Earlier this week, we discussed the ill-timed statements of Vince Young, the embattled Tennessee Titan signal-caller who recently issued a passive “play me or trade me” demand.
Despite Vince’s “troubling” words, head coach Jeff Fisher is standing behind VY and stating that the former Texas alum will still eventually be the team’s starting quarterback.
Whether Fisher’s words are legitimate or merely a motivational ploy, the fact remains that Vince still has to go out on the field and show that he’s worthy of his coach’s high praise.
If Vince falters, veteran QB Patrick Ramsey is waiting in the wings. Could Ramsey emerge as Kerry Collins’ primary backup in 2009?
At the age of 30, Ramsey’s days of being considered as a team’s franchise quarterback have long since passed. After flaming out in Washington, Ramsey’s become the definition of an NFL journeyman as he’s made stops in New York, Denver and now Tennessee in his bid to keep his fading dreams of once again becoming someone’s starting quarterback alive.
Barring an injury to Kerry Collins, I highly doubt that Ramsey will get an opportunity to be this team’s starting QB. However, if Vince Young isn’t up to the challenge of stepping up, there’s at least a slim chance that Patrick could push VY for the team’s #2 QB spot.
Patrick has already earned the trust of offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, the guy mostly responsible for bringing Pat to Nashville. Dinger was Ramsey’s offensive coordinator in Denver, so the Titans’ new QB is already familiar with what his old/new boss expects from his quarterbacks.
Trust is a big factor when it comes to earning playing time under Dinger. For example, despite his promise, rookie Lavelle Hawkins was unable to crack the team’s WR rotation as a result of his inability to meet Dinger’s expectations on the practice field.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, despite several drops, Justin McCareins remained a starting WR because of his vast experience in Dinger’s offensive schemes.
As you can see, familiarity is a big deal to Dinger and because of this alone, I wouldn’t rule out Patrick’s attempt to become the Titans’ numero dos signal-caller. Of course, Patrick’s efforts will also be aided if Vince doesn’t perform during training camp.
So what do you guys think? Will Patrick push Vince for the #2 QB spot in 2009?
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