In case you haven’t heard, the Tennessee Titans signed a veteran quarterback on Friday. Patrick Ramsey, one-time future franchise quarterback and current NFL journeyman signal-caller, placed his John Hancock on the dotted line of a one-year contract.
Ramsey had visited Baptist Sports Park a few weeks ago and was torn between signing with the Titans and the Patriots. Ultimately, Patrick decided that his prospects for playing time were better sitting behind Kerry Collins and Vince Young compared to being Tom Brady’s backup in New England.
Was the move to acquire Ramsey merely an attempt to fill out the QB depth chart, or does Patrick have a future beyond his one-year deal in Nashville?
Ramsey is a former first round selection by the Washington Redskins in the 2002 NFL Draft. Similar to the pitiful plights of the two other quarterbacks drafted in the first round that year (David Carr and Joey Harrington), Ramsey has undergone a transformation from being a highly-regarded prospect to a player clinging onto an NFL paycheck by accepting a less than flattering backup job.
Ironically, a performance against the Tennessee Titans was supposed to serve as the beginning of a great career as a QB in the NFL. On October 6, 2002, Ramsey filled in admirably for an injured Danny Wuerffel, completing 20 of his 34 passes for 268 yards and two scores in a 31-14 win over the Titans.
*As an aside, for those who don’t remember, the loss put the Titans at 1-4. Of course, the Titans rebounded to win 10 of their 11 remaining games to finish at 11-5 in 2002, which culminated with a loss to the Raiders in the AFC Title Game that season.
Jeff Fisher’s finest coaching performance, IMO.
Ok…back to Ramsey…
Of course, Ramsey’s career eventually flamed out in Washington. After getting the Redskins off to a 3-1 start in 2003, his season ended prematurely later that year as a result of taking too many hits in the Ole’ Ball Coach a.k.a. Steve Spurrier’s “Chuck and Duck” offense.
When legendary coach Joe Gibbs decided to return in 2004, one of his first decisions was to acquire a veteran quarterback. The Redskins traded for Mark Brunell and declared an “open competition” between Mark and Patrick for the starting QB job, but not surprisingly, Brunell emerged as the winner.
The team’s decision to draft Jason Campbell in 2005 ultimately sealed Ramsey’s fate in Washington. After spending a year with the New York Jets as a backup, Ramsey headed to his most recent employer, the Denver Broncos, where he also spent some time with current Titans’ offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.
Ramsey, a top-ranked javelin thrower during his high school days, is blessed with a very strong arm. However, his downfall in the league has been his lack of pocket presence. Unfortunately, Ramsey suffers from Rob Johnson-itis, an affliction also referred to as holding the ball too long.
I actually like the Ramsey signing. He’s a veteran who has starting experience and should also be familiar with what Dinger likes to do with his offense. Whether or not he is able to push Vince Young for the #2 QB spot remains to be seen and will probably have more to do with VY’s progression (or lack thereof) than Ramsey setting the world on fire during camps.
So what do you think, guys? What are your opinions on the Ramsey acquisition?
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