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In a stunning move the team wouldn't explain, the Dallas Cowboys cut Quincy Carter on Wednesday and handed the starting quarterback's job to 40-year-old Vinny Testaverde.
Just four days after he started camp as the No. 1 quarterback, Carter was suddenly gone from a team he led to 10 wins and back to the playoffs in Bill Parcells' first season.
Owner Jerry Jones and Parcells were vague about why they released Carter, who started every game in 2003 and was the opening-game starter each of his three years.
"We've made a decision to move in a different direction," Jones said. "We're not going to get in a lot of detail on the process."
Jones wouldn't specifically answer questions about reports that Carter failed a drug test or say if the move was based on non-football issues.
"I think that we should leave it at it just was not a difficult decision, and not get into a definition of what it was about," Jones said.
ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and CBSSportsLine.com, all citing unidentified NFL sources, reported that Carter had failed a drug test. The NFL had no comment.
Carter's agent, Eugene Parker, did not return calls seeking comment. The quarterback left camp wearing a grey hooded Cowboys sweatshirt soon after being informed of the decision by Parcells and Jones, and wasn't available.
Parcells said just this week that Carter had "a leg up" at quarterback. After the first camp workout Saturday, Carter said he was confident of remaining the starter and didn't consider himself in an open competition for the job.
The coach wouldn't say why there was such a drastic change in direction.
"I just couldn't keep him in the plans," Parcells said. "I'm saddened by this because I've got 18 months invested in it... two offseason programs and a regular season and a playoff game."
Asked why the decision wasn't made earlier, Parcells said, "We only make decisions based on the information we have."
The Cowboys went 10-6 last season when Carter threw for 3,302 yards and 17 touchdowns. But he had 21 interceptions, one of the highest totals in the league.
Testaverde reunited with Parcells this summer hoping for a chance to start again. The Cowboys also traded for Drew Henson, a top prospect out of Michigan who spent the past three years playing baseball in the New York Yankees' minor league system.
Parcells said Testaverde, who has 40,943 career yards passing, would start when the Cowboys play their season opener Sept. 12 at Minnesota. The coach plans to spend as much time in camp as possible getting Henson and second-year quarterback Tony Romo ready to play.
"Vinny's a very unselfish player. He'll do his very best to monitor and help Henson and Romo," Parcells said. "I'm comfortable with the player and our team will be comfortable with the player."
Testaverde was a Pro Bowl selection in 1998, when he led the New York Jets to the AFC title game under Parcells, but tore his Achilles' tendon in the 1999 season opener. He lost his starting job to Chad Pennington two seasons ago.
"I know this is just the beginning of it. I know I have to continue to work very hard to improve on what I have to do," Testaverde said after the first practice without Carter. "I'm given an opportunity to go in and take over, and I'm going to do my best to do that and keep this thing going, keep it on track."
Henson played at Michigan, but his three-year absence from football and total lack of NFL experience make him a huge risk as a starter. Romo was with the Cowboys his entire rookie season, but never played.
Parcells said there were no plans to bring more quarterbacks to camp.
The coach spoke to the team about Carter's departure after the first of two practices Wednesday. Testaverde worked primarily with the starters during the afternoon workout.
"That's good to know that you've got a veteran player at that position," defensive end Greg Ellis said. "Vinny's been under Bill for a while, so he knows Bill and I'm pretty sure he knows his plays, so I'm sure he can step in and get it done."
The Cowboys drafted Carter in the second round out of Georgia in 2001. Midway through that camp, expected starter Tony Banks was released and Carter was proclaimed the starter to replace Troy Aikman.
Carter went 3-5 as a rookie, completing 90 of 176 passes for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was twice sidelined by injuries.
After starting the first seven games in 2002, Carter lost the starting job to Chad Hutchinson, who was cut by the Cowboys just before camp began last week.
Linebacker Ryan Fowler was re-signed after Carter was released, and was on the field for the morning workout.
Source: AP
Just four days after he started camp as the No. 1 quarterback, Carter was suddenly gone from a team he led to 10 wins and back to the playoffs in Bill Parcells' first season.
Owner Jerry Jones and Parcells were vague about why they released Carter, who started every game in 2003 and was the opening-game starter each of his three years.
"We've made a decision to move in a different direction," Jones said. "We're not going to get in a lot of detail on the process."
Jones wouldn't specifically answer questions about reports that Carter failed a drug test or say if the move was based on non-football issues.
"I think that we should leave it at it just was not a difficult decision, and not get into a definition of what it was about," Jones said.
ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and CBSSportsLine.com, all citing unidentified NFL sources, reported that Carter had failed a drug test. The NFL had no comment.
Carter's agent, Eugene Parker, did not return calls seeking comment. The quarterback left camp wearing a grey hooded Cowboys sweatshirt soon after being informed of the decision by Parcells and Jones, and wasn't available.
Parcells said just this week that Carter had "a leg up" at quarterback. After the first camp workout Saturday, Carter said he was confident of remaining the starter and didn't consider himself in an open competition for the job.
The coach wouldn't say why there was such a drastic change in direction.
"I just couldn't keep him in the plans," Parcells said. "I'm saddened by this because I've got 18 months invested in it... two offseason programs and a regular season and a playoff game."
Asked why the decision wasn't made earlier, Parcells said, "We only make decisions based on the information we have."
The Cowboys went 10-6 last season when Carter threw for 3,302 yards and 17 touchdowns. But he had 21 interceptions, one of the highest totals in the league.
Testaverde reunited with Parcells this summer hoping for a chance to start again. The Cowboys also traded for Drew Henson, a top prospect out of Michigan who spent the past three years playing baseball in the New York Yankees' minor league system.
Parcells said Testaverde, who has 40,943 career yards passing, would start when the Cowboys play their season opener Sept. 12 at Minnesota. The coach plans to spend as much time in camp as possible getting Henson and second-year quarterback Tony Romo ready to play.
"Vinny's a very unselfish player. He'll do his very best to monitor and help Henson and Romo," Parcells said. "I'm comfortable with the player and our team will be comfortable with the player."
Testaverde was a Pro Bowl selection in 1998, when he led the New York Jets to the AFC title game under Parcells, but tore his Achilles' tendon in the 1999 season opener. He lost his starting job to Chad Pennington two seasons ago.
"I know this is just the beginning of it. I know I have to continue to work very hard to improve on what I have to do," Testaverde said after the first practice without Carter. "I'm given an opportunity to go in and take over, and I'm going to do my best to do that and keep this thing going, keep it on track."
Henson played at Michigan, but his three-year absence from football and total lack of NFL experience make him a huge risk as a starter. Romo was with the Cowboys his entire rookie season, but never played.
Parcells said there were no plans to bring more quarterbacks to camp.
The coach spoke to the team about Carter's departure after the first of two practices Wednesday. Testaverde worked primarily with the starters during the afternoon workout.
"That's good to know that you've got a veteran player at that position," defensive end Greg Ellis said. "Vinny's been under Bill for a while, so he knows Bill and I'm pretty sure he knows his plays, so I'm sure he can step in and get it done."
The Cowboys drafted Carter in the second round out of Georgia in 2001. Midway through that camp, expected starter Tony Banks was released and Carter was proclaimed the starter to replace Troy Aikman.
Carter went 3-5 as a rookie, completing 90 of 176 passes for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was twice sidelined by injuries.
After starting the first seven games in 2002, Carter lost the starting job to Chad Hutchinson, who was cut by the Cowboys just before camp began last week.
Linebacker Ryan Fowler was re-signed after Carter was released, and was on the field for the morning workout.
Source: AP
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