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As Booth Newspapers beat writer Tom Kowalski framed it: "One thing was made certain Monday by Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci and the team's new backup quarterback, Jeff Garcia: Joey Harrington is absolutely, positively and without question the Lions' starting quarterback."Well, you know, unless something happens. ..."
Both Mariucci and newly-signed quarterback Jeff Garcia opened their comments to the media with the acknowledgment of Harrington's standing as the team's No. 1 quarterback. But as Kowalski suggested, the longer they both talked, though, the less clear it became.
As Detroit Free Press sports reporter Curt Sylvester noted, Mariucci has been "noticeably lukewarm" in his evaluations of Harrington, but he said the presence of Garcia on the roster doesn't change Harrington's role.
"We have exercised a lot of patience and persistence with developing him, and our intentions haven't changed," Mariucci said. "Jeff knows that. We are trying to develop Joey into a legitimate starter in this league, a very productive starter in this league, and that plan has not changed. We have not deviated from that.
"Jeff has been told to get yourself ready if you can, fit in, understand the pecking order, if you get an opportunity -- for whatever the reason -- then make the most of it and perform. But he, on our depth chart, is two and Joey is No. 1."
Even while acknowledging Harrington's status as the starter, Garcia made no secret of his desire to prove he deserves a chance to start.
"That's up to the coaches and it's their decision," Garcia said. "If they feel they're getting better production out of me than they are out of Joey, then that's a decision they have to make. It's going to be a tough decision because Joey's been the guy there for three years and he's only going to get better."
And if he doesn't?
"If there comes a time where the team just somehow produces more or looks better with me on the field, then that's the decision that's left to the coaches," Garcia said.
For the time being, though, Garcia will accept his role. He said he wanted to talk to Harrington about that, but that Harrington is currently in Ireland playing golf.
"I'll be in touch with him when he gets back from his trip," Garcia said, "and let him know that he's the guy, he's the starter and I'm here to basically help make the team stronger and make the position stronger.
"I'm not here to create any friction, I'm not here to create any controversy, I'm just here to add strength to the position."
That's his view. Not everybody agrees, however.
As Sylvester suggested, the mere signing of Garcia -- who played four years for Mariucci at San Francisco -- has opened the door to months of speculation, regardless of what anyone says now.
Sylvester added: "Publicly, the Lions are saying they want Garcia to push Harrington to a higher level of play and be there if Harrington falters. But some people think it will be only a matter of time until Mariucci decides Garcia is more adept at running the West Coast offense and finds a way to move him into the starting job."
Mariucci didn't help matters any when asked directly whether the starting spot would be decided in an open competition between Harrington and Garcia this summer.
"There's competition at every position," Mariucci said. "Even though one is labeled No. 1 and one is labeled No. 2 or 3, there's competition to move up, to keep a job. And right now, that's the way it is.
"I'm not going to predict what's going to happen later on. My intention is to develop Joey into a heck of a quarterback, and our other intention is to have Jeff Garcia ready if need be. There's nothing wrong with having a couple of good quarterbacks on your team; let the chips fall where they may.
"We haven't changed plans or deviated in any way with Joey. We just happen to have a real solid, experienced -- in this offense -- backup right now."
If that doesn't sound like a brewing controversy, I don't know what does. ...
In a related note. ... Detroit News staffer Mike O'Hara reminded readers this morning that one of Garcia's strengths has been his mobility, but he was hit often and hard as a Brown last season. He suffered knee and shoulder injuries but said he is healthy. Garcia passed a physical administered in Indianapolis two weeks ago.
"I feel pretty much close to 100 percent right now, especially with my knee," Garcia said. "I think my shoulder is fine. It feels as close to 100 percent as I think I'll ever get."
Also according to O'Hara, Rick Mirer, the No. 3 quarterback last season, has been told he won't be back in Detroit, Mariucci said. The Lions probably will use a low draft pick or sign a young free agent for their No. 3 quarterback, Mariucci said. ...
Moving on to Miami. ... The Dolphins finalized a two-year contract with quarterback Gus Frerotte and have told the veteran he will be given a "fair shot" to compete with A.J. Feeley for the starting job.
"That's what coach [Nick] Saban said it would be a fair competition and that's all I was looking for," said Frerotte, who chose the Dolphins ahead of offers from Minnesota and Denver.
"If I play well enough and do well enough in the pre-season, I'll get a chance to start maybe," the veteran signal caller added. "Basically he said it's going to be fair for me. All I know is I've got a shot."
According to Miami Herald beat man Jason Cole, the signing of Frerotte and subsequent indication of an open competition for the starting job is curious. In January, Saban twice indicated that Feeley would be considered the starter and given most of the time in practice.
Palm Beach Post staffer Joe Schad agreed with that assessment, noting that at the Senior Bowl, Saban sounded like Feeley was his starter.
"I think we have a young quarterback that definitely made some progress last year who we have to give an opportunity to in the future," Saban said.
Now, the situation appears to be different.
"They told me the starting job was open, so we'll see," said Frerotte, who was courted by the Dolphins earlier in his career when Dave Wannstedt was the coach. "At that time, the situation just wasn't right for me. Now, it's a completely different set up."
Frerotte, 33, has a 76.1 passer rating during his 11-year career, which includes 66 starts. His best season was with the Redskins in 1996 -- the only time he started all 16 games -- when he threw for 3,453 yards and had 12 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan had Frerotte the past two seasons in Minnesota, and Frerotte said familiarity with Linehan could be a big edge for him.
"[Linehan] said he still wants an attacking, vertical offense to get after the defense before they get after you," Frerotte explained. "I'm not counting anything yet, but I know the offense and hopefully that does work to my advantage and I'll just help everybody. ..."
Frerotte, 33, has a 76.1 passer rating during his 11-year career, which includes 66 starts. His best season was with the Redskins in 1996 -- the only time he started all 16 games -- when he threw for 3,453 yards and had 12 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
For the record. ... Miami will be the sixth stop for Frerotte, who also has played for Detroit and Cincinnati. ...
Meanwhile. ... Tampa Tribune staff writer Roy Cummings suggests that Brad Johnson's visit with the Vikings and today's scheduled meeting with the Seahawks are indications he has come to the realization that he will not be able to land a job as a starter.
Johnson spent most of the first two weeks of free agency looking for a team willing to give him the chance to compete for a starter's position, meeting with Miami, Chicago and Detroit.
The Dolphins and Lions are obviously no longer in the mix. The Bears have yet to sign a backup to projected starter Rex Grossman, but it was after his meeting with Chicago that Johnson arranged the visits with Minnesota and Seattle.
Today's stop in Seattle will be his fifth and according to agent Phil Williams, his final team visit since being released by Buccaneers on March 1.
As Minneapolis Star-Tribune staffer Mark Craig suggested this morning, Johnson probably is the best available veteran quarterback in a pool that is diminishing quickly.
Vikings head coach Mike Tice said Johnson "worked out very well" Monday and still "has great anticipation on his throws."
If Johnson returned to the Vikings as a backup, he will have come full circle in his 14th season. He was drafted in the ninth round by the Vikings in 1992 and spent four seasons on the bench.