The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 26

C2 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Sunday, July 23, 1995 NFL a McNair On the Eagles By S.A. Paolantonio pood cops, bad cops on a hot day at camp Bobby Taylor Was praised and SCOlded for the Same This is wnere Rhodes says he can. Eagles stand out as trailblazers. For an instant rapport with Grud '1 ni i ii have the most immediate impact in training camp this year, the NFL also "We talk," Cunningham saic play. KxlOaeS WOn yell II he gets What he Wants.

reversing the team's fortunes. has supplied three coaching interns hug all the time when we se "I'm not going to yell a lot because as part of a minority fellowship pro- other. We tell each other wi an instant rapport with Gruden. We talk, Cunningham said. hug all the time when we see other.

We tell each other we gram designed to boost the number this is the '90s, and they won't listen to that kind of coach," Rhodes writes in the current Eagles Digest, the team magazine. "I'm going to treat them like men. If they don't give me what I want, then I'll show them the other side of Ray Rhodes, and they Scenes from the steamy, tree-lined practice field at West Chester University, where Ray Rhodes and his young coaching staff are trying to jettison the Eagles' old, bad habits and bring a winner back to Philadelphia: Rookie cornerback Bobby Taylor sprints up the sideline, looks over his shoulder and whack! knocks away a Randal! Cunningham pass. Special-teams coach Danny Smith, who also helps out with the secondary, comes lying across the field to congratulate Taylor, who has made his first solid play of the Eagles' camp. "Way to find it," yells Smith, acting the role of the good cop.

Smith pumps his fist, and Taylor is feeling good. But not for long. Here comes defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas the had cop screaming at Taylor from across the field. "C'mon, Bobby Taylor, you've got to intercept that balll" Thomas says. "Don't knock it down.

Reach up and stick it!" Rookie Chris T. Jones, playing what is called the receiver position, lines up close to the line instead of wide left. Offensive coordinator Jon Gruden catches the error instantly and shoos him outside. "C'mon, if it's your play, know where the heck you're supposed to be!" he yells in front of the entire offensive squad. "We can't afford those kinds of mental mistakes." Rhodes arrives for the 8.45 a.m.

practice 22 minutes early. He stands between the two football fields with his arms folded, staring at the front gate at the top of the hill behind Farrell Stadium. He takes inventory of the players arriving after the head coach, logging their numbers in his memory. When he spots running back Ricky Vatters, he says: "I don't want Ricky working Veterans are not due for another day. Rhodes doesnt want them worn out before the season.

He says nothing, but Watters can see his scowl from SO yards away and comes over to ask for permission. "I'm just going to get a little wet," Watters says, meaning he just wants to break a sweat. Though a generation removed, Rhodes speaks the language. "Get a little wet," Rhodes says, "but that's it." Last season, the complaint most frequently lodged in the Eagles' locker room was that head coach Rich Kotite and his staff kept the players in the dark, players like Cunningham, Antone Davis, Charlie Garner, Bernard Williams and on and on. Kotite talked to his favorite players, but as the team sunk into a seven-game losing streak, ft was apparent that there was a breakdown of communication between the coaching staff and many of the players.

won be around. Or, as he said last week, "I'm going to work their butts off. Nobody is going to be sitting around on their helmets. I want them to give me something. This team needs to learn how to finish things in practice." For Taylor, who played for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, Rhodes' style is just more of the same.

"He doesn't candy-coat anything," Taylor said. "He's right in your face all the time." Under Kotite, the Eagles had only one black assistant coach, Bobby Hammond, who had only minor input on offense. Rhodes, who is black, has hired three African American assistants, the most for any NFL team Thomas, tight-ends coach Ted Williams, and receivers coach Gerald Carr. "It helps because experience is the best teacher, and you have a chance to speak from experiences you have," Carr said. "But it's not a black-or-white situation.

