Raiders: Gannon our guy, Collins the backup

[Perfection]

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Rich Gannon will be the Raiders starting quarterback this fall, according to Oakland coach Norv Turner.


Speaking on a conference call with Raiders beat reporters, Turner said Kerry Collins was signed Monday with the idea of being Gannon's backup. It was a situation that Collins was comfortable accepting.

"Obviously I've played a lot in this league and started a lot of games," Collins said on the conference call Tuesday. "But when I came here they made it clear what the situation would be. I understood that Rich would be the starter and I will be the guy that's there if something happens to Rich. That will be my approach.

"I'll be coming here as the backup.Then, we will look at the possibility of a long-term future. It's a great opportunity."

Collins signed a three-year, $16 million contract that reportedly pays him $2.2 million this year. Gannon is scheduled to make $7 million. He received a call from Raiders boss Al Davis that his status wasn't affected by the signing.

The addition of a big, strong-armed quarterback who led a team to the Super Bowl just more than three years ago gives the Raiders insurance should Gannon go down with another injury. He hurt his shoulder on Oct. 20 and had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum.

"If something happens to Rich, we have a guy who is not just a proven player but a proven winner," Turner said.

Gannon and Turner talked about the possibility of signing Collins last week. Turner said Gannon was comfortable with the concept.

"Rich is our starting quarterback and Kerry will be our backup," Turner said. "Late last week, Rich and I had a great visit when we thought we were going in the direction of signing Collins."

"He shared my concerns and my thoughts that if we had the opportunity to add a guy who's experienced, who's played and who's won and who's taken his team to the Super Bowl that would be in the best interest of the football team," Turner said.

"Competition makes you better. Rich is our starting quarterback. When you have someone there who has played and won it's a motivational deal and it helps you play better."

Collins said it was difficult to find another starting job being released so late in the offseason. The opportunity to play for the Raiders and the knowledge that Gannon is on the backside of his career made this the most appealing spot.

"Looking at other teams, a lot of them were backup roles as this one is," he said. "This may have a little more long-term possibilities than the other situations I was looking at. … There was a lot of upside to being here."

The player most affected by Collins' signing turns out to be Marques Tuiasosopo, who had a chance to fill in for Gannon last year when he was injured. But Tuiasosopo also go hurt, contributing to Oakland's slide from AFC champions to 4-12 -- the worst drop ever for a Super Bowl team-- and could end up as the third quarterback.

Collins, a nine-year veteran, was released by the Giants on April 28, four days after they acquired Manning, the No. 1 pick in the draft. He said he was "angry" by the move but quickly moved on.

Collins has a stronger arm than Gannon and his ability to throw the deep ball should fit in well with Turner's new offense and owner Al Davis' model for a quarterback.

The 6-foot-5, 248-pound Collins was the first draft pick ever of the Carolina Panthers in 1995 and quarterbacked them to the NFC championship game in their second season.

But alcohol problems ended his career in Carolina two years later, and after a brief stop in New Orleans, he joined the Giants in 1999 and rehabilitated his life and career. The next season, Collins led them to the NFC championship before losing to Baltimore in the Super Bowl. His most productive year came in 2002 when he threw for 4,073 yards.

He is a durable quarterback who started 67 straight games before spraining his ankle last season, when the Giants' horrible offensive line was the main factor in their 4-12 finish. He threw for 3,110 yards with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 2003.

Information from ESPN.com's John Clayton and The Associated Press was used in this report