Chad has Marino in his corner

http://www.newsday.com/sports/print...64jul30,0,6446783.column?coll=ny-sports-print

July 30, 2006

Chad Pennington is fighting to save his job as the Jets' starter, if not his NFL career. With Pennington now 30 and coming off two shoulder surgeries, his future is as uncertain as it's ever been since he came into the league in 2000.

But if there's one guy who can overcome the odds and get back to where he once was - - or at least as close as two rotator cuff surgeries will allow - it's Pennington.

Who says so? Dan Marino.

"Chad has been a tough player throughout his career," said the former Dolphins great, who does NFL commentary for CBS and HBO. "Any time you get injuries to the shoulder or the arm, there's no guarantee. But I think the kind of character Chad has had in the past, that will help him be able to handle it."

Eric Mangini has no timetable for naming a starter, and he'll rotate all four of his quarterbacks - Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, rookie Kellen Clemens and Brooks Bollinger - among the starters.

I would be surprised if Pennington doesn't win the job, because he's an extremely quick learner and because his competition isn't at his level. Ramsey has better arm strength but doesn't have Pennington's savvy. Clemens has the best arm of all the quarterbacks but can't be expected to do much as a rookie. Bollinger? He'll be lucky to be on the roster in September.

"I don't know if Chad will end up being the starter," Marino said, "but I do know it takes a lot to be competitive to get to that level, and Chad's done that already. He's proven himself. Will he come back from injury? That's the question no one can answer."

Regardless of what happens, give Pennington this much: He sacrificed about $6 million in salary to re-work his contract to stay with the Jets, just because he wanted to finish what he started. It's a calculated gamble on his part, although there was no guarantee he'd get many offers on the open market.

But the guy is committed and his leadership skills are as good as any quarterback in the game. Now it's a matter of seeing whether his arm is anywhere near what it was when he was considered one of the up-and-coming young quarterbacks. He looked pretty much the same in practice the other day as he did when he was healthy; the velocity was never overpowering, but the accuracy was near perfect. Even at his best, Pennington was an average practice player, so the only way we'll really be able to tell how he's progressing is on game days.

"I give him a good chance," Marino said. "I've seen what he can do before. If he can get back to that level, that would be huge for him and it would be huge for the Jets."



How much longer for Tiki?

Giants running back Tiki Barber hinted last year that he'd consider retiring if the Giants went on a Super Bowl run and delivered his first and only championship ring. Now Barber isn't certain what a ring would do for him if the Giants get that far this season.

"You never know," he said. "If we win it all and I feel like we're good enough to win another one, I might stay."

What would be the determining factor? "It's not just about my ability to play football," said Barber, 31. "There are options out there. Broadcasting, a couple of financial opportunities to work for some investment funds I have interest in."

Barber also is continuing to write children's books: He and twin brother Ronde have their third book, called "Teammates," coming out in October. The two also will team to write two novelettes aimed at teenagers.



Extra points

Oft-injured Eagles running back Brian Westbrook reached out several months ago to Tiki Barber to see if he could get some advice on how to stay healthy. Barber didn't get back to him for quite some time, but not because Westbrook plays in the same division. "I was just busy," Barber said. He had Westbrook get in touch with Barber's personal trainer, Joe Carini of Fairfield, N.J. . . . Former Jets cornerback Ty Law, who signed last week with the Chiefs, said he feels "110 percent better than I was last year . . . mentally and physically." Law signed with the Jets during training camp last year but was slow to heal from a painful foot injury that essentially ended his career with the Patriots . . . The Broncos are desperate to unload disgruntled receiver Ashley Lelie, but there are no takers. Among the teams the Broncos have contacted: New England, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

The Eagles are the most logical choice, especially because Terrell Owens is gone and Todd Pinkston's Achilles injury has been slow to heal. Plus, the Eagles have an extra fourth-round pick in next year's draft as a result of trading defensive tackle Hollis Thomas to the Saints in the offseason. Even so, the Eagles are very conservative when it comes to trades, and they are especially leery after the Owens situation blew up in their face . . . The Seahawks will keep a close eye on free safety Ken Hamlin, who hasn't played since suffering head injuries in a bar fight last October. He participated in minicamp, but his first full contact work will be in training camp.

McDougle all the way back

At this time last year, Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle was recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen suffered in a drive-by shooting in Miami. But McDougle is fully recovered from the injury and has looked terrific in camp.

"He's so much more fit, and he's got that burst back," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said of the team's former first-round pick.

"He's got that hungry look about him. He looks like the guy we drafted."