Rich Gannon

Gannon is penciled in as the starting quarterback, but, with the signing of Kerry Collins in May, the Raiders have an eraser at the ready should the need arise. Collins inked a three-year, $12-million deal with the understanding that he would be Gannon’s backup. That’s a lot of money, though, to spend on a clipboard holder. But the June 1 cut date passed, and Gannon, whom many speculated would be a salary cap casualty, was still a Raider. So, we’ll take the Raiders at their word. For now. Gannon, a four time Pro Bowler and the 2002 league MVP, was on his way to his worst year as a starter for the Raiders before a shoulder injury in Week 7 mercifully ended his 2003 season. Before the injury, Gannon completed 125 of 225 attempts and threw for 1.264 yards and six touchdowns against four interceptions. He had 14 touchdowns against six interceptions in seven games in 2002, so his pace in 2003 burned many owners who were counting on elite numbers. Even if Gannon holds off Collins, his job in 2004 won’t be to throw on nearly every down like he did under former coaches Gruden and Callahan. Thus, the days of averaging 25 touchdowns per season are likely over for the 39-year-old. While he still should be a decent fantasy option, Gannon’s status as an elite fantasy quarterback is gone. Gannon also lacks arm strength to throw the deep pass that’s a hallmark of Norv Turner’s offenses, which could benefit Collins, who has a much stronger arm.

Gannon has been a solid fantasy value, if not a bargain, for four years running, with 24-28-27-26 touchdown passes the last four seasons, but this could be the year the air finally starts to leak out of the balloon. He's not going to come cheap in most leagues after his MVP season of 2002, and there are some red flags to be concerned about. Age is the most obvious caveat; Gannon is 37, and two of his primary receivers (Jerry Rice and Tim Brown) are even older. A more subtle concern, but probably more significant, is the gentle shift of the Oakland game plan. The Raiders started to run the ball a lot more often (and more effectively) in the red zone late last year, and, as a result, Gannon's passing production dropped significantly. If you take out the win at Arizona, Gannon had just four touchdown passes in his last six regular season games.