The communication, that's what's important. I wouldn't say our players would listen to a black guy more than they would listen to white guy." In a league where nearly 70 percent of the players are black and there are so few black coaches, the On the NFL By Dave Caldwell New offense could be hard for Randall Green Bay QB Brett Favre says he needed seasons to fully grasp the 49ers-style system. of black assistants in the pro ranks. In 1994, the Eagles had one of the oldest coaching staffs in the NFL. Now they have one of the youngest.

Five of the 12 assistants have come straight out of the college coaching ranks, also the most in the NFL. And Gruden and Thomas are in their first year at the coordinator level. In San Francisco, Rhodes learned that coaches should be teachers, not screamers. And they must know their players on an individual basis different methods for different players. "The best way to get production out of a person is you have to understand what motivates them, understand what gets them going," said Carr, who at age 35 is 28 years younger than his predecessor, Lew Carpenter.

"Each individual has a different motivational factor," he said. "Some guys you can be very hard on. Some guys you pull aside and talk to. You have to get a feel." After practice, Carr talked on the field for 30 minutes with veteran wide receiver Jeff Sydner, who is fighting for a roster spot. "Instant feedback is a good teacher," Carr said.

"Right when you walk off the football field, you say, 'OK, what mistakes do you think you made Let them become self-critical, because if they know they are doing wrong, it becomes that much easier to teach." Cunningham, for one, has felt a dramatic change. He has developed lein had made fast friends with Kevin Gilbride, the Jaguars' offensive coordinator. Gilbride, you may remember, used to work as the offensive coordinator for the Oilers. The Bud Man, you also may remember, threw a punch at him on the sidelines during a 1993 game because he had been calling a lot of what Ryan thought were stupid plays. "I haven't taken any cheap shots at Kevin," Beuerlein said.

"I haven't thrown any punches at him. "Kevin and I made an agreement from Day One," he added. "We both could tell a million Buddy stories. But we don't want to waste the time on it." Scuttlebutt. Jim Kelly says he only watched half of the Super Bowl in January.

The Buffalo Bills' record-setting four straight Super Bowl losses had been more than enough for him to endure. "If there was ever a year I would have wanted to take off a Super Bowl, that was it," Kelly said, laughing. "The way the 49ers were playing, I wouldn't have wanted to make it five in a row." It's no wonder that the unflappable Troy Aikman has two Super Bowl rings. An overzealous fan chased lflf'WWfimcj yr I I 1 "4 I lit I Is) 1 I 1 I hah--- jQ and Uuers have deal ASSOCIATED PRESS Steve McNair, Alcorn State's record-setting quarterback and the third pick in the NFL draft, has agreed to terms with the Houston Oilers, coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday at the end of the first day of training camp at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. "My understanding is they agreed in principle," Fisher said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Oilers appeared close to signing McNair last week, until the Carolina Panthers signed Penn State quarterback Kerry, Collins, the No. 5 pick, to a seven-year, $21.6 million contracU3 Bears. Club vice president Ted Phillips said he is feeling frustrated about Chicago's negotiations with Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Sa laam. Salaam, the 21st player selected in the NFL draft, is the Bears' only unsigned player.

Phillips said Salaam's agent, Marvin Demoff, wants a voidable contract, which would allow Salaam to renegotiate after a specified number of seasons. "We won't do a voidable-years deal I can tell you that right now," Phillips said. Demoff and Salaam were unavailable for comment. Vikings. First-round draft pick Korey Stringer signed a four-yeai, $3.4 million contract with Minnesota.

Stringer, a 6-foot-4, 332-pounder, will battle free-agent acquisition Rick Cunningham for the starting spot at offensive right tackle. Browns. Barring an eleventh-hour contract settlement, all-pro safety Eric Turner will be a holdout when Cleveland begins full-squad workouts this weekend. The Browns have offered Turner $2.1 million this season the amount required under NFL rules because the team designated Turner as its "franchise" player five months ago. He has demanded a $5 million signing bonus and a four-year contract worth $3.4 million a year.

