As a result of last year’s Vin-aissance, Vince Young has once again established himself as the Tennessee Titans’ signal-caller for the upcoming season and beyond.
Beyond VY, the state of the franchise at the quarterback position is a bit blurred. Veteran Kerry Collins is set to be the team’s backup QB, but a high salary for 2010 could lead to his eventual release if he isn’t prepared to take a pay-cut. Fellow vets Patrick Ramsey and Chris Simms have both played in Tennessee and one of them could be called in to replace Collins if KC is jettisoned.
With VY firmly entrenched as the starter and one of the aforementioned veterans poised to serve as the team’s #2, there’s a good chance that the Titans will spend a mid-to-late draft choice on a gunslinging youngster to groom as a developmental project.
Here’s a look at a few guys that could be on the team’s radar if they do decide to select a QB in the latter part of the rapidly-approaching NFL Draft.
Dan LeFevour QB Central Michigan
LeFevour has already visited Baptist Sports Park, so the team has already displayed at least some level of interest in acquiring the former CMU star.
Dan doesn’t have a ton of arm strength, but he’s a smart, accurate QB who also has some mobility. He’s projected to go in rounds 3-4 and considering the Titans’ myriad of needs on the defensive side of the football, I’m hoping that they would not spend that high of a selection on a signal-caller.
However, if for some reason LeFevour slips below the 4th, I’d be all in favor of taking a flyer on him.
A player once hailed as a potential first-round draft pick, Snead’s stock has fallen dramatically as of late.
Sure, he’s got the arm strength and the ability of a player who should be draft much higher than the 4th-6th round projections that have been bestowed upon him. However, his piss-poor decision making skills and a lackluster 2009 season have caused Snead’s NFL stock to plummet.
Based on his talent, investing a late-round pick on Snead doesn’t appear to be too bad of an idea…maybe Coach Mike Heimerdinger could whip him into shape.
Another guy who’s already visited the Titans, Brown is a guy who put up some good numbers in a spread-offense last year. He’s got good size (6’4″, 230) has plenty of arm strength and also possesses the intangibles that you look for in a quarterback.
Brown’s an intriguing player who could easily emerge as an option for the Titans anywhere from rounds 5-7.
Jonathan Crompton QB Tennessee
The much-maligned former Tennessee Volunteer signal-caller is long on talent but comes up a bit short when it comes to the mental side of the game. He’s created a buzz as of late due to former Browns’ scout Russ Lande making the seemingly-outlandish statement that Crompton is the draft’s second-best QB prospect.
Despite Lande’s high praise for his abilities, many still project Crompton to be drafted anywhere from the mid-latter portion of the draft. I’m not too enthused about the possibility but I guess the Titans could decide to take a flyer on Crompton if he’s still around late Saturday afternoon.
Rusty Smith QB Florida Atlantic
Smith put up a ton of stats during his career at FAU. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury last year caused Smith to participate in only seven games in 2009.
Rusty has good size (6’5″ 224) and has already received some interest from the Titans. Not only was the team present at his Pro Day on March 4th, but Smith was also scheduled for a recent visit in order to take a physical and conduct further interviews with the Titans’ brass.
Don’t be surprised if you hear Smith’s name called as one of the Titans’ final selections on the final day of the draft.
Any opinions on these or other quarterbacks who could be on the Titans’ draft-day radar? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below.
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