ESPN Ramsey Article

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http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp03/columns/pasquarelli_len/1587854.html

Ramsey's development will determine 'Skins success

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By Len Pasquarelli

ESPN.com

ASHBURN, Va. -- On the rare off-day, or maybe even after practice, Washington Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey and right offensive tackle Jon Jansen like to do a little bow-hunting in the lush woods which surround the team's complex.

Rumor has it, although both players deny the claims made by teammates, that they used to bring out shotguns once in a while. But that was before the horror of the Washington-area snipers and, urban rumor suggests, before 'Skins owner Dan Snyder heard the blasts and summoned local police, fearing his private fiefdom might be under attack.

Ramsey allowed earlier this week that he once bagged a six-point buck in the woods. But mostly he hits some targets, and misses some, too, and generally just relishes the chance for relaxation amid what has already become the maddening demands of his job.

Patrick Ramsey got his first NFL win against the Titans last season.

The Redskins paid Ramsey, their first-round choice in the '02 draft, a little over three million bucks as a signing bonus last year, no antlers attached, to be more accurate on the field than he is in the nearby forest. And so far in training camp, his passes have been more scorching than scattershot, although the flashes of brilliance have been interrupted at times by snippets of marksmanship gone errant.

This is how it is, though, for a young quarterback who has had an NFL starting job thrust on him for the first time. And this is the reality of the Redskins' situation for 2003: For all the enhanced offensive weaponry imported during the offseason, for all the dollars spent in free agency to upgrade the interior of the offensive line, Washington's fortunes for this year almost certainly will rise or fall on the performance of a guy already on the roster.

That irony is hardly lost on Ramsey, an engaging and articulate youngster who survived the academic rigors of Tulane University, graduated with a degree in business and finance and knows his ups and downs will be as heavily scrutinized this year as the stock market.

Julia Payne, the Redskins' new vice president of communications and a veteran of the Clinton administration, apprised Ramsey that, in the nation's capital, playing quarterback for the home team ranks behind only being the president in terms of pressure. Ramsey is clearly aware that, for all the new Redskins firepower to make a difference, he has to be an effective triggerman.

"I don't know if irony is the right word or not, but I'm certainly aware of what's expected of me, and I've always wanted and accepted that kind of pressure," said Ramsey, who as a rookie appeared in 10 games and started in half of them. "It's OK, because everything I've ever done, I've tried to be a leader. But you have to do it in your own way. You can be a part of the crowd, or be above the crowd, you know? Me, I'd rather be just one of the guys instead of the one guy, but the attention is part of the territory. But I'd rather the crowd put me in that position, rather than just me saying, 'Hey, I'm the leader here.

"I mean, part of the deal this year is me trying to earn that respect."

With the Redskins, of course, that means earning the respect of coach Steve Spurrier, who, when it comes to the quarterback position, is equal parts marionette and martinet. Truth be told, the Spurrier ego is (and always has been) such that he essentially believes the best quarterback to run his system is, well, Steve Spurrier.

A brilliant offensive schemer, but a guy who still must demonstrate that his Fun-and-Gun attack can succeed at the game's highest level, Spurrier loves to pull the strings. He also pulls few punches when assessing the play of his quarterbacks, particularly in private, as he dissects their performances.

Praise is hard earned and compliments come only grudgingly. This week, in addressing the specter of heading into his second season of stewardship with a quarterback who has started just five regular-season games, Spurrier noted he is "guardedly optimistic" about the development of Ramsey. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson acknowledged Ramsey is "more comfortable" with his surroundings.

If not quite faint praise, it is hardly glowing endorsement. But thankfully, for Spurrier and the team in general, Ramsey is thick-skinned enough to deal with the sometimes scalding coaching critiques. Despite being a bit of a late-bloomer -- a player who flourished as a senior in Tulane's stat-enhancing run-and-shoot offense, proved he could compete with more celebrated players at the Senior Bowl, then turned NFL scouts' heads with a superb combine audition -- Ramsey has the ingrained mindset of a quarterback.

He is quick to cite his receivers for good plays, even quicker to accept culpability when a ball sails wide (even when a wideout runs a poor route, as occurred several times during early camp practices), and is cognizant of the importance of both those things.

