Post Game Thoughts

[MTK]

Originally Posted by joecrisp

Part of the problem with opening the competition again has to do with the way Gibbs distributes practice reps. The starter gets the vast bulk of the reps (90% for the starter, 10% for everyone else). The only reason it was different this past offseason was that Gibbs had promised an open competition between Brunell and Ramsey, so that 90% was split, and each got around 45% of the daily practice reps throughout the late spring minicamps and training camp practices.

Looking back on that decision, Gibbs may very well decide it was a mistake to not commit to a starter early in the offseason, and in the future, he will name a starter early in the offseason, and give that QB the bulk of the reps throughout the offseason camps and training camp.

If he does this for Ramsey or Brunell or Hasselbeck (gotta make everyone happy here!), it will give that QB the necessary reps on the field to develop a complete understanding of-- and comfort level with-- the offense, and enter the season confident of everything that needs to be done in the game to manage Gibbs' offense the way Gibbs intended.

For this reason, I think Gibbs will select a starter early, and will not jeopardize the learning curve for his starting QB-- and his offense as a whole-- by holding an open competition at QB throughout the offseason and training camp.

If Ramsey can flourish in these last 3 games, Gibbs should name him the starter for 2005, and focus on fully preparing him for that role from the first QB schools in March, through the start of the 2005 season.

I couldn't agree more.

As long as PR plays at the same or better level that he's been playing at, once the season is over I'd like to see Gibbs name him the starter for 2005 and settle any offseason QB debates before they start. At that point Ramsey would become the main focus of the offseason camps and we can work on getting him coached up for next year.

It seems like every offseason we have major questions at QB, for once I'd like to have that problem taken care of early on. Then we can focus our more pressing needs elsewhere.