Saints. Kicker Norm Johnson, cift by Atlanta to make room for former New Orleans kicker Morten Andersen, visited with Saints officials. New Orleans is one of' six teams that have contacted Johnson, the most accurate kicker in the NFL over the last four seasons. Iridurain i. on brink of Tour record ASSOCIATED PRESS LIMOGES, France With unwavering consistency through three weeks of cycling, Miguel Indurain is on the verge of winning a record fifth straight Tour de France.

With another victory in the sport's premier event virtually assured, Indurain extended his overall lead yesterday by winning the race's 19th stage, an individual time trial. Indurain took the 29-mile stage around Lac de Vassiviere in 57 minutes, 34 seconds, beating Bjarne RJis of Denmark by 48 seconds and Totiy Rominger of Switzerland by 1:055 Overall, Indurain has a lead of 4J35 over Alex Zulle of Switzerland, with Riis 6:47 behind. Today's final stage is a 96-mile ride from Ste. Genevieve des Bois to Paris that will end on the Champs Elysees. Barring an accident, Indurain should take his record-breaking title.

Belgian Eddy Merckx, and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault have also won five Tours, but Indurain would be the first to do it in consecutive years. The results 19TH STAGE 1. Miguel Indurain, Spain, Banesto, 57 minutes, 34 seconds. 2. Bjarne Riis, Denmark, Gewiss, 48 seconds behind.

3. Tony Rominger, Switzerland, Mapei, 1:05. 4. Ivan Gotti, Italy, Gewiss, 1:41. 5.

Fernando Escartin, Spain, Mapei, 1:46. 6. Alex Zulle, Switzerland, ONCE, 1:49. 7. Laurent Jalabert, France, ONCE, 1:58..

8. Melchor Mauri, Spain, ONCE, 2:17. 9. Richard Virenque, France, Festina, 2:37 10. Alvaro Mejia, Colombia, Motorola, 3:07 11.

Laurent Maduoas, France, Festina, 3:4 12. Thierry Marie, France; Castorama, 3:37 13. Laurent Brouchard, France, Festina, 3fl2 14. Eric Breukink, Netherlands, ONCE, 15. Bo Hamberger, Denmark, TVM, 3:44.

Americans 43. L. Armstrong, Austin, Texas, 6:24. 50. Frankie Andreu, Dearborn, 6:43.

OVERALL STANDINGS 1. Indurain, 89 hours, 5 minutes, 13 seconds. 2. Zulle, 4 minutes, 35 seconds behind. 3.

Riis, 6:47. 4. Jalabert, 8:24. 5. Gotti, 11:33.

i 6. Mauri, 15:20. 1 7. Escartin, 15:49. 8.

Rominger, 16:46. 9. Virenque, 17:31. 10. Hernan Bu'enahora, Colombia, Keirne, 18:51.

11. Claudio Chiappucci, Italy, Carrera, 18:55. 12. Madouas, 20:37. 13.

Marco Pantani, Italy, Carrera, 26:20. 14. Paolo Lanfranchi, Italy, Brescialat, 29:41. Americans 36. Armstrong, 1:28:06.

82. Andteu, 2:52:15. We each love each other. It's a feeling, a great situation for someone coming off the year I came off of, losing as much confidence as I had." Yet Cunningham understands, too, that he's not in any comfort zone. Gruden plays the good cop, constantly stroking the quarterback.

But Rhodes is quick to point out that the team has a very capable backup Rodney Peete waiting for the opportunity to play. The literary Rhodes. Get a hold of the first training-camp edition of Eagles Digest, for no other reason than Rhodes' column, which is a sharp departure from Kotite's soft-pedaled generalities. Here's a little taste: "My expectations for this team are higher than anybody's," Rhodes writes. "My wife keeps telling me to keep my mouth shut." He promises training-camp practices will be "long and tough.

