Garrard: It's good for young QB to sit, learn

    With the Panthers trying to get their quarterbacking house in order all season, we've discussed and written about whether a rookie like Matt Moore can be effective this early in his NFL career.  While Moore isn't likely to get a chance to determine that on the field unless 44-year-old starter Vinny Testaverde is injured again, there seems to be no hard-and-fast rule as to when a young QB is ready to take snaps that count.

    Testaverde believes that on average, it takes three seasons for a QB to learn the ins and outs of the league. Jake Delhomme was a backup for six before Carolina gave him a chance. And Jacksonville's David
Garrard, who played at East Carolina, mostly sat for three seasons before gradually working his way into the lineup in 2005 and '06.  Now, suddenly, Garrard is a top-flight quarterback, as his 104.7 passer rating attests.

          "I just think it’s my time," he said on this week's conference call.  "I’ve put a lot of years in where I was backing up and I thought I was capable of being a starter, but circumstances happened down here
and it didn’t happen as quickly as I would have liked.  I think that was good for me.  It was good for me to learn and get to the point where I am now where I can handle all of the things that happen  during the course of a season, during the course of a game and, hopefully, lead a team to a championship."

         Garrard's advice to Moore and all the other young QBs is to give it time.

         "I think some quarterbacks get there a little quicker and some take a little bit longer in their development.  I think you can definitely come out and do some good things in that amount of time, but to really be a good quarterback, one who can be counted upon, it probably takes that year and then a couple more for the game to slow down.

         "It is a tough business and the game is fast.  There are a lot of things going on other than just football that people don’t see and don’t understand.  Every player is different and there is no way to put a finger on the exact timeline it takes.  You can tell when a player is operating and doing all of the
things he is supposed to."

    Moore, despite the cries from the crowd, hasn't been scintillating in  his limited work. He's completed 11 of 22 passes for 145 yards with three interceptions (one a hail Mary) and a 31.6 rating. That said, eventually, he could be good. Just not this year.

         "There is just so much that goes into the position," Garrard said. "You have to know what the other 10 guys are doing on the field and make sure everyone is lined up correctly.  Then you have to snap
the ball, read the defense and make sure you throw the ball to the right guys without trying to force anything.  You also have stuff off the field that you have to deal with. You have the pressure of being  the guy and having everyone counting on you to rally the troops and go out and win the ballgame.

      "Even though it’s not all on your shoulders, a lot of times when you are a young guy you feel like it is.
  There is just a lot that goes into that position."

--Stan Olson