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interesting read here..
Titans could be forced to play Young
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports 3 hours, 25 minutes ago
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You can follow Charles Robinson on Twitter at @YahooSportsNFL.
Eventually, whatever Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins(notes) is doing right or wrong won?t matter. Instead, the future will be all about the politics of zeros: how long the Titans have a zero in the win column, and the relationship that has with the number of zeros in Vince Young?s(notes) 2010 salary.
Unless Tennessee wins its next two games against the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, we will see Vince Young after the Week 7 bye.
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Young hasn?t seen action since the preseason.
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Not because he has earned the opportunity. Not because he?s ready to transform into Tom Brady(notes) (whoa ? threw up in my mouth). Not even because Titans coach Jeff Fisher will suddenly regain his confidence in Young. Instead, the former ?future of the franchise? will get his opportunity because owner Bud Adams still entertains faint hope ? and the Titans likely won?t have much else to lose.
Consider the facts. Young turns 27 in May and, not counting incentives, he?s due $11.75 million in base salary and a roster bonus in 2010. His cap number would be $14.21 million, and if he were to be released, the Titans would actually gain $9.29 million to spend on free agents. Adams just needs to know if he?d be wasting money, but he can?t figure that out if Young?s fading star is strapped to the bench the remainder of this season. So it only makes sense that Young would get another look, barring a sudden Kerry Collins renaissance against Indianapolis (arguably the best team in football right now) and New England (getting better and healthier every week).
That?s not to say the 0-4 start should be blamed entirely on Collins. Fisher isn?t merely being diplomatic when he says the losses don?t fall entirely on the veteran?s feet. Indeed, there are far deeper problems in play than an aging quarterback who has been turning the ball over a little more than usual (seven turnovers this year compared to eight all of last season). Tennessee?s front four misses the physical presence of departed free agent Albert Haynesworth(notes). And the back end ? a secondary that includes three Pro Bowlers in cornerback Cortland Finnegan(notes) and safeties Michael Griffin(notes) and Chris Hope(notes) ? has been either inconsistent or injured, tied for a league-worst 1,129 passing yards allowed.
All of that has only compounded some of Collins? early mistakes. But ultimately, the identity of the offending parties won?t matter if 0-6 becomes a reality. The only thing that will matter is what is best for this team beyond an already disintegrating 2009. And there wouldn?t be a more natural pivot point for a quarterback change.
If the Titans go into their bye week winless, fans will be crestfallen and the playoffs essentially will be out of reach. Suddenly, Young would have a two-week window to take first-team snaps and prepare himself for a post-bye schedule that begins reasonably with two home games (Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills) sandwiched around a road tilt against the San Francisco 49ers. It would be a natural opportunity, offering a 10-game window that would be more than enough to determine whether he?s worth another season of investment.
It may be the last scenario fans could have fathomed a month ago, when most still thought of the Titans as AFC elites. But the opportunity to live up to that expectation is fading fast. And it?s only a matter of time before Adams realizes that he can?t afford to let Young?s last opportunity pass with it.
Titans could be forced to play Young
Printable View
You can follow Charles Robinson on Twitter at @YahooSportsNFL.
Eventually, whatever Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins(notes) is doing right or wrong won?t matter. Instead, the future will be all about the politics of zeros: how long the Titans have a zero in the win column, and the relationship that has with the number of zeros in Vince Young?s(notes) 2010 salary.
Unless Tennessee wins its next two games against the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, we will see Vince Young after the Week 7 bye.
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(Jim Brown/US Presswire)
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<!-- {PHOTO ENDS} -->
Not because he has earned the opportunity. Not because he?s ready to transform into Tom Brady(notes) (whoa ? threw up in my mouth). Not even because Titans coach Jeff Fisher will suddenly regain his confidence in Young. Instead, the former ?future of the franchise? will get his opportunity because owner Bud Adams still entertains faint hope ? and the Titans likely won?t have much else to lose.
Consider the facts. Young turns 27 in May and, not counting incentives, he?s due $11.75 million in base salary and a roster bonus in 2010. His cap number would be $14.21 million, and if he were to be released, the Titans would actually gain $9.29 million to spend on free agents. Adams just needs to know if he?d be wasting money, but he can?t figure that out if Young?s fading star is strapped to the bench the remainder of this season. So it only makes sense that Young would get another look, barring a sudden Kerry Collins renaissance against Indianapolis (arguably the best team in football right now) and New England (getting better and healthier every week).
That?s not to say the 0-4 start should be blamed entirely on Collins. Fisher isn?t merely being diplomatic when he says the losses don?t fall entirely on the veteran?s feet. Indeed, there are far deeper problems in play than an aging quarterback who has been turning the ball over a little more than usual (seven turnovers this year compared to eight all of last season). Tennessee?s front four misses the physical presence of departed free agent Albert Haynesworth(notes). And the back end ? a secondary that includes three Pro Bowlers in cornerback Cortland Finnegan(notes) and safeties Michael Griffin(notes) and Chris Hope(notes) ? has been either inconsistent or injured, tied for a league-worst 1,129 passing yards allowed.
All of that has only compounded some of Collins? early mistakes. But ultimately, the identity of the offending parties won?t matter if 0-6 becomes a reality. The only thing that will matter is what is best for this team beyond an already disintegrating 2009. And there wouldn?t be a more natural pivot point for a quarterback change.
If the Titans go into their bye week winless, fans will be crestfallen and the playoffs essentially will be out of reach. Suddenly, Young would have a two-week window to take first-team snaps and prepare himself for a post-bye schedule that begins reasonably with two home games (Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills) sandwiched around a road tilt against the San Francisco 49ers. It would be a natural opportunity, offering a 10-game window that would be more than enough to determine whether he?s worth another season of investment.
It may be the last scenario fans could have fathomed a month ago, when most still thought of the Titans as AFC elites. But the opportunity to live up to that expectation is fading fast. And it?s only a matter of time before Adams realizes that he can?t afford to let Young?s last opportunity pass with it.
