QBREES9

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the New Orleans Saints since their breakthrough in Super Bowl XLIV, with the biggest development the departure of veteran linebacker Scott Fujita to the Cleveland Browns via free agency.

That will all change over the next couple weeks, of course, as the Saints make their final preparations for the NFL Draft, with defensive tackle and outside linebacker two of their biggest priorities.
The Saints need a dependable defensive tackle to play alongside Sedrick Ellis, and they did sign veteran Anthony Hargrove to a one-year tender, the way it’s generally working in a season without a salary cap and plenty of labor uncertainty on the horizon.

But last week the Saints did look at another weakness that has to be addressed.
They brought in veteran quarterbacks Patrick Ramsey and Josh McCown for a look-see, and they should make a move on this front sooner rather than later.
Drew Brees needs a capable backup. The Saints rolled the dice and got away with it last season, with aging Mark Brunell, but there may come a time when they’ll need to win a game or two with Brees on the sideline. Brunell played in the final regular-season game about three months ago and labored throughout in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. The left-hander hasn’t shown much in preseason play, either.
The Saints have to think about their long-term prospects with Brees, who guided the team to the first Super Bowl championship in club history. But they also have to consider the short term, as in 2010, and sign a bona fide veteran to serve as Brees’ backup quarterback.
Ramsey, on the surface, could be a good choice.
The 31-year-old Ramsey has good size and a strong arm, and his NFL career might have gone differently if he hadn’t been drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2002.
Ramsey played college football at Tulane, and he was quickly caught in a vortex in Washington, where Steve Spurrier was a poor fit as an NFL coach.
By the time Joe Gibbs returned to the Redskins, in 2004, Ramsey’s fate had been sealed in Washington. Gibbs traded for Brunell, ironically, and the Redskins never established any kind of offensive identity during his tenure in Washington.
By 2006, Ramsey had become a journeyman. He’s had stints with the New York Jets, the Denver Broncos, the Tennessee Titans and finally, the Detroit Lions.
Ramsey might be the right guy for the job in New Orleans.
We’ve seen the alternative, and it needs to stay in the past tense.

COMMENTARY |Ramsey could be a good fit for Saints’ backup QB - New Orleans Saints - SunHerald.com

www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman

" Anyone can take a picture Only a Photographer can take a photograph "