Jeff Garcia appeared bound for Tampa Bay, where he was Sunday
night with the full expectation that he would be a Buccaneer within
a day. Just 24 hours later, the free agent quarterback all but
locked up the job as a starter in a city more than 1,000 miles
away.
Jeff Garcia appeared bound for Tampa Bay, where he was Sunday night with the full expectation that he would be a Buccaneer within a day. Just 24 hours later, the free agent quarterback all but locked up the job as a starter in a city more than 1,000 miles away.
A six-day whirlwind took the Gilroy native through Atlanta, the home of his old 49ers assistant coaches Jim Mora and Greg Knapp; Cleveland, which offered a starting role in a historic football city; and finally Tampa, the home of the coach he always wanted to play for.
Garcia finally settled on the Browns late Monday when the cash-strapped Bucs could not work around the salary cap to complete the deal.
In the process, the complicated world of free agency became so muddled that even Garcia’s own father was not sure what the deal was the morning after his son told him Tampa Bay was for sure.
“He’s going to Florida,” Bobby Garcia told The Dispatch Sunday night, but that all changed Monday night. “(Tampa Bay) offered him a contract and everything, but the numbers just didn’t work out.”
Even Cleveland Browns President Carmen Policy thought Garcia could be headed to Tampa Bay.
“Mr. Policy was on a local flagship station (in Cleveland) and he expressed he thought that might be the case,” Browns spokesman Jeff Walcoff said.
Garcia signed a four-year, $25 million contract Tuesday to become Cleveland’s new starter, a spot Tim Couch held for most of the past five seasons.
“I think it’s going to be a perfect fit,” said Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowler released earlier this month after five seasons in San Francisco. “The Browns showed a real desire to have me here, a real want and a real belief that if I came here I would make a difference.”
Garcia’s deal will pay him $5.5 million in 2004, $4.5 million in 2005 and includes two voidable years at the back end in case he or the team wants out of it.
However, the 34-year-old intends to give the Browns a strong return on their investment.
“I’m thinking about a contract until they drive me out of town,” Garcia said. “I want to be here as long as possible.”
The quarterback’s agent, Steve Baker, summed up the resoning.
“In Cleveland, Jeff comes in as the starting quarterback. He is also excited not only by the organization but also the passion of the fans and storied tradition of football in Cleveland,” said Baker.
“Cleveland and Tampa Bay provide two entirely different exciting situations, both of which Jeff considered very seriously. There were many appealing aspects of Tampa, most significantly Jeff’s familiarity with and potential in Jon Gruden’s offense.”
Couch expected the team to make another offer, but by then the Browns had set their sights on signing Garcia, who chose Cleveland over Tampa Bay.
Davis said “it’s possible” when asked if the Browns could keep Garcia and Couch. But it’s more likely the club will trade or release Couch.
Davis met with Couch for 25 minutes Tuesday morning to tell him that Garcia signed. He described Couch as “businesslike” and “a little bit somber.”
“It hasn’t been the easiest year for Tim,” Davis said. “But as he did this past season, he handled it with class.”
Garcia passed for 2,704 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, but missed three games with injuries. He hurt his back lifting weights before training camp and never returned to full strength during his least productive season since 1999.
Garcia had been the 49ers’ starter for five seasons, taking over when Steve Young retired. He twice led the club to the playoffs, earning a reputation as a tough, scrappy competitor and leader unfraid to speak his mind.
That background prepared him for anything. So he’s unfazed by joining a team that has had a raging quarterback controversy for more than a year as the Browns waffled between Couch and Kelly Holcomb.
“I just came out of a situation where I was following legacies (Young and Joe Montana) at the quarterback position, Hall of Famers,” he said. “You talk about having to step into some big shoes.”
Garcia eventually decided on Cleveland after he was assured he would start immediately. Holcomb, recovering from shoulder surgery, will likely be his backup.
It’s a fresh start for Garcia, who will inherit a 5-11 team with more holes than it realizes.
Davis, whose decision to bench Couch last August set the tone for Cleveland’s disappointing season, said he has finally found the perfect quarterback. Davis knew Garcia was the right choice after their first meeting last Friday.
“The way he plays the game, the passion, the athleticism, the way he drove teams, his charisma,” Davis said, rattling off his impressions of Garcia. “As you did a background study on him and you looked at all the successes he’s head, there is a common thread though every level of football: He’s a winner.”
