The Washington Post - USA (2022-03-01)

D2 EZ M2 THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, MARCH 1 , 2022

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BASEBALL

M arlins CEO Jeter quits

over differing visions

Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is
stepping down as CEO of the
Miami Marlins, he announced
Monday.
Jeter, who took over as CEO
nearly five years ago, said in a
statement that he was stepping
aside ahead of the 2022 season
because “the vision for the future
of the franchise is different than
the one I signed up to lead.”
“The organization is s tronger
today than it was five years ago,
and I am thankful and grateful to
have been a part of this team,”
Jeter said in the s tatement.
Jeter joined the Marlins as a
member of Bruce Sherman’s
ownership group when it
purchased the team from Jeffrey
Loria for $1.2 billion in late 2017.
The 14-time all-star had a
4 percent stake in the purchase
and became the team’s CEO while
also overseeing baseball
operations.
He became the game’s first
Black chief e xecutive.
— Andrew Golden
The New York Yankees hired
Hensley Meulens as assistant
hitting coach after the New York

Mets poached Eric Chávez from the same position last month.

TENNIS Daniil Medvedev moved up to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, overtaking Novak Djokovic to become the 27th man to hold the top spot since computerized rankings began in 1973. Medvedev, a 26-year-old from Russia, rose from No. 2. Djokovic slid down one place, having participated in only one tournament in 2022 because he has not been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Medvedev is the first player other than Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray to get to No. 1 since February 2004, when Andy Roddick was there.

SOCCER American coach Jesse Marsch was hired by Leeds, with the club hoping a late-season change in manager can help to preserve its English Premier L eague status. Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa, who was fired Sunday following a dramatic downturn in results, and is back in work nearly three months after leaving German team Leipzig. Marsch was previously at

another Red Bull-backed club in Salzburg, which he led to back-to- back league-and-cup doubles in Austria.... Former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, 44, renewed his contract with second-division club Parma through the 2023-24 season — meaning he plans to play until he’s at least 46.... New York City FC signed 14- year-old midfielder Maximo Carrizo to a homegrown contract, making him the youngest first-team signing in MLS history.... Pelé was released from the hospital after a urinary tract infection was treated. The 81-year-old Pelé was admitted F eb. 13 to Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo to continue treatment for colon cancer, but days later doctors discovered an infection. The hospital reported he was released Saturday.... Russia international Aleksei Miranchuk held his head down and didn’t celebrate after scoring the final goal in Atalanta’s 4-0 win over visiting Sampdoria in Italy’s Serie A.... Granada and Cádiz drew, 0 -0, in a Spanish league match marred by a fan racially insulting Cádiz defender Carlos Akapo.

Spanish media said Granada and the Spanish league were trying to identify the fan.

MISC. Golfer Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, saying he did not want to risk further injury to his hand and hip because he wasn’t completely ready to defend his title in Orlando. DeChambeau has not competed since pulling out after the first round of the Saudi International on Feb. 3.... Two-time Olympic women’s shot put champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand announced her retirement at 37. Adams also won Olympic silver and bronze medals and was a four-time world champion.... Five-time Olympic medalist Kjetil Jansrud will end his ski racing career with an event at home in Norway on Saturday.... British boxing authorities began investigating the scoring of a world title fight Saturday that saw Scottish fighter Josh Taylor retain his light welterweight belts in a split-decision victory over English challenger Jack Catterall in Glasgow, Scotland. — From news services and staff reports

