Q: Marvin Harrison’s great, but do you think the recent SI article on him was a little overdone? He’s not going to ever be known as the best wide receiver of all time, will he?
— Mary, Muncie, Ind.

A: He claims he’ll never last long enough to catch Jerry Rice’s records, nor does he particularly want to. I think it’s getting harder to evaluate receivers because it’s impossible to compare different eras based on the inflated numbers that tend to make today’s receivers look so superior. They aren’t.

It’s best to look at ratio of touchdown catches to catches, average per catch, yards gained after the catch, drops, blocking ability, an most of all, impact. Did his team win? Did he make big catches in big games? Did he make his teammates better? Harrison stacks up in most categories and in my opinion is the best current receiver in the league.

Q: Would the Bears be favored to win the Super Bowl if Tommie Harris and Mike Brown were healthy?
— Chuck, Chicago

A: I don’t think the oddsmakers would favor them, but I know a lot of media experts who might. Those two guys certainly would improve a defense that is pretty decent without them. Harris’s ability to quickly penetrate in the middle or at least draw double teams would help the Bears get pressure on Manning. Brown, of course, was the quarterback of the secondary and tough against the run, but he’s been out for so long that the Bears have adapted.

Q: Hi Don, I’d like to know what’s your take on QBs in the NFL, do they need extra development because most teams stink because their QBs are not good. Thanks.
— Jason, Framingham, Mass.

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A: My opinion is there aren’t 32 quarterbacks even though there are 32 teams. A rough count of quarterbacks any team might want stops around 20, in my opinion. Even when there were only 28 or 26 teams, I’m not sure there was a full complement of quarterbacks.

The position is definitely the hardest to play and teams don’t want to take the time, nor do they have the luxury of time, to develop them. A bigger problem, however, is the lack of quarterback coaches willing and able to develop young talent. For years, Bill Walsh of the 49ers was the quarterback guru and not all of his coaching students possess his ability. This is changing, by the way, because more and more colleges and even high schools are playing more pro-style offenses, so more and more quarterbacks are learning the necessary skills at younger ages.