Pete to retire!

I heard Rodney filling in on FOX radio about a month or so ago. he was talking about something and said "when I played for Carolina...". I cant remember if he had already been cut, or if this was something that maybe hes known for a while. either way Im sure he had to find another job that pays something decent or he would have been back here to collect a check. I always liked Peete even though I used to curse him for being noodle-armed, fat, and slow. He was always funny on the Morning Sports Page as those guys would heckle him a bit, but he was a good sport. He should help BDSS out as hes pretty good in front of the cameras.

 

I wish Peete well and I think that he helped us immensely with Jake. It's too bad he couldn't have stuck around as a QB coach, but I guess that he's happier in LA with Holly and his kids.

Best of luck, Rodney, and I hope that his new TV gig works out well for him.

Now, do you think Brentson is jealous? :imagestor

 

Interesting to read about Hurney's thought's on QB's, the draft, and Peete's status just before Peete retired:

QBs Smith, Rodgers may be the top two picks

By Joe Menzer
JOURNAL REPORTER

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This is the third in a series previewing the 2005 NFL Draft.

CHARLOTTE

The publicity trains haven't cranked up for quarterbacks Alex Smith of Utah and Aaron Rodgers of California heading into the 2005 NFL draft. But that isn't likely to matter in the least once the teams with the highest picks start making their selections.

General Manager Marty Hurney of the Carolina Panthers, for instance, said that he won't be surprised at all if Smith and Rodgers, in some order, are the first two players chosen overall. The San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins - two teams in apparent need of serious upgrades at quarterback - own the first two picks in the draft. Hurney said he and other personnel men in the NFL have been a little perplexed by the lack of attention being paid to Smith and Rodgers leading up to the draft. It certainly has paled in comparison to the attention lavished on Eli Manning and Philip Rivers heading into last year's draft, and other top-rated quarterbacks in the years before them.

"In general, I think both of them compare favorably to some of the top quarterbacks who have been picked in recent years. They really haven't gotten the hoopla and the publicity of the quarterbacks taken in the last couple of years, but I think a lot of people think they're on the same level and will do just as good, if not better, in the league," Hurney said.

"I think they're different types of quarterbacks. Alex Smith, I think a lot of people just want to make sure he can take snaps under center since he was in the shotgun so much. But they've both proven the ability to make a lot of big plays and win a lot of games. Their leadership qualities are good, and that's what you're looking for at this level. So while it seems like they haven't gotten the publicity of some of the quarterbacks in past years, I think the general opinion is that they're just as good."

Hurney seems convinced that once the picks start going off the board when the first round of the draft begins unfolding on Saturday, his theory quickly will be proven.

"I expect one of the two of them to be the first player picked. And really, I wouldn't be surprised if they're the top two players picked, period. If not, they'll come very close," Hurney said. "I think everyone expects them to go in the top two - and if not that, the top three. And if not that, definitely within the top five.

"I don't know why they haven't gotten the attention other quarterbacks in the past have gotten. But I think the closer we get to the draft, the stronger their positions seem to be. I think that's pretty strong evidence that the more people have looked at them, the more they've liked them."

Smith is from the Bay Area and that could add to his appeal with the 49ers, but they aren't going to draft someone based on where he's from. They and other teams are said to like what they've seen from Smith in workouts - including one when he threw 80 balls and only three of them hit the ground.

Scouts in attendance were so impressed that they gave Smith a standing ovation, and one compared Smith's touch on his passes to that of Joe Montana's.

Concerns about Smith's arm strength seem to have subsided, and there is no doubt that he's very accurate. A nephew of Coach John L. Smith of Michigan State, he also seems to know the game and see the field, giving him a level of maturity that surpasses most other quarterbacks his age. At 6-4 and a solid 215 pounds, he also has the size that pro teams seek.

The same can't be said of Rodgers, who barely stretches to 6-2. But really, what are two inches when you've apparrently got the rest of the package? Rodgers seems to have a stronger arm than Smith and also grew up a fan of the 49ers. He wore a Joe Montana T-shirt under his jersey during his career at Cal, saying he thought that it brought him good luck.

Hurney said that the earlier talk about Rodgers not being tall enough was idle chatter.

"All things concern you. But I think he's got so many other things you're looking for - leadership qualities, all the intangibles, all the tools as far as the physical tools. I think people feel comfortable with him," Hurney said.

After the top two, there likely will be a gap before another quarterback goes off the board sometime in the early to middle portion of the second round.

"The next guy is probably Jason Campbell at Auburn," Hurney said. "And again, he's a coach's son who has really developed into a very good quarterback and has a lot of the intangibles and is a leader, and really has a lot of physical tools to become a really good quarterback in our league.

"Again, like a lot of positions in the draft, after you get past the first two or three, I think there are a lot of quarterbacks out there where different teams are going to like different ones. There will be a good number of choices there in the early to middle rounds."

Whether the Panthers go for one to add to their stable of quarterbacks depends largely on what veteran Rodney Peete tells them. Hurney admitted that the Panthers have had an offer on the table for Peete for some time and had hoped he would have signed it by now, but Peete appears to be contemplating possible retirement.

Hurney said he hopes to hear from Peete before this weekend's draft, indicating that Peete's decision may play a role in the Panthers' plans to possibly pursue another young quarterback in the draft. Jake Delhomme already is entrenched as the starter, and both Chris Weinke and Rod Rutherford also are under contract for next year.

"We would definitely like to know (Peete's plans)," Hurney admitted.