Former second round pick............

JOESAM2002 · 08-03-2005, 04:08 PM

Former second-round pick wants to make mark with Saints

03:57 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Brett Martel / Associated Press

Before people start calling him "doctor," Jon Stinchcomb hopes to play his fair share of offensive line in the NFL.

But now the nagging question seems to be how long the multitalented, articulate second-round draft pick will have to wait to get his chance with the New Orleans Saints.

Entering his third season in the NFL, he expected to be a regular by now. Yet a roster move meant to help Stinchcomb's development has ended up keeping him on the bench.

"The way things are in the league right now, it's rare if you're a second-round draft pick and you haven't touched the field," Stinchcomb said Wednesday between training camp double sessions. "Can it be frustrating? Yeah it can, but you can't allow yourself to look at other places ... and I don't want to be anywhere else. I want to be in New Orleans."

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle routinely receives praise from coaches. His problem is that 12th-year pro Wayne Gandy, signed as a free agent the same year Stinchcomb was drafted, has continued to play too well to be removed from the starting lineup.

"It's going to be hard to unseat Wayne, because Wayne's a heck of a football player and he's a leader of the team," coach Jim Haslett said. "He's got a lot of intangibles right now, some skins on the wall that are hard to accomplish. But I thought Jon did a great job in the offseason, and I think he continues to get better."

Stinchcomb played for Georgia, a college program rarely short on pro prospects, and he comes from football pedigree, with his older brother, Matt, having played lineman for five years in Oakland before moving to Tampa Bay last season.

His academic credentials read more like those of players in the Harvard-Yale game. He majored in microbiology and was named Academic All-American. Coming from a family of educators -- his mother, stepmother and aunt are teachers and his grandmother was a principal -- academics "has always been put at a premium," he said.

He compliments New Orleans less for the nightlife on Bourbon Street than for its historic architecture, the art museums he's visited with his wife and the refined restaurants.

"Obviously, there's no place better for food," he said.

He hopes to attend medical school whenever his football career ends.

But it hasn't really begun.

"He wants to start. We want him to start, and yet we've got pretty good players that are up there right now," offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard said. "He's more been a victim of circumstance."

Stinchcomb has played on special teams. In one lopsided game during his rookie season, he got to play left guard -- not his normal position.

"It's not something where I'm depressed over it or irate," Stinchcomb said. "This isn't a job. It's what I enjoy doing and I want to play. It's not that I'm complaining, but (being paid to ride the bench) is not why I'm here."

And switching from left tackle to the right side does not appear to be much of an option right now, either. The Saints spent this year's first-round draft pick on right tackle Jammal Brown, the top offensive lineman taken.

The Saints have shown no indication they're interested in trading Stinchcomb, who's in the last year of his first pro contract. The lineman said he has not asked for a trade to a team that might play him right away, saying he prefers to remain loyal to the team that drafted him.

"They brought me into the NFL and they've been nothing but up front and honest with me and when you're in a situation like that, you have to have respect for the people you work with and work for," Stinchcomb said. "Never once have I felt deceived. To be honest, Wayne Gandy's still a great player, so I can't take anything away from that guy."

08-03-2005, 04:08 PM	#1
JOESAM2002 1000 Posts + Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: CRYSTAL BEACH TEXAS Posts: 4,100	Former second round pick............ Former second-round pick wants to make mark with Saints 03:57 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 Brett Martel / Associated Press Before people start calling him "doctor," Jon Stinchcomb hopes to play his fair share of offensive line in the NFL. But now the nagging question seems to be how long the multitalented, articulate second-round draft pick will have to wait to get his chance with the New Orleans Saints. Entering his third season in the NFL, he expected to be a regular by now. Yet a roster move meant to help Stinchcomb's development has ended up keeping him on the bench. "The way things are in the league right now, it's rare if you're a second-round draft pick and you haven't touched the field," Stinchcomb said Wednesday between training camp double sessions. "Can it be frustrating? Yeah it can, but you can't allow yourself to look at other places ... and I don't want to be anywhere else. I want to be in New Orleans." The 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle routinely receives praise from coaches. His problem is that 12th-year pro Wayne Gandy, signed as a free agent the same year Stinchcomb was drafted, has continued to play too well to be removed from the starting lineup. "It's going to be hard to unseat Wayne, because Wayne's a heck of a football player and he's a leader of the team," coach Jim Haslett said. "He's got a lot of intangibles right now, some skins on the wall that are hard to accomplish. But I thought Jon did a great job in the offseason, and I think he continues to get better." Stinchcomb played for Georgia, a college program rarely short on pro prospects, and he comes from football pedigree, with his older brother, Matt, having played lineman for five years in Oakland before moving to Tampa Bay last season. His academic credentials read more like those of players in the Harvard-Yale game. He majored in microbiology and was named Academic All-American. Coming from a family of educators -- his mother, stepmother and aunt are teachers and his grandmother was a principal -- academics "has always been put at a premium," he said. He compliments New Orleans less for the nightlife on Bourbon Street than for its historic architecture, the art museums he's visited with his wife and the refined restaurants. "Obviously, there's no place better for food," he said. He hopes to attend medical school whenever his football career ends. But it hasn't really begun. "He wants to start. We want him to start, and yet we've got pretty good players that are up there right now," offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard said. "He's more been a victim of circumstance." Stinchcomb has played on special teams. In one lopsided game during his rookie season, he got to play left guard -- not his normal position. "It's not something where I'm depressed over it or irate," Stinchcomb said. "This isn't a job. It's what I enjoy doing and I want to play. It's not that I'm complaining, but (being paid to ride the bench) is not why I'm here." And switching from left tackle to the right side does not appear to be much of an option right now, either. The Saints spent this year's first-round draft pick on right tackle Jammal Brown, the top offensive lineman taken. The Saints have shown no indication they're interested in trading Stinchcomb, who's in the last year of his first pro contract. The lineman said he has not asked for a trade to a team that might play him right away, saying he prefers to remain loyal to the team that drafted him. "They brought me into the NFL and they've been nothing but up front and honest with me and when you're in a situation like that, you have to have respect for the people you work with and work for," Stinchcomb said. "Never once have I felt deceived. To be honest, Wayne Gandy's still a great player, so I can't take anything away from that guy."