What I like most about seeing Vince Young at 1 Bills Drive is that the team has brought him in to compete for the back-up role. This is so imperative, and Buddy, Chan and gang got it right (some would add, “for once”).
The former 3rd-overall pick out of the football-player-generating state of Texas (second only to Florida – sorry, cheap shot) earned Rookie of the Year honours in his first campaign with the Titans. Throwing for over 40 touchdowns, at almost 60% completion, scrambling for 12 touchdowns, Young had a very respectable 98.6 quarterback rating.
After a few seasons of not-quite-so-stellar ball (partially due to the “talent” surrounding him), he moved onto the Eagles to back up Vick. Being a back-up is never easy. Obviously the starter will get the lion’s share of mid-week snaps, work with the first team, and be privy to most offensive decisions and schemes leading up to Sunday. The back-up, while still surrounded by guys who can catch, will never have an equal opportunity. So, when he went 1-2 few can say they were surprised. He had his chance, didn’t seize the opportunity, and became lost in the shuffle.
Queue the Buffalo Bills. Most fans know about the splash they have made in the off-season, particularly in bolstering their already promising defensive line. Fresh off cashing in on a $59 million deal over six years, quarterback Ryan FitzPatrick showed sparks. He wasn’t brilliant (off the field apparently he was…the whole “Harvard” thing), but he was certainly capable. Having Fred Jackson to help him out didn’t hurt, either, with the tailback leading the league in rushing after ten weeks before his injury. Nonetheless, the Bills like FitzPatrick, and I can’t help but agree. A great team guy, can read a defense and adjust appropriately, and his name is not J.P. or Trent. The team likes him enough that they have avoided taking a quarterback in the last two drafts, opting instead to build around Fitz.
What I hate as a football fan is hearing “competition” at quarterback. It sends so many mixed signals and creates animosity, whether the players and staff admit to it or not. When I first read about Vince visiting Buffalo I was admittedly very, very apprehensive. I know the guy comes with baggage, but who doesn’t. After reading that he was brought in to compete for the back-up role, however, I was very relieved. This is just common sense, and excellent communication from the Bills. I am positive, absolutely positive, that Ryan FitzPatrick appreciates it as well, as he will feel a boost of confidence knowing he’s still “the guy” in Orchard Park, NY.
Young is a wildcard, plain and simple. We know he is capable – he has impressed on the field in the past. Is he able to regain the form of his first couple of NFL season? Maybe, maybe not. But I think it’s a gamble worth taking.
…and that is the last word.
