It's too risky to carry only two quarterbacks - NFL

Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe's backup is Alex Van Pelt. Van Pelt's backup is, well, nobody. That's scar

The Bills are one of a handful of teams carrying only two quarterbacks on their roster. The idea is that the No. 3 guy almost never plays and the roster spot can be put to better use with a player who might actually get on the field. Makes sense, but it a risky proposition.

Let's say Bledsoe gets hurt. There's a drop-off with Van Pelt, but the Bills are comfortable with him because he's experienced and knows the offense. And they figure that if Bledsoe is out for a while, they can find a new No. 2 guy. Odds are, though, that the guy they sign won be familiar with the offense and won't be that great a player. If he were, he'd already be on somebody roster.

As long as Van Pelt stays healthy, it won't matter. But if be gets hurt, the Bills will be left with a starting quarterback who scarcely knows the offense and can run only the most basic plays. That's not a good situation for a team with playoff aspirations, and it's an injustice to the players who've been busting their butts all year.

People talk about Atlanta going with only Dung Johnson and Kurt Kittner. But Michael Vick will be back soon, so it's a short-term risk. It's the other teams with just two guys--Indianapolis, Washington, San Diego, Cleveland and Buffalo--that are flirting with disaster. Do really think the Eagles would have made it to the NFC championship game last year if A.J. Feeley hadn't been practicing all year behind Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer?

There's a simple solution to this problem: Let teams play all 53 guys on the roster. As it is now, they can dress only 45 players--plus a play designated as the emergency quarterback. Why the other guys, who practice all week, become persona non grain on Sunday is beyond me They're getting paid; let 'em play.

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Scout's views

Observations and opinions from two NFL pro scouts, one from each conference:

Quincy Carter is probably better than people give him credit for. He's got physical skills, he can make plays, and he's a mobile quarterback. Bill Parcells and that staff have really made him disciplined. Time will tell whether he's a franchise quarterback, one you can feed your kids off of. But when you can go into New York, put up some points and win on Monday night, obviously you're not a slouch. ... Dante Hall is one of the better returners in the league. He's little but quick as hell. He's got that one-step explosion. And now the Chiefs are starting to integrate him into three-receiver sets. With that speed, you've got to cover him. He scares you.... I think losing Al Singleton (now with Dallas) and Sheldon Quarles (broken arm) has hurt Tampa Bay a little bit. Their defense is built on speed, and they still make plays with speed. But without those two linebackers, they're not as apt to get in the right gaps, and some lanes are being created.... Craig Nall is going to be an emerging guy. I'm not ready to say he's going to be Brett Favre's successor, and I don't think the Packers are, either. But he's a good-looking, body-type guy who throws with accuracy. And he blew the doors off them statistically in NFL Europe this spring.... You can tell Carolina's Jordan Gross is going to be a great offensive tackle. He played against Tony Brackens and against Tampa Bay and did a solid job. Any time you can do that in your first two career starts, you're probably playing pretty damn good. He'll be a left tackle before it's all over with.... One of the best tight ends out on the street is David Sloan. Even though he's 31 and coming an injury, he's a big guy who can still catch and run and is a good enough blocker.... It just blows my mind that St. Louis has one of the best running backs in the league, and they won't run the ball. It's a crime when Marshall Faulk doesn't touch the ball, running and catching, 25 to 30 times a game. When you've got a gun like that, you've got to shoot it, They want to be passing gurus, and it bites them.... The Colts think David Thornton has been an improvement over Mike Peterson, who they let go. They think he's faster and a more athletic linebacker.... Washington is a team that definitely is on the rise. They're very impressive offensively. I think Laveranues Coles will thrive in that system, and, for a second-year player, Parr/ok Ramsey looks pretty dang good. After watching them against the Jets, I told my wife that if we beat them, we'll have done a good job.

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