Ex-NFL players expect ragged start

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Kurt Warner hears about Matt Hasselbeck joining the Titans and Donovan McNabb going to the Vikings and sees a direct link to the NFL lockout.

The retired two-time MVP, who knows a thing or two about being a veteran quarterback mentoring a rookie, initially thought first-round draft picks Jake Locker in Tennessee and Christian Ponder in Minnesota had a chance to be productive this season.

Not anymore, after the league’s labor strife wiped out teams’ offseason programs.

So Warner isn’t surprised to see those clubs pursuing veteran QBs.

But former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy isn’t sure experienced quarterbacks will be able to make a quick adjustment to new systems, either.

Warner predicts a lot of miscommunication early in the season: receivers turning one way while quarterbacks throw the other; offensive linemen stepping in a different direction than their running back is cutting.

“So much of the NFL and even some great players is about reps and about getting out there and doing it,” Warner said Wednesday. “Whether it’s the physical part of it where you just get used to running around or running a route or dropping back and throwing. Or the mental side of it is seeing a play, hearing a play and being able to execute it.

“Everybody talks that, ‘We don’t like the OTAs; we don’t like a long training camp.’ But really when it’s all about football, that’s what really prepared us and gets us ready for the season.”

Fellow former MVP Barry Sanders said it wouldn’t be conditioning that caused players problems.

“You don’t start working out when training camp starts; you start that long before,” he said before the retired players took part in an event promoting the launch of the “Madden NFL 12” video game. “

Now schemes, things like that you may see a difference.”