Porter has outgrown the shadows - NFL - Porter, Jerry

On the field in front of you at Raiders camp is a big, young, tremendously gifted receiver who is ready to become one of the premier players in the game. In his way is Jerry Rice, not showing a bit of his age.

On the field in front of you four or five years ago at 49ers camp was a big, young tremendously gifted receiver who was ready to become one of the premier players in the game. In his way was Jerry Rice, not showing a bit of his age.

That was Terrell Owens then; this is Jerry Porter now.

What was gold has turned to silver for Rice, 40. In that regard, he is like a lot of us. But in most regards, he is like none of us. Every year I go to training camp expecting to see evidence that Rice is human, and every year I see a machine of a football player running routes with explosion and fluidity. Rice doesn't look young as much as he looks invincible.

Not counting clips of old-timers, this is the best football player I have ever seen.

Marc Trestman calls the plays for Rice's Raiders, as he did for Rice's 49ers in the mid-1990s. Trestman swears he has not seen a change in Rice's level of play since both were making their living across the Bay. At 37, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon knows signs of age when he sees them. "With old receivers, you expect that their legs will go," Gannon says. "But Jerry hasn't slowed down or changed a bit since he came here (in 2001)."

Rice doesn't run away from defenders the way he once could. But that hardly compromises him. He led the Raiders last season in receptions of 25 yards or more with 10.

Yet, feeding Rice means denying Porter and ignoring one of the most sacred commandments of the NFL bible: Thou shalt not let an old player get in the way of an emerging star. The Raiders, however, don't read the same bible as everyone else. Everyone from team owner Al Davis on down always has venerated veterans, showing deference to accomplished graybeards such as Rice and Tim Brown.

Many outsiders expect Porter to get more catches this year at the expense of Brown, 37, but no one in the organization is saying that. Brown's production dipped last year; he had only two touchdown catches and didn't produce 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in 10 years. But that doesn't mean he has lost it.

According to STATS Inc., Brown had a better average for yards after the catch (5.3) last season than Porter (4.7) and Rice (4.2). You should have seen him catch a swing pass at the line of scrimmage and turn it into a 41-yard touchdown in Week 4.

Brown came to camp this year with lively legs and renewed vigor. "Tim has a lot of plays left in him," Trestman says. So Brown, too, is an impediment to Porter.

In his third season, Porter finally started to mature in 2002. He had 51 catches for 688 yards and nine touchdowns and was the Raiders' most productive receiver in the postseason. This summer, Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson says he has noticed improved route-running and a greater understanding of defenses from Porter.

When the Raiders devise their game plan to take advantage of mismatches, Porter has to be the receiver they intend to employ. At 6-2, 220, he's bigger and stronger than every cornerback he plays against, and he's the fastest of the Raiders' three primary receivers. Plus, Porter has proved he can beat bump-and-run coverage.

But the Raiders say they are not intent on getting any specific player the ball. "One thing I've learned is if you try to get the ball to a guy a certain amount of times in a game, it takes the focus away from letting the game take its normal course," says Trestman, whose handling of the Raiders' offense last year was exceptional.

Gannon says if Porter were playing on a lot of other teams, he could produce 100 receptions, but in the Raiders' scheme, the defense usually dictates who gets the ball. "The way our offense works is all based on progressions and reads," Gannon says. "We have a man read, zone read, three-deep read, two-deep read, high read, low read, middle-triangle read, weakside-combination read. There are very few routes in our offense when the quarterback says, 'I'm going to look at the defense and throw it to this guy.'"

Last season, Oakland threw 70 passes to Porter, 127 to Brown and 150 to Rice. It is unlikely the Raiders will throw any more passes than they did a year ago, when only the Rams attempted more.

For the Raiders to be at their best, Porter needs the ball more this season. If Porter is going to get more sugar, Brown and Rice will get less.

It shouldn't be, but it must be. Tomorrow won't wait.

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M@IL BONDING

DAN POMPEI ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Last year, it seemed like everyone was in love with Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett. Do you think the decisions he has made have hurt his chances to be a high draft pick? Have they likewise hurt his chances to get the NFL to overturn the rule that keeps him from the draft until 2005?

