This weekend, with the third pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans will be taking a quarterback. However, few can honestly say with confidence which one it will be. The top three quarterbacks in the draft in no particular order are former Texas superstar Vince Young, former USC Heisman winner Matt Leinart and this year's most hyped up soon-to-be draftee, former Vanderbilt star Jay Cutler.Recent reports have stated that Young seems to be the guy Tennessee is leaning toward, which seems like a good decision. In his 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
college career Young led the Longhorns to prominence in each of the two years he started; he won a pair of Rose Bowl MVP's, including one from this past January, as he single-handedly defeated Leinart's USC squad with his 467 all-purpose yards from scrimmage in a 41-38 victory. Ironically, the Titans' incumbent quarterback, Steve McNair, has been Young's mentor for the last few years. Unfortunately, McNair--a true warrior in his 11 seasons with the organization--is on his way out in Tennessee, likely to end up as the Baltimore Ravens' next starter. Thus, the Titans can get themselves McNair's protégé in hopes he'll lead the team to even better things than No. 9, who took Tennessee to an AFC title in the 1999 season.Whichever QB the Titans end up deciding on this Saturday will be the most important decision the franchise has made in recent memory. Head coach Jeff Fisher is rumored to be on the hot seat, which makes it imperative he find a worthy franchise leader who can produce positive results immediately. If not, the 48-year-old Fisher will likely be ousted from the Titans' job after next season. With a 97-85 career regular season record, the 12-year head coaching veteran shouldn't have too much difficulty finding another job if he's relieved of duties in Nashville. Many, including myself, feel the Titans would be flat-out foolish to can Fisher, but it's definitely within the realm of possibility if improvement isn't shown next season.Since their 12-4 regular season mark in the 2003 season, the Titans have been a shell of their old selves, winning just nine games over the last two seasons; their 23 losses rank them among the worst in the league, which is an uncharacteristic place for a team once perennially near the top of the AFC. However, the real source of blame shouldn't go to Fisher, but GM Floyd Reese. He's the one who has put the Tennessee Titans in severe salary cap jail over the past few seasons, making it nearly impossible for Fisher to field a competitive team in a division that includes the dominant and a Jacksonville Jaguars team that went 12-4 last season. Still, somehow Reese rarely comes under any form of disparagement, allowing Fisher to take the brunt of the criticism. Fisher has been both professional and silent under the harsh scrutiny because he knows he's among the elite coaches in the NFL. If things don't work out in Tennessee next year and they fire him, it's their loss; he'll move on and make a positive impact elsewhere.Many believe that Fisher, a USC grad, wants to draft Leinart this weekend, but it's Reese forcing Young on him. If the Titans do pick Young and he doesn't work out but Leinart becomes a star, Reese will find himself working for 43 Polamalu white jersey
another team soon enough. The ball's in his court this Saturday, and he'd better come up big. Should Reese flub the pick, Fisher's career in Tennessee will be over after next season, but he'll leave behind a proud legacy filled with memorable victories and stories of perseverance. For the sake of Fisher, Reese and the Titans' fans, let's hope whichever quarterback they take works out as well as McNair did.--Connor Byrne can be reached at
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