DIGEST

FROM NEWS SERVICES AND STAFF REPORTS

T he NFL plans to seek input
from special teams coaches this
offseason as it attempts to make
punt plays safer.
It’s a process similar to the one
followed by the league four years
ago, when recommendations
made by special teams coaches
were incorporated into a set of
rule changes implemented to
make kickoffs less hazardous.
“We’re going to be working with
all the special team coaches,” Troy
Vincent, the league’s executive
vice president of football opera-
tions, said Monday at the NFL
scouting combine. “We really n eed
to figure out that play, not just
from an injury standpoint [but]
penalties as well. But we have to
break that down at every level —
every block, every position — to
see what we can come up [with].”
Members of the NFL’s competi-
tion committee met Monday with
Allen Sills, the league’s c hief medi-
cal officer, as well as other health
and safety officials. Sills and other
NFL health officials said during
Super Bowl week that addressing
the disproportionate injury risks
to players on punt plays was a top
priority for this offseason. About
one in six concussions and 30 per-
cent of major knee injuries are on
special teams, they said.
It was not immediately clear
what changes might be proposed.
l MISC.: T he N FL must “look at
everything” as it attempts to ad-
dress its minority hiring problem
while facing a racial discrimina-
tion lawsuit, Vincent said.
“We’ve got to take every rock,
look up under it and be willing to
make those necessary changes,” he
said at the c ombine.
Vincent’s comments echoed re-
marks made during Super Bowl
week by NFL Commissioner Rog-
er Goodell, who said the league
won’t “ take anything off the table”
in addressing its diversity efforts.
“We talk to outside people,” he
said. “We talk to some of the c andi-
dates that have been hired, those
that have not been hired. You get
their feedback. We’ve done a lot
internally.... The question that I
get talking to my peers, talking to
the coaches: ‘Why aren’t Black
head coaches getting that same
opportunity?’ And many people
are asking that question. We hope
that we can get to that answer
collectively.”
— Mark Maske
The Ta mpa Bay Buccaneers will
play in the NFL’s first regular sea-
son game in Germany this year,
and the Green Bay Packers will
travel abroad for the first time.
The league said the Bucs will
host the inaugural game in Mu-
nich next season. The opponent
and date weren’t announced.
The Packers — the only fran-
chise not to have p layed in London
since the international series
started in 2007 — and the New
Orleans Saints will be the home
teams f or two games at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium, while the Jack-
sonville Jaguars will host a game
at Wembley Stadium.
The Arizona Cardinals will play
a game a t Mexico’s E stadio Azteca.
— Associated Press

NFL NOTES

Rules may

be changed

to make

punts safer

read?’ ” Beane said. “It’s how quickly they’re doing it right after he taught them something. So you’re figuring out how quickly they learn and then how quickly they process the best you can.” For Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner, accuracy is paramount. His offense, which is founded on the Air Coryell system, often requires a quarterback to throw to a spot, rather than an open receiver, which requires sound decision-making, a keen understanding of the defense and pinpoint throwing. Yet leadership is just as important, both he and Rivera have said: a player’s work ethic, his ability to motivate teammates, his willingness to take responsi- bility for mistakes and his self- awareness. “You don’t have to be a vocal leader at most positions, but this one, it’s kind of important to do that,” Beane said. “This is one I found that you need to not only lead by example but you need to be able to call the troops up.” Cincinnati Bengals Coach Zac Ta ylor has lauded that innate ability in Joe Burrow to elevate the play of those around him. “[It’s] the ability to get more out of your teammates than they think they’re capable of,” Taylor said ahead of the Bengals’ ap- pearance in Super Bowl LVI. “That could just be your walking into the room; they feel, ‘Oh, we got this guy; I’ve got to give my best because we could go to the Super Bowl.’ ” Rivera already has used six starting quarterbacks during his two seasons with Washington. He recalls the leadership and strong locker room presence that Alex Smith showed in 2020, when he returned from a grue- some leg injury to lead Washing- ton to the playoffs. “That to me is what a good quarterback can do for you,” Rivera said. “... He elevates the play of the people around him. He manages the games, he dis- tributes the ball and, when need- ed, makes plays. That’s what you look for. That’s what you got to have.” Beane said those 11 months in 2017 and 2018 still feel like yesterday. He’ll probably forget a lot of things in life, he joked, “but probably one of the last things I’ll ever forget was that whole process.” He even remembers the restaurant he and the Bills’ top decision-makers dined at before working out Allen: Cavalryman Steakhouse in Laramie, Wyo. He has wondered how things might be different had he not found his franchise quarterback back then. He knows the Bills probably wouldn’t be one of only three teams, with the Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, to have 10 wins in each of the past three seasons. He knows the B ills probably wouldn’t be regarded as contenders for years to come. He knows every year would be a fight not just to win but to win consistently. “We would have scrapped and clawed like we did the first year and tried to f inish strong in o ther areas, which [Commanders executive vice president of football/ player personnel Marty Hurney] and Ron and that crew have tried to do in building their defense,” Beane said. “It’s a passing league, so it’s a must-have. It’s the most important position in any sport, in my opinion.”

