Newly acquired Brunell leaves Ramsey's future in question
The Washington Redskins acquisition of veteran quarterback Mark Brunell could prove to be a valuable addition to the rebuilding team.
The 33 year-old Brunell is an experienced and established NFL quarterback who could help improve the Redskins to achieve playoff potential. Brunell has made three trips to the pro-bowl in his ten-year career. During his career he has amassed 25, 793 passing yards for 144 touchdowns and 88 interceptions.
Und coming quarterback Patrick Ramsey will be put on the back burner. The Redskins are shelling out $43.6 million over seven years to Brunell, a large sum if he was intended only to be a backup quarterback. The Redskins could not pass up an opportunity of acquiring a proven veteran quarterback, even though Ramsey has been showing promise.
Coach Joe Gibbs asserts that the starting spot is still open and both Brunell and Ramsey will be competing once training camp opens in the summer. Hopefully the addition of Brunell will push Ramsey to compete for the starting spot. Ramsey can learn through Brunell and improve his game so that he can regain his first string status.
However, even if Brunell is the starter, most NFL teams need several quarterbacks to have a successful season. Given Brunell's age and history he would likely be unable to play all 60 minutes of all 16 games. Since 2001 Brunell has suffered from two concussions and three weeks into last year's regular season he lost his starting spot due to injury. Having a strong first and second-string quarterback greatly strengthens a team and improves depth. So, Gibbs and the Redskins organization must work to appease Ramsey and keep him on the team. If the Redskins have hopes of making the playoffs it will be key to keep Ramsey.
Ramsey may be angry about the acquisition of Brunell, but he should stay in Washington for the sake of the team. Brunell may only have a few more seasons as a starting NFL quarterback left in his career, so if Ramsey continues to improve he may still be the Redskins quarterback of the future.
Erik Kojola. Erik Kojola is a senior in the Communication Arts Program at Blair. He plays both lacrosse and soccer for Blair and hopes to continue his lacrosse career in college. He writes sports for SCO and a variety of other topics. More »
No comments.
Please ensure that all comments are mature and responsible; they will go through moderation.