Davis' voice is the only one that counts on this club.
This has to be a delicious time for Davis. He has his peers where he wants them – in the dark. Those who assess the draft are divided concerning how the Oakland club is going to act.
To make this point, Pro Football Weekly is projecting that the Raiders will identify Gallery if, that is, the Chargers do not take him. Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN's draft maven, has named Texas' Williams as the Raiders' likely choice. The Sporting News had the Raiders selecting USC wide receiver Mike Williams, only Williams is not going to be in the draft, U.S. Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens yesterday having denied an emergency appeal by Maurice Clarett's interests that would have made both Clarett and Williams eligible for the draft.
This development seemingly has a more profound influence on the draft's first round than the Manning matter. Mike Williams had been adjudged a possible top-10 choice. Atlanta, with selection No. 8, is known to have coveted him.
There also has been speculation that should Manning be available on choice No. 2, the Raiders will reach for him. The team's incumbent quarterback, Rich Gannon, will be 39 before the 2004 season concludes.
The Raiders, however, are not sufficiently under the $90 million salary cap – only about $200,000 – to be able to sign a quarterback.
Who will they pick?
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