size correlates to better control of the football, which is why Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett’s double-jointed thumb garnered headlines heading into the combine. When asked about their abso- lute must-have traits for quarterbacks, nearly a dozen coaches, executives and analysts who spoke to The Washington Post consistently cited three: decision-making or mental tough- ness, accuracy and leadership. “Kids today are much more prepared for the passing game, whether it’s the quarterbacks, receivers, running backs — even linemen a re doing way more pass setting,” Beane said. “ So there are plenty of guys that you run across where you’re like, ‘Man, that guy h as the tools, he’s g ot the size, he’s got the arm strength — all that.’ But you’ve got to have the intelligence.” As Pioli explained, it’s not simply about l earning a more complex playbook but about be- ing able to quickly recognize fronts and coverages, to know the checks, to be aware of blitzes, to cycle through progressions and to adjust in mere seconds when rushers are barreling in. “The mistake people make is they look at how pretty they throw on air,” the NFC coach said. “They look at how they throw at the combine. They look at t hese splashy t hrows in college when there’s no duress. The only throws that you can truly corre- late an NFL evaluation to a college player are the ones he makes in a pocket under duress. They’re the only ones that matter.” Ahead of the 2018 draft, the Bills held private workouts with the top quarterbacks in the class. Brian Daboll, then their offensive coordinator, taught the players some concepts, then tested their recall. “He gives them a scenario: ‘A ll right, respond with your check. Respond to this coverage. Where are you going? Where’s your first

But perhaps the biggest factor, multiple coaches and executives said, is the quarterback himself: Does he have the mental makeup required for the position? Beane wanted Allen to get playing time as a rookie but never had an amount in mind. He admits now that Allen “probably wasn’t r eady” when he made his first start in Week 2 of the 2018 season. But Nathan Peter- man recorded a 0.0 passer rating in the Bills’ season opener as they were blown out, 47-3, by the Ravens. So the kid had to step in. “We wouldn’t have put him out there if we thought it would mess him up,” Beane said. “We knew he was going to face his lumps, but he had no fear. We just felt like this kid’s tough, he’s been through a lot in his life, and this is not going to faze him to lose some games.”

The must-haves Veteran quarterbacks may provide an easier evaluation, but rarely do the elite ones hit the open market in their primes. Peyton Manning faced skepti- cism about his health when he was cut by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012 after undergoing multiple neck surgeries and missing the entire 2011 season. And To m Brady was in a class of his own with a “prime” that extended into his late 40s. To find and develop a franchise player from the college ranks requires more projection and commitment, not to men- tion a good bit of luck. Most come from an entirely different game, in w hich p lays are dictated from the sideline and feature the quarterback in the shotgun. Many enter the NFL having never been in a huddle. The physical traits still matter: the arm, size and — more so nowadays — mobility. Ta nnen- baum, the former NFL executive, preferred taller quarterbacks who could easily see over the pass rush. Others believe hand

