Former NFL fullback and current ESPN analyst Merril Hoge has been steadfast in his insistence that Tennessee quarterback
Vince Young will never come close to living up to the promise the Titans thought he had when they chose him with the third pick in the 2006 draft.
Today I saw Hoge at ESPN's Super Bowl headquarters in Scottsdale, and I asked him whether he thinks Young could succeed in the offense that new coordinator Mike Heimerdinger will install in Tennessee.
"There's not an NFL offense that Vince Young can succeed in throwing the ball," Hoge said. "Maybe there's an offense where he can succeed running the ball, and maybe he can throw some bubble screens, but pretty soon any NFL defense is going to stop a running games and the bubble screens."
I asked Hoge whether he felt personally vindicated when Young followed up his Pro Bowl rookie season with a nine-touchdown, 17-interception second season.
"I really don't have an agenda when I evaluate a player," Hoge said. "I've spent almost 20 year studying tape as a player and an analyst and I see that he just doesn't do the things a quarterback has to do. He's still the same player he was coming out of college, a good athlete but not a good quarterback. You should see improvement by the time a guy has started 30 games, but I've seen none."
As for the firing of former Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Hoge said, "That's what a draft bust does to your franchise."
With Vince Young in Tennessee, Merril Hoge Pities New Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog