Bengals QB Gus Frerotte. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        The silver whiskers were gone Monday, along with the rest of Gus Frerotte's training camp facial hair. But, when introduced as the Bengals' fifth opening day quarterback in the past five seasons, Frerotte put himself in the company of other graybeards who had success late in their NFL careers.

        “I look at people like Rich Gannon and other quarterbacks who have moved on and found a home, Vinny Testaverde,” he said. “And I feel like I can do that here.”

        If Frerotte, at 31, can approach the production of Oakland's Gannon, the Jets' Testaverde and other retreads — such as Seattle's Trent Dilfer and the Giants' Kerry Collins — he will be the most effective Bengals QB since Boomer Esiason's 1997 swan song.

        Bengals coach Dick LeBeau made the announcement Monday after meeting individually with the team's trio of quarterbacks.

        First was Akili Smith, who will be third string.

        Then LeBeau talked with Jon Kitna, who started 15 games last year and was Frerotte's challenger.

IN GUS BENGALS TRUST

Name: Gustave Joseph Frerotte     DOB: July 31, 1971.     Hometown: Ford City, Pa.     Family: Wife, Ann; three kids.     College: Tulsa.     Draft: Seventh round, 1994, Washington Redskins.     Contract: Signed one-year contract May 1; $900,000 base with $500,000 signing bonus, plus incentives.     Stats: 79 games, 59 starts. (25-33-1 record).     Career: 13,970 passing yards, 69 TDs, 59 interceptions.     Previous stops: Washington (1994-98), Detroit (1999), Denver (2000-01).     Honors: NFC Pro Bowl team after 1996 season.     Last opening day start: Sept. 6, 1998.     Playoff starts: Two.

        Then LeBeau broke the news to Frerotte, who had the highest preseason passer rating, completion rate, and most yards per pass completion and pass attempts.

        “But the bottom line here isn't numbers,” LeBeau said. “I've looked at (NFL) quarterbacks for over 40 years. My feeling is for what we're going to do on offense, Gus is the guy for the Cincinnati Bengals.”

        Frerotte's strong arm impressed his teammates.

        “Just making the throw you wouldn't think a quarterback could make,” Bengals center Rich Braham said. “There's a time here we weren't getting a certain pass completed, and he's completing them.”

        The Bengals player most familiar with Frerotte is wide receiver Michael Westbrook. The two were Redskins teammates for four years.

        “He's a really poised quarterback,” Westbrook said. “He stays in the pocket. He believes in the guys playing for him. You won't catch him running out of there. He wants to make things happen.”

        The decision, in the end, was LeBeau's. But, he said, he did consult with Bengals president Mike Brown.

        “He's got an NFL arm,” Brown said of Frerotte. “He's experienced. He's played. It doesn't scare him. He has solid ball-handling ability. All those things are pluses.”

        Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski was reluctant to talk in specifics about Frerotte and said, “We've got three guys we can win with.

        “But, obviously, Gus has a strong, accurate arm and a quick release.”

        There was relief, however, in the locker room that a decision was finally reached.

        Kitna, who threw 22 interceptions in his 15 starts last year, said that his 2001 performance didn't play into LeBeau's decision. He also said he hopes he doesn't play this season.

        “For me to play, two things have to happen: Gus has to get hurt or we have to be struggling,” Kitna said. “Will I be ready if my time comes? Yeah. I'll never put myself before the team.”

        Smith said he hoped his preseason performance has resurrected his career and that he is no David Klingler, the quarterback considered the biggest first-round bust (1992) in team history.

        “I was really upset for people comparing me to that guy,” Smith said. “I had one season (the first 10 starts in 2000). I made a lot of progress this year, but I was in too big of a hole.”

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