ones can be significant. “You can win with a middle guy, but you better be really, really good everywhere else,” said one NFC coach, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely. “That’s the problem with it. You need the system, the coaches and all that to help a guy. If they can’t just carry the weight like one of those transcendent QBs, a couple injuries and you’re done.” In recent years, the pressure for young quarterbacks to star immediately and the urgency for teams to find that star seems greater than ever. “Expectations have gone way through the roof for whatever reason,” Rivera said. “I think that’s also part of why you see so many guys not having as much success as they used to in the past, because they’re not getting the initial formal training that we used to get. Back then, it was you were taught, you were trained, and then you played.” Consider that from 1978 to 199 9, 26.5 percent of first-round quarterbacks started 10 or more games in their rookie seasons. Since 2000, 58.4 percent have started at least 10 games in their first year, according to Pro Foot- ball Reference. “Part of that is there’s outside pressure that’s very different from what it used to be,” said Scott Pioli, a former NFL executive who is a n analyst for NFL Network. “It’s not just media; it’s patience of owners, it’s patience of coaches. It’s dependent upon the patience of the people that influence stability.” The NFC coach argued that “the single biggest destroyer” of quarterbacks is their environ- ment. Is he in a market where he can succeed? Is team ownership patient enough to let him develop, and does he have coaches willing to develop him? Does the system fit his skill set, can the offensive line protect him, and is the receiving corps deep enough to provide multiple threats?

elusive franchise player who has all the right pieces and can lead the team for years to come. “You want somebody that has the size of [Justin] Herbert or Allen, the arm of [Patrick] Ma- homes and the athletic ability of Lamar Jackson,” says Mike Tan- nenbaum, a former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst. “You’re never going to be perfect in all those different areas, but you want to have somebody that has quickness and is at least functionally athletic enough to buy themselves a second chance.” As team executives and coaches converge in Indianapolis this week for the NFL combine, the Commanders will get a closer look at quarterback options in this year’s draft and perhaps a clearer picture on some veterans’ availability. Under owner Daniel Snyder, they’ve used first-round picks on four quarterbacks — Dwayne Haskins (2019), Robert Griffin III ( 2012), Jason Campbell (2005) and Patrick Ramsey (2002) — and team executives will have to decide whether they see a poten- tial franchise quarterback in this year’s class. Even then, finding a long-term solution may require the perfect storm, which is why the Com- manders aren’t ruling out any options. Although there is no perfect blueprint for finding a franchise quarterback, they know what to look for. “Is there a sense of urgency? I think there always is, just because that’s the most important position on your team,” Coach Ron Rivera said in January. “It’s the one position that really im- pacts everybody — both sides of the ball, special teams. It is something that we want to get right.”

A passing league The NFL has evolved into more of a passing league in recent years, thanks in part to rule changes that favor quarterbacks and the proliferation of spread offenses. Passing yards are up nearly 11 percent from 20 years ago, and the number of 4,000-yard quarterbacks has quadrupled since 200 0. Offens- es, on average, now use “11 personnel” — one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers — on 58.4 percent of their plays, up from 34 percent in 200 8. “It’s driven by that position,” says Paul Hackett, a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in the league. “Now, what’s great about the NFL is the variance of styles in q uarterback- ing. So there’s a lot of ways to do that, but it still remains the key to success in football — how you coach and evaluate the quarterback.” Only three Super Bowl-win- ning quarterbacks this century can reasonably be considered non-franchise players: Nick Foles with the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, Brad Johnson with the 200 2 Ta mpa Bay Buccaneers and Trent Dilfer with the 2000 Balti- more Ravens. So it’s no surprise that most No. 1 overall draft picks are quarterbacks, that most league MVPs are quarterbacks and that the most lucrative contracts are awarded to... quarterbacks. But the margin between the really good ones and the great

QUARTERBACK FROM D1

Search for a franchise QB is NFL’s hardest puzzle

JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST Ryan Fitzpatrick, left, is one of 25 quarterbacks to have started for Washington in the past 22 seasons.

The Washington Post - USA (2022-03-01)

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