[AJKCFAN]

Green has value, but only for the Chiefs
By Dan Pompei - The Sporting News


Is Trent Green the dog-pound mongrel who, with an 8-11 record as an NFL starting quarterback, wisely was snubbed by every team but one this offseason? Or is Green the ribbon-winning bichon frise who, with the highest passer rating in the NFC last season, was worth the 12th pick in the draft?

The answer is both.

Green is like an old family photo album: He has tangible value to one party but isn't worth much to anyone else. No other team in the league would -- or should -- have paid a first-round pick for Green other than the team that did, the Chiefs.

Before free agency began, Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt was quoted as saying he isn't sure if Green is any better than his quarterback, Jay Fiedler. A general manager who went quarterback shopping this offseason came to the conclusion that Green is "the all-time mirage."

But it's difficult to find fault with the Chiefs for trading for Green because he is uniquely qualified to be their quarterback as a result of his previous association with coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Al Saunders in St. Louis. Because he won't have to learn a new playbook, Green will be able to win games quickly. He also should teach teammates and raise the level of their play.

Physically, Green is well-suited to run the Chiefs' offense, which calls for a lot of quick, short throws. With the Rams last year, 83 percent of Green's attempts were no longer than 20 yards, an area where he is very accurate.

Vermeil knows what Green's strengths are, and he won't have to worry about being surprised by physical or intangible inadequacies. "If you know the guy, you can't put a price on that," Houston general manager Charley Casserly says. "You're eliminating the unknown."

Assuming Green's knee will not inhibit him too much this season, he probably will be a better fit for the Chiefs than any other quarterback they could have had, either through free agency or the draft. However, they might have been a better team if they had signed a free agent such as Brad Johnson and then used the 12th draft pick to address another need by selecting someone such as Miami defensive tackle Damione Lewis or Miami receiver Santana Moss.

But with Vermeil in control, the Chiefs are interested in winning as many games as they can now. That's an important concept in the Green scenario.

Scouts found much to criticize about Drew Brees' game in the weeks leading up to the draft, but the physical abilities of the Chargers' newest quarterback are superior to Green's. So are the abilities of most quarterbacks drafted in the early rounds. Green, remember, was an eighth-round pick (by the Chargers) in 1993. None of his skills are unacceptable. But none of his skills are special, either.

Green plays a little ugly, like Bruce Springsteen sings. But it works. He isn't a real fluid thrower. His delivery is quick, but quirky. His arm strength is marginal. Green had some mobility before his latest knee problem, but he never was very elusive.

"He's not special in any area," says Ravens coach Brian Billick, who went quarterback shopping this offseason. "But you could say the same thing about a lot of guys. He clearly can start. He's proven."

Green has had only a little more than one full season of playing time, most of it coming in 1998 with the Redskins. So there is a chance we already have seen the best he can be, and that he is another one-year wonder like former Bengals running back Ickey Woods.

But Green, who will turn 31 in July, is not too old to improve. By all accounts, he has the commitment and character to do so. Casserly, who brought Green to the Redskins as a free agent in 1995, believes Green's intelligence, instinct and leadership make him a better package than the sum of his skills. "He's a gamer," Casserly says. "He's better in games than he is in seven-on-seven (drills). And his arm plays better than you perceive it to be."

Solid decision making minimizes Green's deficiencies.

Saunders believes Green shares two qualities with Joe Montana, Dan Fouts and Kurt Warner, the best quarterbacks he has been around. "He's tremendously accurate, and he has great courage under pressure," Saunders says. "He can stand in the face of a rush, know he's going to get hit and throw accurately."

Fearlessness in the pocket is a strength of Green's. But at times, he can be too fearless, like the squirrel that keeps crossing a highway in rush hour. Some think Green holds the ball too long. He was sacked 24 times in 240 pass attempts last year. His sack rate was eighth worst in the NFL.

But it's not as if he threw a lot of interceptions or fumbled because he didn't get rid of the ball. In starts against the Giants and Redskins, for instance, he was hit as he threw or just after he threw 18 times. He was intercepted once, and he completed eight of those pass attempts.

Green wasn't as effective a quarterback as his 2000 passer rating of 101.8 says he was. He was 2-3 as a starter for a playoff team, and he also failed to rally the Rams to a victory against the Chiefs after coming off the bench. His passing numbers were enhanced by the offense and his receivers.

The Chiefs know they aren't getting a player who solves all of their problems. But they are getting a player who should solve one of them.