All about choices

Steve Guiremand

Friday, April 23, 2004 | 10:36 a.m.

It worked 21 years ago for a quarterback named John Elway. Now the question is will it work for a quarterback named Eli Manning?

Manning, the University of Mississippi quarterback expected to be the first pick of the NFL Draft which starts on Saturday morning, has informed the team that currently owns the No. 1 pick, the San Diego Chargers, that he doesn't want them to select him.

That is just one of many storylines which could make this weekend's draft one of the most interesting in recent years.

ESPN reported on Thursday that Manning was prepared to even sit out the upcoming season rather than sign with the Chargers. A similar strategy by Elway in 1983 with the Colts -- the future Hall of Famer had a pro baseball deal with the Yankees to fall back on -- paid big dividends when he wound up with the team of his choice, the Denver Broncos.

Now Manning apparently is holding out that the Chargers, already rumored to be in trade talks with the New York Giants, will swap picks with the Giants, who have the No. 4 overall pick, so he can wind up in New York.

Can anybody say "endorsements?"

Adding further intrique to the situation is the fact that Manning's agent, Tom Condon, also represents San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer and the Chargers' star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson.

But Condon on Wednesday night informed San Diego general manager A.J. Smith, who had tried to open contract negotiations with Condon last week, that Manning did not want the Chargers to select him over apparent concerns about the organization's inability to win. San Diego has had only four winning seasons in the past 20 years including none since 1995. There is also speculation that Schottenheimer could be gone after this season if the Chargers don't turn things around.

Manning's father, former NFL star quarterback Archie Manning, was asked by ESPN on Thursday what the "best case scenario for Saturday for Eli Manning" would be.

"I'd only say that the Chargers should not pick him," Archie Manning said. "That's what we prefer, and that's kind of a bold thing that we stepped out there to say."

Now it's up to the quarterback-hungry Chargers to either work out a deal to trade down for additional picks and/or players. Or they could keep the pick and go a different route, perhaps chosing Iowa offensive tackle Robert Gallery. Or they could call Manning's bluff and draft him anyway with the risk the talented quarterback will sit out the upcoming season so he can re-enter the draft in 2005.

More than likely the Chargers will try and work out a deal to trade down in the first round where they can still select another quarterback they're reportedly very high on, North Carolina State's Philip Rivers, while adding another high draft pick. The Giants, Washington Redskins (No. 5 pick) and Cleveland Browns (No. 7) all have reportedly inquired about trading up for a shot at Manning.

As many as three quarterbacks are expected to go in the first 11 picks -- Manning, Ben Roethlisberger of Miami of Ohio, who could be another option for the Giants if they can't land Manning, and Rivers, who has been rumored headed to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who own the 11th pick.

Gallery, a dominating 6-foot-7, 323-pound left tackle from Iowa who is considered to be in the same class as Pro Bowlers Tony Boselli and Jonathan Ogden, is regarded by some scouts to be the safest pick of the draft and could go second to the Oakland Raiders.

The worst kept secret of the draft is that the Arizona Cardinals will use the third pick to take Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. New Cardinals coach Dennis Green has literally watched Fitzgerald grow up during his days as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Fitzgerald, a cousin of former Vikings star Cris Carter, is the son of a Twin Cities sports writer who picked up more than his share of pointers from Carter, Randy Moss and Green while watching the Vikings practice over the years. Besides that, he may just be the best player in the draft.

Las Vegas figures to be well represented in the draft with as many as four former prep stars topped by Oregon State tailback Steven Jackson expected on the board.

A 6-foot-2, 233-pounder, Jackson, who left Oregon State a year early after twice leading the competitive Pac-10 Conference in rushing and scoring an NCAA bowl record-tying five touchdowns in the Las Vegas Bowl, is considered the top running back prospect in the draft. He could go as high as No. 6 to the Detroit Lions or as low as No. 22 to the Dallas Cowboys.

Two of Jackson's teammates, inside linebacker Richard Seigler of Chaparral High School and safety Lawrence Turner of Cheyenne High School, also could be picked. Seigler is expected to be selected somewhere between the third and sixth rounds. Turner isn't expected to be selected until the late rounds or will sign as a free agent.

University of Utah corner/safety Arnold Parker, a Cimarron High graduate, also is expected to be a second-day pick.

UNLV running back Larry Croom, who excelled in three postseason all-star games following an injury-plagued senior year, is one of the three Rebels who will be sitting patiently by the phone waiting for a call from an NFL team.

Defensive tackle Dietrich Canterberry and center Dominic Furio are both regarded as late round/free agent possibilities. Croom is expected to go sometime on Sunday when rounds 4-7 take place.