We'll have stretches of live hitting drills. It's going to be hard work." Extra yardage. Hammond, returned from his first season as head coach of the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football, was back at West Chester. He's touring training camps for the World League and hopes to land a player-' personnel job in the NFL. At 2 p.m.

next Sunday, after a half-hour autograph session, the Eagles will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at Lehigh University's Goodman Stadium. him during a Cowboys practice last week in Irving, Texas, wanting just a minute of his time. Aikman coolly and politely turned away the 42-year-old Fort Worth woman, who was taken away by the gendarmes before she had a chance to have a private conversation with Troy Boy. "I tried to tell her that we were in a workout and that it wouldn't be possible," Aikman said calmly. How much are four missed field goals worth? Try $4.74 million and two extra years of employment.

John Kasay, who made 20 of 24 field goals last season with Seattle, signed a five-year contract with Carolina worth $6 million. Dean Biasucci, who made 16 of 24 field goals last year with Indianapolis, signed a three-year contract with Pittsburgh worth $1.26 million. Jeff Fisher, entering his first full season as the coach of the woebegone Oilers, is really cracking down. He has banned rookies being asked to sing their college fight songs in the training-camp cafeteria. "There are guys who dread singing," he said.

"They eat as fast as they can or they don't eat at all. I think it distracts them and takes away from their ability to focus." Quiz answer. (C). f- Gary Anderson was cut by Pittsburgh in a pay. dispute.

The Philadelphia Inquirer JERRY LODRIGUSS Brett Favre, shown being sacked by the Eagles' Andy Harmon last year, likes Randall Cunningham's chances of thriving in a short-passing attack. But, he says, "there's nothing easy about it." Mirer and Troy Aikman. (Cunningham does not even make Favre's list of old heads, which consists of John Elway, Dan Marino, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and Boomer Esiason. Boomer Esiason) Favre has had several advantages over Cunningham in learning the San Francisco system: He was younger when he started to learn it. He was 22 when he joined the Packers in 1992; Cunningham is 32.

Favre had Packers coach Mike Holmgren, who sat at the feet of the great Bill Walsh in San Francisco, to teach him the offense not a first-year offensive coordinator, as Jon Gruden is in Philadelphia. Until now, Favre has had the services of Sterling Sharpe, maybe the best possession receiver in football history. "He just knew how to get open," Favre said. "Even when people knew we were going to him, he still found a way to get open, and that made it even more comfortable for me." Most important, Favre never has had to come off a wretched season in which he was benched for two games and got into a public hissing match with the head coach. The lines on Favre's graph have kept edging upward.

In his first year with the Packers, he threw for 3,227 yards and 18 touchdowns. In his second year, he threw for 3,303 yards and 19 touchdowns. Last year, he threw for 3,882 yards and 33 touchdowns. Still, he said he needed 2Vi seasons to master the offense. More accurately, he said, he feels he has come close to mastering it.

Along the way, he struggled mightily he threw 24 interceptions in 1993, for instance but by halfway through last season, he found himself finally understanding what was going on. This year, Cunningham will be taking the biggest crash course of his career. And he never has been known as a student of the game, a player who likes to take home a big pile of books, has he? Quiz time. The Jacksonville Jaguars' 36-member cheerleading squad will be known as the: Brett Favre has run the so-called San Francisco-style offense for three years in Green Bay. Asked when he finally felt comfortable running it, the Packers' outstanding young quarterback blurted: "The middle of last year." Uh-oh.

This is not good news for Eagles Jans who are looking for instant suc-eess. Favre has been running the same Imulti-route, thousands-of-options, fjood-an-area-with-receivers, short- passing offense that Randall Cun-l ningham will be running for the Eagles this season. i "There's nothing easy about it," i Favre said last week. "For each per-. son, it takes longer to learn it." The playbook for every Packers 5 game, Favre said, includes 120 pass 'plays, plus 30 to 40 running plays.

