There have been several comments on Total Titans recently saying Tennessee shouldn’t keep three quarterbacks on the roster this year. Some good points have been made and some good reasons provided.
The most obvious is that keeping three QBs takes a roster spot away from an extra special teams player. Guys like Colin Allred, Josh Stamer, Rocky Boiman, Tuff Harris and Nick Schommer are trying to make the back end of the roster based on their special teams contributions. Keeping a third QB leaves one less spot available for those players, who sometimes make the difference in a game.
I’d like to look at the other side of the argument now.
Keeping three quarterbacks is nothing new, it’s been done in the NFL for years, even when rosters were much smaller. The Titans have had their share of three-QB rosters, most notably the McNair-O’Donnell-Volek trio for a couple of years. Since then, they’ve gone both ways, with two and with three.
Now let’s look ahead to the next offseason. In February, the Titans will have 37-year old Kerry Collins and four-year veteran Vince Young, who will be due a huge bonus if he remains. If Vince doesn’t have a great 2009 season, he’ll be released, a victim of his own good fortune. And with a very good offensive line protecting Collins, Young may not get many chances this year to extend his stay.
So if Vince is gone, that only leaves Collins, which is one reason you keep Patrick Ramsey now. Without Ramsey on the roster, you could go into next year with just Collins and no one in reserve.
Jeff Fisher recently said the Titans would probably keep three quarterbacks this year. He said it wasn’t etched in stone but it was chalked in.
How much of that is because of Young’s situation next year is a matter of speculation. And you could speculate on other reasons as well.
When the roster is cut to 53 men on Saturday, we’ll find out if Patrick Ramsey will be the Titans’ #3 quarterback.
What’s your opinion? Two or three QBs, and why?
News update: Jonathan Hutton has reported that the Titans will give a workout and physical tomorrow to former Jaguars WR Matt Jones.
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