Ramsey's Turn

Clipped from: AP article by Joseph White posted at Washington Times, 8/2/05

Patrick Ramsey opened training camp as the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins, but not necessarily as the quarterback of the future.

Ramsey looked at ease - much more comfortable than last year - as he tossed passes Monday to newcomers Santana Moss and David Patten and the rest of the receivers. Always the optimist, he spoke of making the best of his opportunity, even though his status has been muddled yet again by the team's decision to select a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

Of this year's quarterback threesome - Ramsey, Brunell and Campbell - Ramsey is the only one not hand-picked by Gibbs. In essence, Ramsey has been given the job with a one-year lease, knowing that Brunell's career is on the wane and that Campbell - came to terms with the team late Monday - will probably need a season of grooming.

"Patrick's been up here a while now," Gibbs said. "He's been through some stuff a lot of young guys go through, to be truthful. He's established himself as the lead quarterback, and I would say he needs to take this thing and go with it now. Our opportunities in life - this is one where he's perfectly situated."

If Ramsey succeeds, he'll bring stability to a position in flux more or less since the days of Mark Rypien in the early 1990s.

Physically and mentally, Ramsey is miles ahead of where he was 12 months ago, when he was coming off the foot injury and shaking off two seasons of unorthodox coaching from Steve Spurrier. Just the fact that he gets to go first in the practice drills helps his rhythm and confidence - and affects how he is viewed by teammates.

"Where you stand with the guys is what's different," Ramsey said. "But it's not something I'm going to assume. I want to produce early. ... I want to play well in the preseason and show that I deserve the distinction I have as a starter."

Ramsey's career quarterback rating is a modest 74.4, but he played well at the end of last season, completing at least 64 percent of his passes in five straight games. He has always had a strong arm, but he's worked to improve his touch passes this year. He's excited to have speedsters Moss and Patten, who should help him get the ball downfield more often and improve an offense that ranked 30th last year.

"I see potential," said Patten, who spent the last four years working with one of the game's best, Tom Brady, in New England. "I see the way he's running the huddle. He's just gotten more and more confident. He's really starting to take control of the offense."

"I have an opportunity," Ramsey said. "I need to continue to earn the opportunity. You can't ask for more than that."

I personally have been a fan of P-Ram since the Spurrier days. I was captivated by his perseverance through the fiasco known as Spurrier Pass Protection. Let's hope he can take full advantage of this opportunity.