Double that number of plays because a team can put its tight end on the fright side of the formation or the left. Then multiply that by the num-Jber of formations from which a play can be run. And multiply that again by the number of backs and receivers who can go into motion before the snap. The book for all those plays would be three feet thick. "And you've got to remember that there are 11 guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage who are trying to disguise themselves to confuse you every single play," Favre said.

I Cunningham showed late last year that he needs no help in leading the league in the confusion category. But Favre was upbeat about Cunning- ham's chances of mastering the Ea-tgles' new offense. "Once he gets it down," Favre said, "he's going to find it's a lot of fun because there are four or five guys to throw to on every single route." Favre entered the NFL with essentially the same reputation as Cunningham. Both have strong arms, but 'both have been known to be, well, a "little scatterbrained. But Favre has developed into one of the league's quarterbacks.

He puts himself at or near the top of the list of young I Turks, with Drew Bledsoe, Rick Eagles Notes (A) Frisky Gals. (B) Felines. (C) Roars. (D) Glamour Kitties. (Answer later.) Playing nice.

A lot of people have had a lot of bad things to say about Our Favorite Football Coach in the Whole Darn World. (Hint: His name rhymes with Bloody Cryin'.) Sometimes, those people just happen to be some of his former players. Steve Beuerlein, apparently, is not one of those people. A year ago, Beuerlein played for the Cardinals and found himself on the bench without explanation three games into the season. He stayed in the doghouse all year.

Now, however, he is the quarterback for the expansion Jaguars, and he says that playing under Buddy Ryan was, in his words, "just another hurdle I've had to clear." (Insert your own joke here.) The other day, Beuerlein was asked if he wanted to talk about playing for the Bud Man. He replied tactfully: "I think that would do nothing more than to give him the kind of attention he wants." Someone then wondered if Beuer Eagles change kickers, signing Anderson, axing Murray said. "I felt that his leg is slightly stronger. He's a guy the organization has been interested in for the last month or so." Entering his 14th season in the NFL, Anderson showed last year that he could still nail the long ball. He was successful on 24 of 29 field-goals attempts, including 8 of 11 from 40 yards and beyond.

In the postseason, he was perfect on four tries, and his current streak of 13 consecutive field goals in the playoffs puts him second to Rafael Septien (15) on the league's all-time list. Murray, 39, spent one year in Philadelphia after helping the Dallas Cowboys to a Super Bowl title in the 1993 season. With the Eagles, Murray was inconsistent from long range. Against the New York Giants in December, he missed a game-tying field-goal attempt from 44 yards. Anderson will do some kicking off, too, Rhodes said, so the Eagles can see if they need to keep a second kicker.

Rhodes said there were no immediate plans to find a veteran punter. Few are available now anyway. Rookie free agent Tommy Hutton is listed as the Eagles' No. 1 punter. Jeff Beckley of Boston College, another rookie free-agent punter, has been struggling in camp.

i'" By S.A. Paolantonio INQUIRER STAFF WRITER In a move that had been expected for iweeks, the Eagles released placekicker Murray who had been ineffective from long range last year and signed three-time all-pro Gary Anderson. 4 Anderson, 36, who is fourth on the 'NFL's all-time field-goal list with 309, was 'released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a salary dispute last month. He agreed to a "one-year deal worth about S700.000. The 'contract has an option for 1996.

"I felt that he's a little bit more consistent hhan Murray," head coach Ray Rhodes "We're looking for some consistency, and right now, I don't see enough consistency in either one of those guys," Rhodes said. Rhodes said that now that Deion Sanders has been traded to the San Francisco Giants, the 49ers will have a huge edge in trying to sign the all-pro cornerback for another football season. "I'm among several teams interested in Deion," Rhodes said. "So we'll put a call in and see what kind of response we get." Veterans arrived at training camp in West Chester last night for a 7 p.m. team meeting.

There will be two full-squad practices today at 8:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m..