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Updated: June 20, 2006, 12:27 PM ET
Bengals trade QB Ragone to Rams for draft pick
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Three-year veteran quarterback Dave Ragone, claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals on waivers last month, was traded to the St. Louis Rams on Tuesday for an undisclosed choice in the 2007 draft.
[SIZE=-2]Ragone[/SIZE]
Once regarded as a solid prospect, and a player who might eventually emerge as a starter in the league, Ragone is joining his third team in a little over a month. He began the offseason with the Houston Texans, who waived him in May. Although the Bengals were intrigued by his potential, Ragone was unfamiliar with the offense and faced a crowded depth chart.
In addition to starter Carson Palmer, the Bengals have journeyman veterans Anthony Wright and Doug Johnson and undrafted college free agent Erik Meyer of Eastern Washington. Coach Marvin Lewis said last week that he would not take five quarterbacks to training camp next month, and Ragone got very little work during Cincinnati's recent three-day minicamp.
He will join a very competitive situation with the Rams, as well, and likely will battle Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Smoker, second- and third-year veterans, respectively, for the No. 3 job on the depth chart. Marc Bulger is the unchallenged starter and veteran Gus Frerotte is the primary backup.
The trade reunites Ragone with Rams' first-year head coach Scott Linehan, who was his college offensive coordinator at the University of Louisville.
Ragone, 26, played in only two games in his three seasons with the Texans.
He started two contests as a rookie, when David Carr was injured, and completed 20 of 40 passes for 135 yards, with one interception. He also rushed for 51 yards on six carries.
Over the past two seasons, Ragone did not appear in a game, and as a pure, dropback pocket passer, he was probably ill-suited for the offense being installed by Texans first-year coach Gary Kubiak this spring. That offense will require mobility from the quarterback, and movement skills have never been Ragone's strong suit. In Cincinnati, he simply did not have much opportunity to learn the offense.
Essentially, the Bengals rented Ragone for a month, had no financial investment, and could collect what figures to be a late-round draft choice for him.
Ragone was the Texans' third-round choice in the 2003 draft, the 88th player selected that year, following a standout career at Louisville. He signed a three-year, $1.35 million contract that included a signing bonus of $440,000.
Then, this spring, the Texans retained his rights as a restricted free agent and signed him to the one-year qualifying offer of $721,600. The Rams inherit that one-year deal.
Barring an extension, Ragone will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.
Last spring, playing for the Berlin Thunder, Ragone earned offensive most valuable player honors in the NFL Europe League. In leading his team to a World Bowl berth, Ragone completed 158 of 251 passes for 1,746 yards, with 13 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He established an NFLEL record by throwing 174 straight passes without an interception.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
Updated: June 20, 2006, 12:27 PM ET
Bengals trade QB Ragone to Rams for draft pick
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Three-year veteran quarterback Dave Ragone, claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals on waivers last month, was traded to the St. Louis Rams on Tuesday for an undisclosed choice in the 2007 draft.
[SIZE=-2]Ragone[/SIZE]
Once regarded as a solid prospect, and a player who might eventually emerge as a starter in the league, Ragone is joining his third team in a little over a month. He began the offseason with the Houston Texans, who waived him in May. Although the Bengals were intrigued by his potential, Ragone was unfamiliar with the offense and faced a crowded depth chart.
In addition to starter Carson Palmer, the Bengals have journeyman veterans Anthony Wright and Doug Johnson and undrafted college free agent Erik Meyer of Eastern Washington. Coach Marvin Lewis said last week that he would not take five quarterbacks to training camp next month, and Ragone got very little work during Cincinnati's recent three-day minicamp.
He will join a very competitive situation with the Rams, as well, and likely will battle Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Smoker, second- and third-year veterans, respectively, for the No. 3 job on the depth chart. Marc Bulger is the unchallenged starter and veteran Gus Frerotte is the primary backup.
The trade reunites Ragone with Rams' first-year head coach Scott Linehan, who was his college offensive coordinator at the University of Louisville.
Ragone, 26, played in only two games in his three seasons with the Texans.
He started two contests as a rookie, when David Carr was injured, and completed 20 of 40 passes for 135 yards, with one interception. He also rushed for 51 yards on six carries.
Over the past two seasons, Ragone did not appear in a game, and as a pure, dropback pocket passer, he was probably ill-suited for the offense being installed by Texans first-year coach Gary Kubiak this spring. That offense will require mobility from the quarterback, and movement skills have never been Ragone's strong suit. In Cincinnati, he simply did not have much opportunity to learn the offense.
Essentially, the Bengals rented Ragone for a month, had no financial investment, and could collect what figures to be a late-round draft choice for him.
Ragone was the Texans' third-round choice in the 2003 draft, the 88th player selected that year, following a standout career at Louisville. He signed a three-year, $1.35 million contract that included a signing bonus of $440,000.
Then, this spring, the Texans retained his rights as a restricted free agent and signed him to the one-year qualifying offer of $721,600. The Rams inherit that one-year deal.
Barring an extension, Ragone will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.
Last spring, playing for the Berlin Thunder, Ragone earned offensive most valuable player honors in the NFL Europe League. In leading his team to a World Bowl berth, Ragone completed 158 of 251 passes for 1,746 yards, with 13 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He established an NFLEL record by throwing 174 straight passes without an interception.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