Certainly there were times on Tuesday and Wednesday when those tacks were necessary as Ramsey demonstrated some of the unevenness expected from a young quarterback. In the Tuesday morning "team" session, for instance, Ramsey was particularly impressive. He stepped up in the pocket on one play, bought himself some extra time, then rifled a laser across the middle to wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who had continued his route and found some horizontal separation.

“ He's smart, he picks stuff up fast, and once he gets it, he gets it for good. You don't have to tell him twice. The guy works hard.”

—Redskins WR Laveranues Coles, on QB Patrick Ramsey

A few players later, Ramsey connected with Coles again, this time on a perfectly-lobbed "fade" route. Then it was a deep "post" to second-round draft choice Taylor Jacobs, and a "swing" to tailback Trung Canidate.

The following morning, though, Ramsey's accuracy wasn't as good, even he allowed, and that is the kind of roller coaster syndrome he is trying hard to avoid. Most observers feel he will, in time, become more than merely consistent, that he can be a big-time player in the league.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who observed Ramsey's progress last year from the opposite side of the ball, as the Redskins' defensive coordinator, was effusive in his assessment of the young player's potential. And the explosive Coles, the $35 million receiver brought in to add a home run dimension to the Washington passing game, said he "had no doubts" Ramsey will succeed.

Ramsey completed 117 of 227 passes in 2002, for 1,539 yards, with nine touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and a 71.8 efficiency rating. One problem was that he never really settled into the job for a viable stretch, because Spurrier was impatient and could not settle on a starter because of a combination of injury and incompetence. But even his brief baptism of last year, Coles insisted, should serve Ramsey well.

"Hey, already, he's ahead of where (Chad) Pennington was at the same point, because he has at least played a little bit," said Coles, when asked to compare Ramsey with the New York Jets' second-year starter. "Chad never even got off the bench for two years. Patrick is a quick-read kind of guy, you know? He's smart, he picks stuff up fast, and once he gets it, he gets it for good. You don't have to tell him twice. The guy works hard."

Example: Some scouts felt Ramsey might be stymied by his lack of footspeed, and what they felt was suspect footwork in general, at the NFL level. Hardly a sprinter, Ramsey nonetheless improved dramatically in his movement skills, working during the offseason on virtually every related drill he could imagine. OK, so he still isn't Michael Vick, and never will be. But now Ramsey can make subtle enough moves in the pocket to allow a receiver to find the voids in the secondary.

In some obvious ways, Ramsey has a hint of Peyton Manning-like technique, and that is especially obvious in the high manner in which he holds the ball in his dropback. It is a style that he has used for several years, but one that was validated while working in the quarterback camps that Manning and father Archie convene every year.

Certainly in his demeanor -- his engaging personality, a readiness to accommodate the media needs, his public relations savvy -- Ramsey reminds people of Manning. That said, the Redskins need Ramsey to be a good player, not just a good guy. They believe he will be both, the only nagging question being just how quickly he will reach a level that will bolster the franchise's playoff chances.

"At this point in his development," said vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, "we can't have Patrick losing games. He has to make just enough plays, but also get the ball to his playmakers, let them help him. Eventually, yeah, it all gets put on the quarterback's shoulders.

"But he doesn't have to carry the load yet. Just his share of it. If he does that, we'll be fine and he'll keep growing from there."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

[Mad Mike]

"In some obvious ways, Ramsey has a hint of Peyton Manning-like technique, and that is especially obvious in the high manner in which he holds the ball in his dropback. It is a style that he has used for several years, but one that was validated while working in the quarterback camps that Manning and father Archie convene every year."

That's also the influnce of Spurrier (prob. more so than Manning). Every QB that Spurrier has ever sent out on the field holds the ball high, ready for a quick release.

[Zen-like Todd]

Fodder for the Jets fans

"Hey, already, he's ahead of where (Chad) Pennington was at the same point, because he has at least played a little bit," said Coles, when asked to compare Ramsey with the New York Jets' second-year starter. "Chad never even got off the bench for two years. Patrick is a quick-read kind of guy, you know? He's smart, he picks stuff up fast, and once he gets it, he gets it for good. You don't have to tell him twice. The guy works hard."