Adam Strandberg, Chicago

Adam: Trust me on this one--Maurice Clarett is going to be a very, very high draft pick one day, barring a serious injury. He's so talented that most NFL teams will ignore any concerns they might have about his character. Clarett's off-field circumstances have nothing to do with his draft eligibility. If he goes to court and challenges the NFL rule that prevents players from turning pro until three years after their high school graduation, I believe Clarett will win. The problem is the case might take so long to get through the court system that it wouldn't be of any benefit to Clarett.

SPEED READ

* Being impetuous with quarterbacks might have worked for Steve Spurrier in college, but it won't work in the NFL. He must stick with Patrick Ramsey and let him play through his mistakes if Spurrier is going to give himself--and the Redskins--a chance to succeed.

* The Packers have done a wonderful job of renovating Lambeau Field. The stadium blends modern conveniences with a nostalgic feel better than any venue in the NFL. It is a wonderful reflection of the team and its tradition, and everyone who watches a game there is going to love everything about it, except maybe the bleacher seats.

* If I were drafting players for a team in a fantasy league, I would rank the 49ers' second receiver, Tai Streets, ahead of a number of team's first receivers. Streets, who has plenty of incentive in the final year of his contract, is having a fantastic training camp. He plays with a fine quarterback in an offense that is committed to throwing deep.

INSIDE DISH

By DAN POMPEI

It didn't happen at Marcus Allen's Hall of Fame induction, but those who are close to Allen and Raiders owner Al Davis expect that it won't be long before they settle their long-standing differences. Allen has had a hard time forgiving Davis for a bitter contract dispute in 1989 and three subsequent years of underusing him. Davis has had a hard time forgetting disparaging remarks made a few years ago by Allen in an interview with ABC's Al Michaels. But the thaw already has begun, with intermediaries such as Bill Walsh and Jim Otto trying to bring the two proud men together. At 74, Davis perhaps is realizing it's time to put aside grudges.... Trading holdout RB Duce Staley might make sense for the Eagles, who have received some interest in him. Extending Staley's contract makes little sense for the team. Staley's 2003 salary is the fifth-highest among league running backs, and the Eagles have two young backs they like in Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook. Their West Coast offense doesn't put a premium on running backs, anyway. If Staley returns to the Eagles to play out the final year of his contract, chances are good this will be his last season in Philadelphia.... The Lions are lining up rookie LB Boss Bailey on the strong side, and, at the moment, the thing Bailey does best is cover the tight end. Eventually, as he becomes more comfortable playing in space, he'll probably be moved to the weak side, where he can use his speed best. In fact, don't be surprised if the Lions move Bailey to the weak side next year and fill his spot on the strong side with the 49ers' Julian Peterson, who is eligible to be a free agent after this season. Peterson played for coach Steve Mariucci and is familiar with Detroit from his days at Michigan State.... The politicking has begun over the future of NFL Europe. The vast majority of team owners are against continuing the league, which is costing each of them close to $1 million every year. But commissioner Paul Tagliabue is believed to perceive NFL Europe as part of his legacy and is not ready to give up on it. What's more, Tagliabue has two powerful allies who strongly believe in the marketing benefits of NFL Europe: Patriots owner Bob Kraft and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. Something could be decided about the future of the league at the October owners meetings in Chicago.... Bears MLB Brian Urlacher incorporated skipping rope into his offseason workout regimen after watching Bears CB Jerry Azumah use it as a way to improve his conditioning and coordination. Urlacher built up to 10 to 15 sets of 45 to 50 seconds each. "I couldn't do it at first," he says. "But after a while, I saw that it gets you in shape and it's fun." ... Playing the run isn't the issue with Packers DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila becoming an every-down player. Staying fresh is. If Biamila (6-4, 255) is worn out by banging heads on running plays, he might lose his flash when the team needs him to get to the quarterback on a critical third down. That's why the Pack must develop depth at end.

DAN POMPEI

dpompei@sportingnews.com

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